| Crafting Identity in Zimbabwe and Mozambique Contributor(s): Macgonagle, Elizabeth (Author) |
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ISBN: 1580463657 ISBN-13: 9781580463652 Publisher: University of Rochester Press OUR PRICE: $28.45 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: August 2013 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Collections | African - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Literary Criticism |
| Dewey: 305.896 |
| Series: Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora |
| Physical Information: 0.47" H x 6" W x 9" (0.68 lbs) 208 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - African American - Cultural Region - African |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: With this first comprehensive history of the Ndau of eastern Zimbabwe and central Mozambique, Elizabeth MacGonagle moves beyond national borders to show how cultural identities are woven from historical memories that predate the arrival of missionaries and colonial officials on the African continent. Drawing on archival records and oral histories from throughout the Ndau region, her study analyzes the complex relationships between social identity and political power from 1500 to 1900. Ndauness has been created and recreated within communities through marriages and social structures, cultural practices that mark the body, and rituals that help to sustain shared beliefs. A sense of being Ndau continues to exist into the present, despite different colonial histories, postcolonial trajectories, and official languages in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. MacGonagle's study of ethnic identities among the marginalized Ndau sheds light on the conflicts and divisions that haunt southeast Africa today. This compelling interpretation of the crafting of identity in one corner of Africa has relevance for readers interested in identity formation and ethnic conflict around the world. Elizabeth MacGonagle is assistant professor of African History at the University of Kansas. |
Contributor Bio(s): Macgonagle, Elizabeth: - Elizabeth MacGonagle is assistant professsor of history, University of Kansas. |