Culture and Gender in Sidama Folk Poetry: A Post Stucturalist Approach
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Date
2005-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The thesis focuses on the themes of Sidama Folk Poetry in showing Culture and Gender
differences. In Sidama women are treated as if they are weak, incapable of doing some
thing by their own and they deserve everything of the lesser quality. They are respected
only when they give birth to so many children, which is considered as their great life time
achievement. Males on the contrary do almost nothing where as the women hold all the
major responsibilities, but they are socially more influential. These problems are well
stated in the oral poems and the poems portray women are subordinated and maltreated
in the society since the social structure is built upon the reality that confirms men are
privileged over women. The existing reality is set on the cultural conditions that dwarf the
role of women in the society.
So it must be de constructed so as to show the prejudices and the ill treatment of the
women. The social institutions prohibit the women from participating actively and not to
make any decision on their own family and life. The patriarchal culture also confirms this
reality as it is seen in the different poems. The voices of the women haven't been heard
for ages where women do express their opposition towards males' superiority.
The analysis of the poem is done based on the post structuralist point of view by
deconstructing the male centered reality. The oral poe tries are very suitable to learn
about the voices of the women and at the same time they help to understand the social
position of the women through their themes. The poems are collected through field work
by administering interviewing (unstructured) , and with participant and non participant
observations based on situations. Other works in the area of folklore are reviewed to
give the background for the analysis.
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Keywords
Culture, Gender