The discursive construction of gender among Dholuo speakers in Kenya
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Michael O. Abudi
Abstract
This paper is based on a study carried out among the Dholuo speakers of Kenya who belong to the Luo community living in the country. The paper sought to identify and describe sexist Dholuo honorific expressions and idioms used in specific contexts of the private domain in order to show how gender is discursively constructed. An interview schedule was prepared using examples of sexist Dholuo honorific expressions and idioms obtained from both a pilot study and Dholuo folklore to help the respondents build the corpus. This interview schedule was subsequently used to administer oral interviews individually to a total of thirty two respondents in the private domain. The interviews were audio-tape recorded and field notes taken during and after each interview. Data collected was subsequently transcribed, coded and analysed using the discourse historical approach of Critical Discourse Analysis. It was found that the Luo tradition and patriarchal society, as discursively expressed in everyday living, reduced women’s self worth and also helped perpetuate the status quo whereby women were regarded as objects and subordinates rather than subjects.
Abstract
This paper is based on a study carried out among the Dholuo speakers of Kenya who belong to the Luo community living in the country. The paper sought to identify and describe sexist Dholuo honorific expressions and idioms used in specific contexts of the private domain in order to show how gender is discursively constructed. An interview schedule was prepared using examples of sexist Dholuo honorific expressions and idioms obtained from both a pilot study and Dholuo folklore to help the respondents build the corpus. This interview schedule was subsequently used to administer oral interviews individually to a total of thirty two respondents in the private domain. The interviews were audio-tape recorded and field notes taken during and after each interview. Data collected was subsequently transcribed, coded and analysed using the discourse historical approach of Critical Discourse Analysis. It was found that the Luo tradition and patriarchal society, as discursively expressed in everyday living, reduced women’s self worth and also helped perpetuate the status quo whereby women were regarded as objects and subordinates rather than subjects.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Gender imbalances revisited 1
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Part I. Patriarchy and emancipation in private spaces
- “He beat her so hard she fell head over heels” 17
- The discursive construction of gender among Dholuo speakers in Kenya 49
- Snippa – a new word for girls’ genitals in Swedish 69
- What it means to be a Bosnian woman 81
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Part II. Mediating gender in public spaces
- Greek men’s and women’s magazines as codes of gender conduct 113
- Representation of desire and femininity 145
- Gendered discourse(s) 169
- Gender ideologies in the Vietnamese printed media 195
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Part III. Trajectories of patriarchy and emancipation across professions
- Constructing masculine work identity through narrative 219
- Stereotyping gender 249
- Living in therapeutic culture 273
- Index 303
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Gender imbalances revisited 1
-
Part I. Patriarchy and emancipation in private spaces
- “He beat her so hard she fell head over heels” 17
- The discursive construction of gender among Dholuo speakers in Kenya 49
- Snippa – a new word for girls’ genitals in Swedish 69
- What it means to be a Bosnian woman 81
-
Part II. Mediating gender in public spaces
- Greek men’s and women’s magazines as codes of gender conduct 113
- Representation of desire and femininity 145
- Gendered discourse(s) 169
- Gender ideologies in the Vietnamese printed media 195
-
Part III. Trajectories of patriarchy and emancipation across professions
- Constructing masculine work identity through narrative 219
- Stereotyping gender 249
- Living in therapeutic culture 273
- Index 303
