7 - Women and Conflict Management in Selected Market Places in Southwestern Nigeria
Corresponding Author(s) : Molatokunbo Seunfunmi A. Olutayo
Africa Development,
Vol. 39 No. 3 (2014): Africa Development
Abstract
Most markets in Africa are of the informal type with the women being, perhaps, the most important stakeholders. Since the pre-colonial period, women, even though under the indirect control of their male counterparts, are the ‘market-women’ responsible both for buying and selling. It is hardly an accepted norm that men sell their products themselves, neither are ‘responsible’ men expected to purchase their needs from the market. To date, these are still common practices as women, in a way, dominate activities at the informal market place. Consequently, these women are important stakeholders in the management of conflict within the market space. However, not much attention has been given to an in-depth consideration of this all-important role of women in conflict management at the market place. This paper attempts a critical assessment of how peace is sustained within the market space, courtesy of the ‘market women’. Through a triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies involving the use of secondary and primary data, the paper reveals basic causes of conflict within the market place, and its maintenance and the process of engendering peace by the women. The paper posits that a neglect of women in conflict management at the market place is a negation of peace in any society.
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- Adesoji, A., O.T., Hassan and N.O., Arogundade, 2012, ‘Contest, Conflict and the Crown in Ife Politics’, in Albert, I.O., ed., A History of Social Conflict and Conflict Management in Nigeria: A Festschrift for Prof. Biodun Adediran, Ibadan: Institute of African Studies and John Archers.
- Afonja, S., 1990, ‘Changing Patterns of Gender Stratification in West Africa’, in A. Tinker, ed., Persistent Inequalities, New York: Women and Development.
- Albert, I.O., 2001, Introduction to Third- Party Intervention in Community Conflict, Ibadan: John Archers Publishers Ltd.
- Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., and Law, K.S., 2000, ‘Conflict Management, Efficacy, and Performance in Organizational Teams’, Personnel Psychology, 53, 427.
- Bodtker, A.M. and Jameson, J. K., 2001, ‘Emotion in Conflict Formation and its Transformation: Application to Organizational Conflict Management’, The International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 12, No. 3.
- Brydon, L. and Chant, S., 1989, Women in the Third World: Gender Issues in Rural and Urban Areas, England, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
- Chen, M.J., Vanek, F. et al., 2005, Progress of the World’s Women; Women, Work and Poverty, UN Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, New York. Coser, L.A., 1967, Continuities in the Study of Social Conflict, New York: Free Press.
- Cauldron, S., 2000, ‘Keeping Team Conflict Alive: Conflict Can Be a Good Thing, Here’s What You Can Do to Make the Most of this Creative Force’, Public Management, 82, 5-9.
- Cutrifelli, M.R., 1983, Women of Africa: Roots of Oppression, London: Zed Book Ltd.
- De Church, L.A, and Marks, M.A., 2001, ‘Maximizing the Benefits of Task Conflict: The Role of Conflict Management’, The International Journal of Conflict Management, 12.
- Deutsch, M., 1949, ‘A Theory of Cooperation and Competition’, Human Relations, 2, 129-151.
- Eades, J., 1980, The Yoruba Today, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
- Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2006, National Gender Policy, Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development.
- Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2010, Millennium Development Goals Report, Abuja: National Planning Commission.
- Fraser, N., 1997, ‘From redistribution to recognition? Dilemmas of justice in a post- socialist age’, in Nancy Fraser, ed., Justice Interrupts; Critical Reflections on the Post-socialist Condition, Routledge, New York and London.
- Guyer, J., 1980, Changing Nuptiality in a Nigerian Community, Boston University: African Studies Centre.
- Heintz, J., 2009, ‘Employment, Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, Critical issues and Policy Challenges’, Background Paper for UNRISD Report on Combating Poverty and Inequality.
- Horn, Z., 2009, ‘No Cushion to Fall back on: The Global Economic Crisis and informal Workers’, Women in informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, WIESGO//Inclusive Cities Studies, www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2009/ poverty-social-Development/P3-women-informal-economy.Horn-paper.pdf, accessed 29 December 2011.
- International Labour Organization, 2008, Global Employment Trends for Women, March, Geneva, International Labour Office.
- International Labour Organization, 2012, Global Employment Trends for Women, Geneva, International Labour Office.
- Kuhn, T. and Poole, M.S., 2000, ‘Do Conflict Management Styles Affect Group Decision Making?’, Human Communication Research, 26.
- March, K. and Taggie, R., 1996, Women’s Informal Associations in Developing Countries, Catalysts for Change, London and Boulder, Westview Press. Nwaka, G., 2005, ‘The Urban Informal Sector in Nigeria: Towards Economic Development, Environmental Health and Social Harmony’, Global Urban Development Magazine, Vol.1, Issue 1.
- Nilesan, P. and Harries-White, B., 2004, ‘Life- Chances; Development and Female Disadvantage’, in, Barbara Harries, W., and Janakarajan, S., eds., Rural India facing the Twenty-First Century, London: Anthem Press.
- Odubogun, K., 1996, ‘Economic Empowerment of Women’, in Erinosho, L., et al., eds, Women’s Empowerment and Reproductive Health, Ibadan. Book Craft. Rahim, M., 1992, Managing Conflict in Organizations, Westport, CT: Praeger, 2nd Ed.
- Rahim, M., 2002, ‘Towards a Theory of Managing Organizational Conflict’, The International Journal of Conflict Management, 13, 206-235.
- Rahim, M., Bonona, T., 1979, ‘Managing Organization Conflicts: A model for Diagnosing and Intervention’, Psychological Reports, 44, 1323 - 1344.
- Robbins, S., 1998, Organizational Behaviour, New Jersey Simon and Schuster. Sen, G. and Careen, G., 1983, Development, Crisis and Alternative Visions, Third World Women’s Perspectives, New York: Monthly Review.
- Shapiro, D., 2000, ‘Do Justice Perceptions Influence Styles of Handling Conflict with Supervisors? What Justice Perceptions Precisely?’, International Journal of Conflict Management, 11, 9-31.
- United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 2010, ‘Gender Inequalities at Home and in the Market’, in Combating Poverty and Inequality: Structural Change, Social Policy and Politics, Geneva, UNRISD.
- Wall, J. and Callister, R., 1995, ‘Conflict and its Management’, Journal of Management, 21 (3).
References
Adesoji, A., O.T., Hassan and N.O., Arogundade, 2012, ‘Contest, Conflict and the Crown in Ife Politics’, in Albert, I.O., ed., A History of Social Conflict and Conflict Management in Nigeria: A Festschrift for Prof. Biodun Adediran, Ibadan: Institute of African Studies and John Archers.
Afonja, S., 1990, ‘Changing Patterns of Gender Stratification in West Africa’, in A. Tinker, ed., Persistent Inequalities, New York: Women and Development.
Albert, I.O., 2001, Introduction to Third- Party Intervention in Community Conflict, Ibadan: John Archers Publishers Ltd.
Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., and Law, K.S., 2000, ‘Conflict Management, Efficacy, and Performance in Organizational Teams’, Personnel Psychology, 53, 427.
Bodtker, A.M. and Jameson, J. K., 2001, ‘Emotion in Conflict Formation and its Transformation: Application to Organizational Conflict Management’, The International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 12, No. 3.
Brydon, L. and Chant, S., 1989, Women in the Third World: Gender Issues in Rural and Urban Areas, England, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Chen, M.J., Vanek, F. et al., 2005, Progress of the World’s Women; Women, Work and Poverty, UN Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, New York. Coser, L.A., 1967, Continuities in the Study of Social Conflict, New York: Free Press.
Cauldron, S., 2000, ‘Keeping Team Conflict Alive: Conflict Can Be a Good Thing, Here’s What You Can Do to Make the Most of this Creative Force’, Public Management, 82, 5-9.
Cutrifelli, M.R., 1983, Women of Africa: Roots of Oppression, London: Zed Book Ltd.
De Church, L.A, and Marks, M.A., 2001, ‘Maximizing the Benefits of Task Conflict: The Role of Conflict Management’, The International Journal of Conflict Management, 12.
Deutsch, M., 1949, ‘A Theory of Cooperation and Competition’, Human Relations, 2, 129-151.
Eades, J., 1980, The Yoruba Today, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2006, National Gender Policy, Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development.
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2010, Millennium Development Goals Report, Abuja: National Planning Commission.
Fraser, N., 1997, ‘From redistribution to recognition? Dilemmas of justice in a post- socialist age’, in Nancy Fraser, ed., Justice Interrupts; Critical Reflections on the Post-socialist Condition, Routledge, New York and London.
Guyer, J., 1980, Changing Nuptiality in a Nigerian Community, Boston University: African Studies Centre.
Heintz, J., 2009, ‘Employment, Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, Critical issues and Policy Challenges’, Background Paper for UNRISD Report on Combating Poverty and Inequality.
Horn, Z., 2009, ‘No Cushion to Fall back on: The Global Economic Crisis and informal Workers’, Women in informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, WIESGO//Inclusive Cities Studies, www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2009/ poverty-social-Development/P3-women-informal-economy.Horn-paper.pdf, accessed 29 December 2011.
International Labour Organization, 2008, Global Employment Trends for Women, March, Geneva, International Labour Office.
International Labour Organization, 2012, Global Employment Trends for Women, Geneva, International Labour Office.
Kuhn, T. and Poole, M.S., 2000, ‘Do Conflict Management Styles Affect Group Decision Making?’, Human Communication Research, 26.
March, K. and Taggie, R., 1996, Women’s Informal Associations in Developing Countries, Catalysts for Change, London and Boulder, Westview Press. Nwaka, G., 2005, ‘The Urban Informal Sector in Nigeria: Towards Economic Development, Environmental Health and Social Harmony’, Global Urban Development Magazine, Vol.1, Issue 1.
Nilesan, P. and Harries-White, B., 2004, ‘Life- Chances; Development and Female Disadvantage’, in, Barbara Harries, W., and Janakarajan, S., eds., Rural India facing the Twenty-First Century, London: Anthem Press.
Odubogun, K., 1996, ‘Economic Empowerment of Women’, in Erinosho, L., et al., eds, Women’s Empowerment and Reproductive Health, Ibadan. Book Craft. Rahim, M., 1992, Managing Conflict in Organizations, Westport, CT: Praeger, 2nd Ed.
Rahim, M., 2002, ‘Towards a Theory of Managing Organizational Conflict’, The International Journal of Conflict Management, 13, 206-235.
Rahim, M., Bonona, T., 1979, ‘Managing Organization Conflicts: A model for Diagnosing and Intervention’, Psychological Reports, 44, 1323 - 1344.
Robbins, S., 1998, Organizational Behaviour, New Jersey Simon and Schuster. Sen, G. and Careen, G., 1983, Development, Crisis and Alternative Visions, Third World Women’s Perspectives, New York: Monthly Review.
Shapiro, D., 2000, ‘Do Justice Perceptions Influence Styles of Handling Conflict with Supervisors? What Justice Perceptions Precisely?’, International Journal of Conflict Management, 11, 9-31.
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 2010, ‘Gender Inequalities at Home and in the Market’, in Combating Poverty and Inequality: Structural Change, Social Policy and Politics, Geneva, UNRISD.
Wall, J. and Callister, R., 1995, ‘Conflict and its Management’, Journal of Management, 21 (3).