Offer a detailed example of the shaping of a specific African identity Gender in anthropology of Identity

Answer 1

One example of the shaping of African identity through gender in anthropology can be seen in the work of feminist anthropologist Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí. In her book "The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses," Oyěwùmí challenges the idea that gender is a universal category by examining how Western ideas about gender have been imposed on African societies, leading to the marginalization and erasure of indigenous African understandings of gender.

Oyěwùmí argues that Western colonialism played a significant role in shaping African gender identity by imposing binary gender categories that do not reflect the complex and fluid gender identities that exist in many African cultures. She argues that prior to colonization, many African societies had ways of organizing gender that did not conform to Western ideas of male and female, such as the existence of third genders or fluid gender categories.

One example that Oyěwùmí discusses is the Igbo people of Nigeria, who historically recognized a gender category called "Nwanyị" that encompassed both women and certain men who performed specific gender roles. However, under colonial rule, European notions of gender were imposed on the Igbo people, leading to the erasure of the Nwanyị category and the marginalization of those who did not fit into binary gender categories.

Through her work, Oyěwùmí highlights the importance of understanding gender identity in African societies within their own cultural contexts, rather than imposing Western ideas of gender onto them. By examining how gender has been shaped by colonialism and other external forces, anthropologists can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of African identities and challenge dominant narratives that marginalize non-binary and gender-nonconforming individuals.