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- Title
The Use of Animal Metaphors in the Representation of Women in Bukusu and Gusii Proverbs in Kenya.
- Authors
Barasa, Margaret N.; Opande, Isaac Nilson
- Abstract
Animals have been widely used metaphorically to convey certain meanings related to human beings in Bukusu and Gusii societies. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the use of animal metaphors in the construction of women and men. This paper reports on the findings of a study that focused on the use of animal metaphors in Bukusu and Gusii proverbs that sought to ascertain whether the common proposition proposed by Lakoff and Turner is applicable to the data of this study. The study also aimed at examining the similarities and differences in the meanings and representations associated with the animal metaphors in both Bukusu and Gusii proverbs. Thus, this paper set out to investigate the main attributions that are attached to women and men in Bukusu and Gusii proverbs. Data of the study comprised forty eight Bukusu and Gusii proverbs related to animals; ethnography was used to select the proverbs; the data analysis focused on the representation of women through the examination of the meanings and metaphorical schemas of the respective proverbs using conceptual metaphor theory, the great chain of being framework and feminist critical discourse analysis The analysis revealed that the meanings associated with animal proverbs do not conform to the common proposition of Lakoff and Turner. The paper concludes that various differences in meanings are associated with the metaphorical schemas of Bukusu and Gusii proverbs, which are attributed to cultural aspects of the language in question; and gender inequality is evident in the stereotypical depiction of women who are described as dependent on and submissive to men, and who are valued for their physical charm, chastity domestic roles and ability to bear sons to continue the family line. Implications are drawn on the basis of the analysis, and thus, the study suggests that in asymmetrically structured societies, linguistic resources are systematically used to perpetuate hegemonic masculinity and femininity.
- Subjects
BUKUSU dialect; GUSII language; METAPHOR; FEMININITY; MASCULINITY
- Publication
Journal of Pan African Studies, 2017, Vol 10, Issue 2, p82
- ISSN
0888-6601
- Publication type
Article