Dissertation Research: Healing as Social Practice Among Hausa Women

在当代非洲国家，男性和女性往往以不同的方式适应后殖民时代的世界。虽然人们对男性的反应了解很多，但对女性的机构反应却很少关注。为了补救这种情况，研究人员将研究属于尼日尔Bori附身邪教的豪萨女治疗师。她将分析文化，社会和健康相关方面，以发现邪教如何在历史上适应尼日尔最近的变化。这项研究将确定西非社会中越来越多的妇女如何利用与卫生有关的自愿协会，以便在迅速变化的局势中稳定其社会和权力地位。妇女是豪萨社会的主要经济和社会力量。豪萨文化的影响无处不在，并延伸到尼日尔以外，从尼日利亚到埃及。因此，了解豪萨妇女的行为对了解整个北非至关重要。

In contemporary African nations, men and women often adapt differently to the post-colonial world. While much is known about male responses, women's institutional responses have received less attention. To remedy this situation, the researcher will look at Hausa female healers who belong to the Bori possession cult in Niger. She will analyze cultural, social, and health related aspects in order to discover how the cult has historically adapted to recent changes in Niger. This research will establish how increasingly women in West African societies utilize health related voluntary associations in order to stabilize their social and power positions in rapidly changing situations. Women are a major economic and social force in Hausa society. Hausa cultural influence is pervasive and extends beyond Niger, from Nigeria to Egypt. Understanding the behavior of Hausa women is thus crucial to understanding all of northern Africa.