Popobawa

Tanzanian Talk, Global Misreadings

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Customs & Traditions, Gender Studies
Cover of the book Popobawa by Katrina Daly Thompson, Indiana University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Katrina Daly Thompson ISBN: 9780253024619
Publisher: Indiana University Press Publication: February 6, 2017
Imprint: Indiana University Press Language: English
Author: Katrina Daly Thompson
ISBN: 9780253024619
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Publication: February 6, 2017
Imprint: Indiana University Press
Language: English

Since the 1960s, people on the islands off the coast of Tanzania have talked about being attacked by a mysterious creature called Popobawa, a shapeshifter often described as having an enormous penis. Popobawa’s recurring attacks have become a popular subject for stories, conversation, gossip, and humor that has spread far beyond East Africa. Katrina Daly Thompson shows that talk about Popobawa becomes a tool that Swahili speakers use for various creative purposes such as subverting gender segregation, advertising homosexuality, or discussing female sexuality. By situating Popobawa discourse within the social and cultural world of the Swahili Coast as well as the wider world of global popular culture, Thompson demonstrates that uses of this legend are more diverse and complex than previously thought and provides insight into how women and men communicate in a place where taboo, prohibition, and restraint remain powerful cultural forces.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Since the 1960s, people on the islands off the coast of Tanzania have talked about being attacked by a mysterious creature called Popobawa, a shapeshifter often described as having an enormous penis. Popobawa’s recurring attacks have become a popular subject for stories, conversation, gossip, and humor that has spread far beyond East Africa. Katrina Daly Thompson shows that talk about Popobawa becomes a tool that Swahili speakers use for various creative purposes such as subverting gender segregation, advertising homosexuality, or discussing female sexuality. By situating Popobawa discourse within the social and cultural world of the Swahili Coast as well as the wider world of global popular culture, Thompson demonstrates that uses of this legend are more diverse and complex than previously thought and provides insight into how women and men communicate in a place where taboo, prohibition, and restraint remain powerful cultural forces.

More books from Indiana University Press

Cover of the book Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Life and Death in Kolofata by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Hannah Arendt and the Negro Question by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Self-Understanding and Lifeworld by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Debt by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Kierkegaard's God and the Good Life by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Oscar Micheaux and His Circle by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Russia's People of Empire by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Queer Ecologies by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book The Golden Wave by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book The Essential Peirce, Volume 2 by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Interpreting Musical Gestures, Topics, and Tropes by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Nietzsche and Other Buddhas by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Where the Spirits Ride the Wind by Katrina Daly Thompson
Cover of the book Shade of the Raintree, Centennial Edition by Katrina Daly Thompson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy