Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity

Two Tanzanian activists, Ruth Meena and Elieshi Lema, resist identification with their local ethnic groups in deference to their identity formation with nationalism and feminism. Both maintain that ethnicity is a politically charged term based on a colonial construct that favors patriarchy and descr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sonja R Darlington
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sustainable Programs to Reduce Educational and Avocational Disadvantages (SPREAD) 2015-10-01
Series:African Journal of Teacher Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/ajote/article/view/3016
_version_ 1818428238918057984
author Sonja R Darlington
author_facet Sonja R Darlington
author_sort Sonja R Darlington
collection DOAJ
description Two Tanzanian activists, Ruth Meena and Elieshi Lema, resist identification with their local ethnic groups in deference to their identity formation with nationalism and feminism. Both maintain that ethnicity is a politically charged term based on a colonial construct that favors patriarchy and describes all women’s ethnicity generically without questioning their positionality. Meena as a political scientist at the University of Dar es Salaam and Lema as a writer and editor of E & D Publishing, provide evidence for their professional roles having moved beyond ethnic boundaries due to their educational opportunities and the influence of feminist thinking. In the construction of their culture, as activists, scholars, teachers, and writers, they have re-imagined how to live their lives, so that they could actively participate in the struggle for nationhood, gender equality, educational access, economic independence and community development.  Meena and Lema have also demonstrated through their writing of books and articles, the possibility for women to rewrite history with a different emphasis and orientation.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T14:58:27Z
format Article
id doaj.art-38a4a60b70ac42d0ba89a90872f3901e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1916-7822
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T14:58:27Z
publishDate 2015-10-01
publisher Sustainable Programs to Reduce Educational and Avocational Disadvantages (SPREAD)
record_format Article
series African Journal of Teacher Education
spelling doaj.art-38a4a60b70ac42d0ba89a90872f3901e2022-12-21T22:56:55ZengSustainable Programs to Reduce Educational and Avocational Disadvantages (SPREAD)African Journal of Teacher Education1916-78222015-10-014110.21083/ajote.v4i1.30163016Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on IdentitySonja R Darlington0Beloit CollegeTwo Tanzanian activists, Ruth Meena and Elieshi Lema, resist identification with their local ethnic groups in deference to their identity formation with nationalism and feminism. Both maintain that ethnicity is a politically charged term based on a colonial construct that favors patriarchy and describes all women’s ethnicity generically without questioning their positionality. Meena as a political scientist at the University of Dar es Salaam and Lema as a writer and editor of E & D Publishing, provide evidence for their professional roles having moved beyond ethnic boundaries due to their educational opportunities and the influence of feminist thinking. In the construction of their culture, as activists, scholars, teachers, and writers, they have re-imagined how to live their lives, so that they could actively participate in the struggle for nationhood, gender equality, educational access, economic independence and community development.  Meena and Lema have also demonstrated through their writing of books and articles, the possibility for women to rewrite history with a different emphasis and orientation.https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/ajote/article/view/3016ethnic identityindigenous educationtanzania indigenous educationtanzania women narratives
spellingShingle Sonja R Darlington
Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity
African Journal of Teacher Education
ethnic identity
indigenous education
tanzania indigenous education
tanzania women narratives
title Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity
title_full Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity
title_fullStr Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity
title_full_unstemmed Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity
title_short Resistance to Women's Ethnic Narratives in Tanzania: Two Perspectives on Identity
title_sort resistance to women s ethnic narratives in tanzania two perspectives on identity
topic ethnic identity
indigenous education
tanzania indigenous education
tanzania women narratives
url https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/ajote/article/view/3016
work_keys_str_mv AT sonjardarlington resistancetowomensethnicnarrativesintanzaniatwoperspectivesonidentity