Alice Joyce Hamer A dissertation submitted in partial fulfullment of the requirements for the degre

339 Pages·2010·5.36 MB·English

TRADITION AND CHANGE:

A SOCIAL HISTORY OF DIOLA WOMEN (SOUTHWEST SENEGAL)

IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

by

Alice Joyce Hamer

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfullment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(History)
in The University of Michigan c'7
1983
Doctoral Committee:

Professor Louise A. Tilly, Co-chair

Professor Godfrey N. Uzoigwe, Co-Chair

-Assistant Professor Hemalata Dandekar

Professor Thomas Holt

women in Dnv10rnlomt ....
f.-0 1-; .- i i+, o n . .
S•, -.-----------------­
---------------------- ----
WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAM
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

354 LORCH HALL

ANN ARB R, MICHIGAN 48109

(313) 763-2047

August 31, 1983

Ms. Debbie Purcell

Office of Women in Development

Room 3534 New State

Agency of International Development

Washington, D.C. 20523

Dear Ms. Purcell,

Yesterday I mailed a copy of my dissertation to you,

and later realized that I neglected changirg the pages

where the maps should be located. The copy in which you

are hopefully in receipt was run off by a computer, which

places a blank page in where maps belong to hold their

place. I am enclosing the maps so that you can insert

them.

My apologies for any inconvenience that this may

have caused'you.

Sincerely,

1 i(L 11.
Alice Hamer
To my sister Faye,

and to my mother and father

who bore her

ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Numerous people in both Africa and America were

instrumental in making this dissertation possible. Among

them were those in Senegal who helped to make my experience

in Senegal an especially rich one. I cannot emphasize

enough my gratitude to Professor Lucie Colvin who honored me

by making me a part of her distinguished research team that

studied migration in the Senegambia. I am equally

appreciative of her interest, encouragement and scholarly

counsel throughout the duration of my research. In addition

I warmly thank all the migration team members for all the

assistance rendered me, especially to Fatou Sow who helped

give me considerable direction in the early stages of my

research. Abdoulaye Bara Diop of the Institut Fondamental

de l'Afrique Noire (IFAN) was extremely helpful in his

critique of my study design on migration. My numerous

discussions with Kaoussou Sambou on traditional medicine and

religion, also affiliated with IFAN, were invaluable. I

also tremendously appreciate Saliou Sambou's countless

invitations to meet with one of Thionk Essil's urban

associations, of which he is president.

My rural experience was made particularly pleasurable

by many people. I am forever indebted to my interpreter

Martial Dieme, whose sensitivity, considerateness and

iii
natural love of rural life and people accounts for both the

quality of his work as well as the strong bonds of sisterly

and brotherly love that we built up while working together.

One of the most rewarding experience in Thionk Essil was my

residence with my adoptive family whose generosity and

kindness gave me new insights into human potential in

regards to warmth and understanding. I am especially

indebted to my adoptive mother Mansata Diatta, who asked me

to be her daughter and always treated me as such. Village

life for me was also enhanced by the assistance of village

chiefs, particularly Cheikh Aba Badji of Batine Bah, Mamadou

Diatta of Daga Kabalane, Mamadou Badji of Daga Bougotir and

Nikou Sagna, the Chef du Village. I am also grateful to

several village teachers in Thionk Essil for the various

ways in which they helped me in my research including Pierre

Marie Daeme, Babeucar Thiam and Mamadou Diaw.

The completion of this study was also greatly

facilitated by my dissertation committee members. I would

like to thank Professor Godfrey Uzoigwe for his guidance and

counsel throughout my graduate studies. I sincerely thank

Professor Louise Tilly whose firm and unwavering support are

endlessly appreciated. The input given by Professors Thomas

Holt and Hemalata Dandekar were also very helpful.

I am deeply touched by the assistance of Bazel Allen,

whose friendship over the years gave me the strength to

continue and without whose skillful editing this study would

hardly have been coherent. Finally I would like to thank

iv
Elizabeth Griffin who demonstrated infinite sympathy and

patience while typing this dissertation.

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... . . . . . . . . . iii
LIST OF MAPS . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

LIST OF APPENDICES ....... . . . . . .. .
ix
CHAPTERS

1 INTRODUCTION ... .............

Aims of the Study . . . . .......... 1

The Theme of Tradition and Change ..... 5

Methodology ....... .......... 1

Geographical Setting and Background .... 17

Objectives of the Study .. .......... .30

2 WOMEN AND THE RURAL ECONOMY: A PARADOXICAL

DILEMMA ....... .................... 43

Women and the Traditional Rural Economy . . 43

The Rural Economy and Female Social Status . 53

Traditional and Precolonial Trade Relations 59

Colonial Trade Relations .. .......... .69

Women and the Modern Economy . . . . . . . . 72

3 THE ENCOUNTER OF CULTURES: WOMEN AS AGENTS OF

CHANGE IN TECHNIQUES OF PRODUCTION, DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMS, AND EDUCATION ... . ........... 89

Women and Change in Techniques of

Production ............. ....... 90

Women and Change in Development Programs . 96

Women and Change in Formal Educational

Instruction ..... ................ 103

4 THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS: THE IMPACT OF

RELIGIOUS CONVERSION ON DIOLA WOMEN . . . . . . 129

Traditional Diola Religion and Women .... 131

The Pentration of Alternative Religions . . 138

Resistance to Religious Conversion . . . . . 152

The Impact of Religious Change on Women . . 156

vi
5 FEMALE FERTILITY ASSOCIATIONS: A MICROCOSM

OF CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
. . . . . . . . . . . 186

Social Meaning and Structure . ...... . 187

Continuity and Change in the Economic

Functions of Gaenaelene . . . . .. . . 199

Continuity and Change in the Social

Functions of Gaenelene . . ....... . . 206

Additional Dimensions of Continuity

and Change in Gaenaelene .......... . 213

6 MODERN FEMALE MIGRATION: UNPRECEDENTED

DEPARTURES FROM TRADITION ... ........... . 228

Women and Migration in Traditional Diola

Society ....................... 229

Women and Early Modern Migrations to the

Gambia.......... .......... ..... .... 233

Patterns Set By Early Modern Migration . . . 242

Sex Differences in Alternative Rural-Rural

Migration ....... ............. . .245

Women and Rural-Urban Migration ........ 248

7 CONCLUSION . . . . . . ................. 274

APPENDICES

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . ..........
. . 293
vii
LIST OF MAPS

1. Administrative Map of Senegal . . . . . . 18

2. Ethnic Map of Senegal ... .......... . . . 19

3. Administrative Map of Casamance . . . . .. 20

4. Major Cultural Zones of Lower Casamance . . . 21

5. Former Administrative Cantons of Lower

Casamance ..........................
22

6. Villages of Lower Casamance . . . . . . . . . 23

7. Thionk Essil's Trip to the Gambia . ........ 234

8. The Gambia ...... ................ . . . 235

viii
LIST OF APPENDICES

A. Wards and Subwards of Thionk Essil . . . . .. 289

B. Male Circumcisions of Thionk Essil . . . . .. 290

C. Villages of Boulouf ..... . ....... . . . 291

D. Interviews ... ........... . . . . . . .. 292

ix