ACS Works-in-Progress: “The Evolution of Swahili Islamic Marital Advice, 1932-2020” ⎻ Katrina Daly Thompson

SAVE THE DATE for the very first presentation of the newly created “ACS Works-in-Progress” ongoing series!

“Works-in-Progress” gatherings are monthly symposiums that will give ACS grad students and faculty the opportunity to share their work with listeners and receive feedback. These meetings are open to all students interested in learning about diverse topics and perspectives within the field of African Cultural Studies. Any student or faculty of any major or background can feel free to come by and listen.

In this presentation, Katrina Daly Thompson will share preliminary findings from their ongoing analysis of almost ninety years of Swahili-language marital advice booklets that address issues of weddings, marriage, sexuality, and divorce. They will discuss how the content, style, authorship, and format of such pamphlets have evolved due to various factors, including changes in societal attitudes and values, technological advancements, and the influence of various cultural and religious trends. Thompson argues that a decrease in authorial qualifications, an increased reliance on classical authorities rather than contemporary ones, and a shift from a scholarly to a popular audience and from legal issues to sexual ones points to the increased influence of Salafi reformists on Swahili gender relations.