Essentially Africa

Blending contemporary readings on African culture with additional references that provide rich historical context, Essentially Africa: Cultural Traditions from the Cradle of Humankind provides students with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of African cultural traditions and their historical influences. Section I of the anthology explores the topics of courtship, marriage, and sex in African culture, addressing kinship relations as a support system for children, polygyny and Christian marriage in Africa, female husbands in Igbo Land, and more. Section II is devoted to African religions, rites, and traditions, including the Charismatic Renewal movement in Ghana, modern practitioners of ancient religions, and magic in contemporary Africa. Section III recognizes African clothing, art, and dance, discussing dress for special occasions, tribal dances of Africa, the presence of the hijab in Nigeria, and the complexities of modern masculinity in the Maasai people. The text closes with a section on death and dying, introducing readers to the symbolism of masks, the living, and the dead, the concepts of good and bad death in Kwahu-Tafo, Ghana, and African funeral rites sites for performing, participating, and witnessing trauma. Edited with the perspective that African history cannot be appreciated without a rich understanding of the relevance of its diverse living cultural traditions, Essentially Africa is an interdisciplinary anthology suitable for courses in African history or culture, cultural anthropology, folklore, international relations, and global public policy.