1. The Church in African American LifeMonique Liston, MPA October 3, 2011 THE MALE/FEMALE PRINCIPLE INTRADITIONAL AFRICA10/3/2011Liston 1

2. Ground Rules for Intellectual Work:(Dr. Greg Kimathi Carr)10/3/2011Liston2 3. African Diaspora10/3/2011Liston3 4. Presentation OutlineGoalsQuestions to Think AboutConcepts & DefinitionsDispelling Myths of AntiquityPre-colonial Perceptions of Manhood/WomanhoodCritically Analyzing Male/Female PrinciplesThe Church in African-American Life10/3/2011Liston4 5. GoalsYou willhave an understanding of male and female relationshipsin African antiquity.have an understanding of pre-colonial Africanperceptions of the male/female principle in contrast with post-colonial African diasporic perceptions of the male/femaleprinciple have a basis for critiquing modern* ideas andphilosophies on the male/female principlehave a list of resources to find out more information onthe male/female principle in the African diaspora10/3/2011 Liston5 6. African Women in World HistoryJohn Henrik Clarke (maa kherw) - Be present.10/3/2011Liston6 7. Guiding Questions How does this relate to the church inAfrican-American life? (BEFORE) What is traditional Africa? What is the male/female principle? How was the male/female principlechanged over time and space? How does this relate to the church inAfrican-American life? (AFTER)10/3/2011Liston 7 8. Presentation OutlineGoalsQuestions to Think AboutCONCEPTS & DEFINITIONSDispelling Myths of AntiquityPre-colonial Perceptions of Manhood/WomanhoodCritically Analyzing Male/Female PrinciplesThe Church in African-American Life10/3/2011Liston8 9. Ontology & Epistemology ManifestationsOntology What isEpistemology What is ofbeing?knowing? Understanding(Religion &Spirituality) Concerned with the Concerned with ideas Ifa natural worldabout the natural world Santeria Defines the How can we know and Christianity fundamental concepts reason REALITY? Islam of REALITY10/3/2011Liston 9 10. Why does REALITY relate to our discussion?Power is the ability to define reality and to convince otherpeople that it is their definition.- Dr. Wade Nobles10/3/2011 Liston10 11. Power of Language Far more than princes, states and economies, it is language communities who are the realplayers in world history,persisting through the ages,Ways ofclearly and consciously Knowingperceived by their speakers assymbols of identity, but nonetheless graduallychanging, and perhaps splittingPower andor even merging as theReality communities react to newrealities.- Nicholas Ostler, Empires of the WordLanguage as a ToolLanguage is the means ofmemory, the medium ofhistory.10/3/2011 Liston 11 12. Nommo the creative power ofthe word word creates life Masters of the Water The Teachers10/3/2011 Liston 12 13. Africana Religion and ScienceDr. Ray Hagins is the Chief Elder& Spiritual Leader of The AfrikanVillage and Cultural Center in St.Louis, Missouri. He is also aclinician, therapist, musician, anda pilot.Dr. Hagins has attendedand completed studies in variousacademic institutions such as:Montclair State University,Northeastern Bible College,Lighthouse Christian College andTrinity Theological Seminary andholds a doctorate (C.C.D.) incounseling and a Ph.D. with anemphasis in CognitivePsychology.10/3/2011Liston 13 14. Presentation OutlineGoalsQuestions to Think AboutConcepts & DefinitionsDISPELLING MYTHS OF ANTIQUITYPre-colonial Perceptions of Manhood/WomanhoodCritically Analyzing Male/Female PrinciplesThe Church in African-American Life10/3/2011Liston14 15. "In Africa, the womansplace was not only with herfamily; she often rulednations with unquestionableauthority. Many Africanwomen were great militarists,and on occasion led theirarmies in battle. The Africans had produced a civilizationwhere men were secure enough to let womenadvance as far as theirJohn Henrik ClarkeAfrican Warrior Queens in talent, royal lineage andBlack Women in Antiquity prerogatives would takeEdited by Ivan Van Sertima them.10/3/2011 Liston15 16. Queen Hatshepsut the first great womanin history Hatshepsut meanschieftain of noblewomen Ruled as the LivingHorus Matrilineage key insupporting herauthority10/3/2011Liston16 17. African Origins of LifeKemet: Ausar, Auset, &Yorubaland: Ifa and theHeruOrisa10/3/2011Liston 17 18. Matriarchy & Kingship Patriarchal Theory Henry Maine, Ancient Law (1861) Concluded that individualism and social contractwere the highest form of civilization and superiorto kingship based systems Forms the basic patriarchy paradigm in Europeanphilosophical and political thought Cheikh Anta Diop The Cultural Unity of Black Africa (1989) Traces patriarchy to the Kurgans (Indo-Europeans) African structure was essentially matriarchal10/3/2011Liston18 19. Ancient Womens Rights Hypatia, the great scientist and martyr Egypt v. Rome Equal Pay for Equal Work Legal Rights Property Rights10/3/2011 Liston19 20. Presentation OutlineGoalsQuestions to Think AboutConcepts & DefinitionsDispelling Myths Of AntiquityPRE-COLONIAL PERCEPTIONS OF MANHOOD/WOMANHOODCritically Analyzing Male/Female PrinciplesThe Church in African-American Life10/3/2011Liston20 21. Oyo-Yoruba* Gender is a construction of two categories in hierarchal relationship to each other; and it is embedded ininstitutions. Gender is best understood as an institutionthat establishes patterns ofexpectations for individuals [based on their bodytype], orders the socialprocesses of everyday life, and is built into majorsocial organizations ofsociety, such as the economy, ideology, thefamily, and politics. (p. 39)10/3/2011 Liston21 22. Igbo (Nnobi) Myths of Origin IDI UCHU ITE UBA Production Female crops: cocoyamand cassava Women did not own landbut the symbols ofwealth were similar,including the taking ofwives. Male Daughters Female Husbands(Ekwe title)10/3/2011Liston 22 23. Presentation Outline Goals Questions to Think About Concepts & Definitions Dispelling Myths of Antiquity Pre-colonial Perceptions ofManhood/Womanhood CRITICALLY ANALYZING MALE/FEMALEPRINCIPLES The Church in African-American Life10/3/2011Liston 23 24. Critically Analyzing Male/Female PrinciplesMainstream Westerncharacterizations of thesocial world tend to beunilinear anduniversalistic in waysthat arrest criticaltheorizing about the restof the world Oyeronke Oyewumi10/3/2011Liston 24 25. Critically Analyzing Male/Female Principles: Colonialism and Beyond* Sex v. Gender Whats the difference? Universals v. Particulars Is this true for everyone or just a sample of thepopulation? Language (again!) What power does language bring to the situation? Epistemology (again!) How can we know and reason reality? Religion & Spirituality (again!)10/3/2011 Liston25 26. Presentation OutlineGoalsQuestions to Think AboutConcepts & DefinitionsDispelling Myths of AntiquityPre-colonial Perceptions of Manhood/WomanhoodCritically Analyzing Male/Female PrinciplesTHE CHURCH IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIFE10/3/2011Liston 26 27. The Church in African American Life How does this relate to TODAY? How does this relate to the church inAfrican-American life?10/3/2011Liston 27 28. ReviewWhat was the male/female principle like inantiquity?What is the difference between themale/female principle in pre-colonial Africansocieties and post-colonial African societies?How and why should we be critiquingmodern ideas of gender?10/3/2011 Liston 28 29. AssignmentPass in a maximum two-page analysis of thepresenters thesis as it relates to Africanspiritual systems and their impact onAfricans in the Diaspora. Due next class.10/3/2011 Liston29 30. ResourcesThiongo, N. w. (2009). Something Torn And New An AfricanRenaissance.. New York: Basic Civitas BooksAmadiume, I. (1987). Male daughters, female husbands: gender andsex in an African society. London: Zed Books.Diop, C. A. (1978). The cultural unity of Black Africa: the domains ofpatriarchy and of matriarchy in classical antiquity. LA: Third WorldPress.Oye, O. (1997). The invention of women: making an African senseof Western gender discourses. Minneapolis: University of MinnesotaPress.Oye, O. (2005). African gender studies: a reader. New York:Palgrave.Sertima, I. (1984). Black women in antiquity. New Brunswick:Transaction Books.10/3/2011Liston30