Spatial Literacy: Contemporary Asante Women’s Place-Making PDF
Preview Spatial Literacy: Contemporary Asante Women’s Place-Making
SPATIAL LITERACY GENDER AND CULTURAL STUDIES IN AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA Series Editor: Oyeronke Oyewumi , Stony Brook University Series Advisers: Adeleke Adeeko , Ohio State University N’Dri Assié-Lumumba , Cornell University Ayo Coly , Dartmouth College Carolyn Cooper , University of Western Indies, Mona Godwin Murunga , University of Nairobi Filomina Steady , Wellesley College This book series spotlights the experiences of Africans on the continent and in its multiple and multilayered diasporas. Its objective is to make available publica- tions that focus on people of African descent wherever they are located, targeting innovative research that derives questions, concepts, and theories from historical and contemporary experiences. The broad scope of the series includes gender scholarship as well as studies that engage with culture in all its complexities. From a variety of disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary orienta- tions, these studies engage current debates, address urgent questions, and open up new perspectives in African knowledge production. Spatial Literacy: Contemporary Asante Women’s Place-making by Epifania Akosua Amoo-Adare Narratives of AIDS and Gender: Folklore and Public Health in Malawi (forthcoming) by Anika Wilson SPATIAL LITERACY CONTEMPORARY ASANTE WOMEN’S PLACE-MAKING Epifania Akosua Amoo-Adare ISBN 978-1-349-44801-2 ISBN 978-1-137-28107-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-137-28107-4 SPATIAL LITERACY Copyright © Epifania Akosua Amoo-Adare, 2013. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2013 978-1-137-28106-7 All rights reserved. First published in 2013 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States— a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN: 978–1–137–28106–7 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Amoo-Adare, Epifania Akosua, 1967– Spatial literacy : contemporary Asante women’s place-making / Epifania Akosua Amoo-Adare. p. cm.—(Gender and cultural studies in Africa and the diaspora) Revised version of the author’s thesis (PhD)—UCLA, 2006. ISBN 978–1–137–28106–7 (alk. paper) 1. Spatial behavior—Ghana—Accra. 2. Women, Ashanti—Social conditions. 3. Feminist geography—Ghana—Accra. 4. Women, Ashanti—Ghana—Accra—Social conditions. 5. Accra (Ghana)—Social conditions. I. Title. II. Series: Gender and cultural studies in Africa and the diaspora. BF469.A46 2013 304.2308209667—dc23 2012031271 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: February 2013 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For my mother, Afua Biraa (Mrs. Amoo-Adare), and all other formidable Asante women This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS List of Figures and Tables ix Glossary of Twi Terms x i Acknowledgments xiii Prologue xvii 1. I ntroduction: Critical Spatial Literacy is Urgent Political Praxis 1 2. Feminist Positionality: Renegade Architecture in a Certain Ambiguity 7 3. Politics of (Post)Modern Space: Asante Women’s Place in a Capitalist Spatiality 29 Vignette 1 Auntie Pauline Sampene (Mobility) 53 4. Akwantu : Travel and the Making of New Roads 59 Vignette 2 Auntie Evelina Amoakohene (Education) 7 5 5. A nibuei : Civilization and the Opening of Eyes 81 Vignette 3 Akosua Serwa Opoku-Bonsu (Economics) 9 7 6. S ikasεm : Money Matters and the Love of Gold 101 Vignette 4 Nana Sarpoma (Asante Identity) 113 7. P rocess Not State, Becoming Not Being 119 8. Conclusion: Toward a Pedagogy of Critical Spatial Literacy 125 Notes 129 Bibliography 149 Index 165 This page intentionally left blank FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 2.1 Birthing center sketch (façade, plan, and cross section) 1 1 2.2 Birthing center sketch (reception and cafeteria) 12 2.3 Birthing center sketch (mother and child room) 13 2.4 Birthing center sketch (details) 14 2.5 Birthing center sketch (exterior landscape) 16 3.1 CSL theoretical framework 30 3.2 Network view of the themes ( akwantu , anibuei ne sikasεm ) 51 Table 3.1 Overview of 15 Asante women (demographic information) 4 9
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