Comparative Studies of Women in African Societies : Their Traditional Positions and Modern Adaptation

这项研究从1992年至1994年进行了三个财政年度，主题是"非洲社会中妇女的比较研究：她们的传统地位和现代适应"，主要在塞内加尔、科特迪瓦、加纳、喀麦隆、赞比亚和坦桑尼亚进行，在喀麦隆西北部，我们调查了在城市化和货币经济化过程中观察到的性别分工的变化。我们发现，男性群体组成了富农协会，并扩大了他们的富裕农业，而女性群体购买土地，种植有价值的经济作物。通过对喀麦隆北方富尔贝族妇女口头传统的直接观察和分析，对富尔贝族妇女的日常生活和社会地位进行了调查。我们试图从不同的角度展示女性的生活，描述女性和男性之间的实际关系。在塞内加尔，我们解释了城市居民的经济活动。我们特别关注在非正规部门工作的女工的活动，因为这些活动与整个国家的经济发展密切相关，在赞比亚，我们研究了Chewa人和Ngoni人男女分别举行的仪式。对"圣灵"的崇拜是从父系的恩戈尼人社会引入母系的切瓦人社会的，这种崇拜的主要信徒由男性变为女性。在科特迪瓦，我们调查了由于对木薯加工食品的需求增加而引起的妇女在日常工作中的角色变化，根据我们的研究结果，我们想指出文化人类学性别研究的几个观点的重要性：妇女与变化的关系;在社会变革过程中性别角色的灵活性;妇女活动的活力。

This research was conducted for three fiscal years from 1992 to 1994 on the subsject of "Comparative Studies of Women in African Societies : Their Traditional Positions and Modern Adaptation ", mainly in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia and Tanzania.In north-western Cameroon、we investigated a change of sexual division of labor which is observed in the process of urbanization snd currency economization. We found out that male groups formed associations of rich-farmers and extended their rich-farming while female groups purchased the land and planted valuable cash crops. We also investigated daily life and social position of Fulbe women in northern Cameroon, based on direct observation and analysis of oral tradition. We tried to show the life of women from various points of view, and described actual relationships between women and men.In Senegal, we explicated the economic activities of urbanite. We especially paid attention on activities of female workers engaged in the informal sector, because such activities are closely related to economic development of the whole nation.In Zambia, we studied rituals practiced separately by men and women among the Chewa and Ngoni. The cult of "Holy spirit" was introduced into matrilineal Chewa society from patrilineal Ngoni society, and main followers of this cult changed from men to women. We pointed out that this cult playd important role inreorganizing of indigenous ritual associations.In cote d'Ivoire, we investigated a change of role of women in daily works, caused by an increasing demand for processed foodstuffs made of cassava.Based on the result of our research, we would like to point out the importance of several view points for cultural anthropological studies of gender : the relatedness between women and change ; flexibility of sex role in the course of social change ; dynamism of women's activities.