Power, marginality and African oral literature

Description

African oral literature, like other forms of popular culture, is not merely folksy, domestic entertainment but a domain in which individuals in a variety of social roles are free to comment on power relations in society. It can also be a significant agent of change capable of directing, provoking, preventing, overturning and recasting perceptions of social reality. This collection examines the way in which oral texts both reflect and affect contemporary social and political life in Africa. It addresses questions of power, gender, the dynamics of language use, the representation of social structures and the relation between culture and the state. The contributors are linguists, anthropologists, folklorists, ethnomusicologists and historians, who present fresh material and ideas to paint a lively picture of current real life situations.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Power, marginality and African oral literatureCambridge University Press1995-01-01
• Power, Marginality and African Oral LiteratureCambridge University Press2008-01-01
• Power, Marginality and African Oral LiteratureCambridge University Press2009-01-01
• Power, Marginality and African Oral LiteratureCambridge University Press2011-01-01