Work, social status, and gender in post-slavery Mauritania /
Although slavery was legally abolished in 1981 in Mauritania, its legacy lives on in the political, economic, and social discriminationagainst ex-slaves and their descendants. Katherine Ann Wiley examines the shifting roles of Muslim 'ara'in (ex-slaves and their descendants) women, who pro...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Bloomington, Indiana :
Indiana University Press,
[2018]
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| Online Access: | Connect to this title online (unlimited users allowed) |
| Summary: | Although slavery was legally abolished in 1981 in Mauritania, its legacy lives on in the political, economic, and social discriminationagainst ex-slaves and their descendants. Katherine Ann Wiley examines the shifting roles of Muslim 'ara'in (ex-slaves and their descendants) women, who provide financial support for their families. Wiley uses economic activity as a lens to examine what makes suitable work for women, their trade practices, and how they understand and assert their social positions, social worth, and personal value in their everyday lives. She finds that while genealogy and social hierarchy contributed to status in the past, women today believe that attributes such as wealth, respect, and distance from slavery help to establish social capital. Wiley shows how the legacy of slavery continues to constrain some women even while many of them draw on neoliberal values to connect through kinship, friendship, and professional associations. This powerful ethnography challenges stereotypical views of Muslim women anddemonstrates how they work together to navigate social inequality and bring about social change. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (xiii, 212 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780253036254 0253036259 9780253036230 0253036232 |