5 - Feminist Postproverbial as a Panacea for Decolonising African Feminist Scholarship
Corresponding Author(s) : Olayinka Adebimpe Oyeleye
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 20 No. 1 (2022): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
Part of the weakness of feminist scholarship in Africa is its inability to turn knowledge generated in universities (episteme) into popular opinion (doxa), thereby creating a dislocation between academic epistemic space and mainstream society. This article addresses how a decolonised feminist scholarship can ground equality by reconstructing doxa from traditional knowledge, as found in proverbs. In accordance with the AU Agenda 2063, it aims to shatter the economic, social and political glass ceiling that has restricted women’s progress by undercutting the imperialist language of patriarchy. It purposes to do this using a medium it calls feminist postproverbials.
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- Adegbindin, O., 2016, ‘Gender Advocacy in Africa: Insights from Ifá Literary Corpus’, in C. Ukpokolo, ed., Being and Becoming: Gender, Culture and Shifting Identity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Denver, CO: Spears Media Press.
- Ake, C., 1991, ‘Building on the indigenous’, Wajibu 6: 1. Amossy, R., ‘Introduction to the Study of Doxa’, Poetics Today 23 (3).
- Arndt, S., 2000, ‘African Gender Trouble and African Womanism: An Interview with Chikwenye Ogunyemi and Wanjira Muthoni’, Signs 25 (3).
- Balogun, A., 2010, ‘Proverbial Oppression of Women in Yoruba African Culture: a Philosophical Overview’, Thought and Practice: A Journal of the Philosophical Association of Kenya (PAK) New Series, 2.
- Belsey, C., 2002, Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction, New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Diabah, G., and Appiah Amfo, N., 2015, ‘Caring Supporters or Daring Ursurpers? Representation of Women in Akan Proverbs’, Discourse and Society 26 (1) 3–28.
- Saul, J., and Díaz-León, E., 2018, ‘Feminist Philosophy of Language’, in E. N. Zalta, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Fall edition.
- Draper, J.A., 2004, Orality, Literacy and Colonialism in Antiquity, Leiden: Konin- klijke Brill NV.
- Gardner, C.V., 2006, The A-Z of Feminist Philosophy, Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
- Hallen, B., 2000, The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful, Bloomington and Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press.
- Ipadeola, A.P., 2017, ‘The Subaltern in Africa’s Political Space: African Political Philosophy and the Mirror of Gender’, Journal of Black Studies 48 (4).
- Kamwendo, J., and Kaya, H.O., 2017, ‘Gender and African Proverbs’, Studies of Tribes and Tribals 14 (2) 92–9.
- Knobloch-Westerwick, S., Glynn, C.J., and Huge, M., 2013, ‘The Matilda Effect in Science Communication: an Experiment on Gender bias in Publication Quality Perceptions and Collaboration Interest’, Science Communication.
- Kuumba, M.B., 1994, ‘The Limits of Feminism: Decolonising Women’s Liberation/ Oppression Theory’, Race, Sex and Class 1 (2).
- Lamarque, P.V., 1997, ‘Philosophy of Language’, in P.V. Lamarque, ed., Concise Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Language, Oxford: Pergamon.
- Lewis, D., 2004, ‘African Gender Research and Postcoloniality: Legacies and Chal- lenges’, in S. Arnfred, African Gender Scholarship: Concepts, Methodologies and Paradigms, Dakar: CODESRIA.
- Mignolo, W., 2012, ‘Decolonizing Epistemologies/Building Decolonial Epistemolo- gies’, in A.M. Isasi-Diaz and E. Mendieta, Decolonizing Epistemologies: Latina/o Theology and Philosophy, New York, NY: Fordham University Press.
- Njoku, F.O.C., 2002, Essays in African Philosophy, Thought and Theology, Enugu: Snaap Press.
- Nnaemeka, O., 2004, ‘Nego-Feminism: Theorizing, Practicing, and Pruning Africa’s Way’, Signs 29 (2).
- Oyewumi, O., 2005, ‘(Re)Constituting the Cosmology and Sociocultural Institu- tions of Oyo-Yoruba’, in O. Oyewumi, ed., African Gender Studies: A Reader, New York, NY: Palgrave.
- Owomoyela, O., 2005, Yorùbá Proverbs, Lincoln, NE and London: University of Nebraska Press.
- Poulakos, T., 2004, ‘Isocrates’ Civic Education and the Question of Doxa’, in T. Poulakos and D. Depew, Isocrates and Civic Education, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
- Quijano, A., 2007, ‘Coloniality and Modernity/Rationality’, Cultural Studies 21 (2–3).
- Raji-Oyelede, A., 1999, ‘Postproverbials in Yoruba Culture: A Playful Blasphemy’, Research in African Literatures 30 (1).
- Ramsey-Kurz, H., 2007, The Non-Literate Other, Amsterdam and New York, NY: Rodopi.
- Shastri, P.T., 2012, Like a Yeti Catching Marmots: A Little Treasury of Tibetan Proverbs, Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications.
- Sotunde, F.I., 2016, Yorùbá Proverbs and Philosophy, Nigeria: F.I. Sotunde.
- Steady, F.C., 2004, ‘An Investigative Framework for Gender Research in Africa in the New Millennium’, in S. Arnfred, African Gender Scholarship: Concepts, Methodologies and Paradigms, Dakar: CODESRIA.
- Stone, J.R., 2005, The Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations: The Illiterati’s Guide to Latin Maxims, Mottoes, Proverbs, and Sayings, New York, NY and London: Routledge.
- Vickers, J., 2012, ‘Gendering Power’, in M. Haugaard and K. Ryan, Political Power: The Development of the Field, Opladen: Barbara Burdrich Publishers.
- wa Thiong’o, Ngũgĩ, 1981, Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature, Harare: Zimbabwe Publishing House.
- Wiredu, K., 2002, ‘Conceptual Decolonization as an Imperative in Contemporary African Philosophy: Some Personal Reflections’, Rue Descartes, No. 36, Presses Universitaires de France.
References
Adegbindin, O., 2016, ‘Gender Advocacy in Africa: Insights from Ifá Literary Corpus’, in C. Ukpokolo, ed., Being and Becoming: Gender, Culture and Shifting Identity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Denver, CO: Spears Media Press.
Ake, C., 1991, ‘Building on the indigenous’, Wajibu 6: 1. Amossy, R., ‘Introduction to the Study of Doxa’, Poetics Today 23 (3).
Arndt, S., 2000, ‘African Gender Trouble and African Womanism: An Interview with Chikwenye Ogunyemi and Wanjira Muthoni’, Signs 25 (3).
Balogun, A., 2010, ‘Proverbial Oppression of Women in Yoruba African Culture: a Philosophical Overview’, Thought and Practice: A Journal of the Philosophical Association of Kenya (PAK) New Series, 2.
Belsey, C., 2002, Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction, New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Diabah, G., and Appiah Amfo, N., 2015, ‘Caring Supporters or Daring Ursurpers? Representation of Women in Akan Proverbs’, Discourse and Society 26 (1) 3–28.
Saul, J., and Díaz-León, E., 2018, ‘Feminist Philosophy of Language’, in E. N. Zalta, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Fall edition.
Draper, J.A., 2004, Orality, Literacy and Colonialism in Antiquity, Leiden: Konin- klijke Brill NV.
Gardner, C.V., 2006, The A-Z of Feminist Philosophy, Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Hallen, B., 2000, The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful, Bloomington and Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press.
Ipadeola, A.P., 2017, ‘The Subaltern in Africa’s Political Space: African Political Philosophy and the Mirror of Gender’, Journal of Black Studies 48 (4).
Kamwendo, J., and Kaya, H.O., 2017, ‘Gender and African Proverbs’, Studies of Tribes and Tribals 14 (2) 92–9.
Knobloch-Westerwick, S., Glynn, C.J., and Huge, M., 2013, ‘The Matilda Effect in Science Communication: an Experiment on Gender bias in Publication Quality Perceptions and Collaboration Interest’, Science Communication.
Kuumba, M.B., 1994, ‘The Limits of Feminism: Decolonising Women’s Liberation/ Oppression Theory’, Race, Sex and Class 1 (2).
Lamarque, P.V., 1997, ‘Philosophy of Language’, in P.V. Lamarque, ed., Concise Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Language, Oxford: Pergamon.
Lewis, D., 2004, ‘African Gender Research and Postcoloniality: Legacies and Chal- lenges’, in S. Arnfred, African Gender Scholarship: Concepts, Methodologies and Paradigms, Dakar: CODESRIA.
Mignolo, W., 2012, ‘Decolonizing Epistemologies/Building Decolonial Epistemolo- gies’, in A.M. Isasi-Diaz and E. Mendieta, Decolonizing Epistemologies: Latina/o Theology and Philosophy, New York, NY: Fordham University Press.
Njoku, F.O.C., 2002, Essays in African Philosophy, Thought and Theology, Enugu: Snaap Press.
Nnaemeka, O., 2004, ‘Nego-Feminism: Theorizing, Practicing, and Pruning Africa’s Way’, Signs 29 (2).
Oyewumi, O., 2005, ‘(Re)Constituting the Cosmology and Sociocultural Institu- tions of Oyo-Yoruba’, in O. Oyewumi, ed., African Gender Studies: A Reader, New York, NY: Palgrave.
Owomoyela, O., 2005, Yorùbá Proverbs, Lincoln, NE and London: University of Nebraska Press.
Poulakos, T., 2004, ‘Isocrates’ Civic Education and the Question of Doxa’, in T. Poulakos and D. Depew, Isocrates and Civic Education, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Quijano, A., 2007, ‘Coloniality and Modernity/Rationality’, Cultural Studies 21 (2–3).
Raji-Oyelede, A., 1999, ‘Postproverbials in Yoruba Culture: A Playful Blasphemy’, Research in African Literatures 30 (1).
Ramsey-Kurz, H., 2007, The Non-Literate Other, Amsterdam and New York, NY: Rodopi.
Shastri, P.T., 2012, Like a Yeti Catching Marmots: A Little Treasury of Tibetan Proverbs, Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications.
Sotunde, F.I., 2016, Yorùbá Proverbs and Philosophy, Nigeria: F.I. Sotunde.
Steady, F.C., 2004, ‘An Investigative Framework for Gender Research in Africa in the New Millennium’, in S. Arnfred, African Gender Scholarship: Concepts, Methodologies and Paradigms, Dakar: CODESRIA.
Stone, J.R., 2005, The Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations: The Illiterati’s Guide to Latin Maxims, Mottoes, Proverbs, and Sayings, New York, NY and London: Routledge.
Vickers, J., 2012, ‘Gendering Power’, in M. Haugaard and K. Ryan, Political Power: The Development of the Field, Opladen: Barbara Burdrich Publishers.
wa Thiong’o, Ngũgĩ, 1981, Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature, Harare: Zimbabwe Publishing House.
Wiredu, K., 2002, ‘Conceptual Decolonization as an Imperative in Contemporary African Philosophy: Some Personal Reflections’, Rue Descartes, No. 36, Presses Universitaires de France.