Reporting from the Angle of Reality:  A Comparative Analysis of Sukuma Proverbs and the Social Construction of Power Relations in Traditional Leadership

Esther J. Masele

doi:10.56279/jhss.v12i1.307

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2023)

Issue Published : Jun 28, 2023

Date Log

Submitted

Jul 13, 2023

Accepted

Jul 13, 2023

Published

Dec 21, 2023

Reporting from the Angle of Reality: A Comparative Analysis of Sukuma Proverbs and the Social Construction of Power Relations in Traditional Leadership

https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v12i1.307

Esther J. Masele

Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), Vol. 12 No. 1 (2023)
Article Published : Dec 21, 2023

Abstract

The Sukuma comprise one of many ethnic groups which respect their traditional
leadership. Even after the introduction of new authority by the independent
Tanzanian government, they still exercise their traditional leadership of chiefs
(Ntemi), which is purely patriarchal. However, there are more evidences from the
literature, which suggest that proverbs are useful in articulating power relations in
groups as what persist in the Sukuma society. Following this reason, this paper,
highlights power relations resulting from the comparative analysis of traditional
leadership history and Sukuma proverbs. Specifically, the paper is designed to answer
two questions: How does the Sukuma traditional leadership history reflect power
relations among the Sukuma? In which ways do the Sukuma proverbs mirror the
social construction of power relations in traditional leadership? The study was
conducted in Kishapu District in Shinyanga, Tanzania.

(Received: 23rd October 2022; Accepted: 20th May 2023; Revised: 27th May 2023)

Keywords

Gender relations, proverbs, social organization, gender politics.

J. Masele, E. (2023). Reporting from the Angle of Reality: A Comparative Analysis of Sukuma Proverbs and the Social Construction of Power Relations in Traditional Leadership. Journal of Humanities &Amp; Social Science (JHSS), 12(1). https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v12i1.307

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Studies: A Reader. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
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Masele, J. 2017. Gender Relations in the Discourse of Sukuma Songs. PhD thesis, University of
Dodoma.
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Mindu-Tulieni and Makombe Village in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. HURIA 16: 26–49.
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from the Experiences of Others. Perspectives in Medical Education 8(2): 90–97. https://doi.org/
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Oyewumi, O. (2005). African Gender Studies: A Reader. New York: Palgrave Macmillan
Publishers.
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Special Reference to Two Dialects of Arabic. AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, 2(4):
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Sanauddin, N. 2015. Proverbs and Patriarchy: Analysis of Linguistic Sexism and Gender
Relations among the Pashtuns of Pakistan. PhD Thesis, University of Glasgow.
Seital, P. 1999. The Powers of Genre: Interpreting Haya Oral Literature. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Senkoro, F. E. M. K. 2005. Understanding Gender through Genre: Oral Literature as a Vehicle for
Gender Studies in East Africa. Gender, Literature and Religion in Africa, Gender Series 4: 1–16.
Songoyi, E. 2005. The Form and Content of the Wigashe Dance Songs of the Sukuma. PhD
dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.
Womack, M. & Marti, J. 1993. The Other Fifty Percent: Multicultural Perspectives on Gender
Relations. USA. Waveland Press.

References

Alase, A. 2017. The Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): A Guide to a Good Qualitative

Research Approach. International Journal of Education & Literacy Studies 5(2): 10–19.

Bali, T. A. L. 1990. Women in Irrigation Agriculture: A Case Study of Batemi of Ngorongoro

District in Arusha Region, M.A. thesis, University of Dar es Salaam.

Chikwelu, E. J. 2017. Never Marry a Woman with Big Feet: The Proverbial Oppression of

Women in Igbo African Culture: An Investigation of the Semantics of female Devaluation

in Igbo African Proverbs. MA Thesis, University of Kwazulu-Natal.

Chippo, P. 2011. The Sunday Standard Newspaper’s Representations of Women in Botswana.

M.A Dissertation, University of Botswana.

Diabah, G. & Amfo, A. N. 2018. To Dance or Not to Dance: Masculinities in Akan Proverbs and

their Implications for Contemporary Societies. Ghana Journal of Linguistics, 7(2): 179–198.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v7i2.8.

Finnegan, R. 2005. Oral Tradition and the Verbal Arts: A Guide to Research Practise. New York:

Taylor and Francis e-Library.

Furniss, G. 1995. The Power of Words and Relation between Hausa Genres. In: Furniss, G and

Gunner, L. (Eds.). Power, Marginality and African Oral Literature. New York: Cambridge

University Press, pp. 1–22.

Gawile. D. R. 2011. Religious Discourse and Gender Stereotype. M.A. dissertation, University

of Dodoma.

Gibore, N. S. & Bali, T. A. L. 2020. Community Perspectives: An Exploration of Potential Barriers

to Men’s Involvement in Maternity Care in a Central Tanzanian Community. PLoS ONE. 15(5)

–27.

Gunderson, F. 1999. Musical Labour Associations in Sukumaland Tanzania: History and

Practise, PhD dissertation, Wesleyan University.

Gunner, L. 1995. Power, Marginality and African Oral Literature. New York: Cambridge University

Press.

Husserl, E. 1931. Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (D. Carr, Trans.). Evanston, IL:

Northwestern University Press

Hofmeyr, I. 1992. Gender, Patterns of Story-Telling and Forced Removals: A Transvaal

Perspective: Collected Seminar Papers. Institute of Commonwealth Studies, 44. pp.39–53.

Jule, A. 2008, A Beginner’s Guide to Language and Gender. Toronto: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

Kabaji, S. E. 2005. The Construction of Gender through the Narrative Process of the African

Folktales: A Case Study of the Maragoli, PhD thesis, University of South Africa.

Kopytoff, I. 2005. Women’s Roles and Existential Identity. In: Oyewumi, O (Ed.), African Gender

Studies: A Reader. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Lee, J. 2015. Chinese Proverbs: How are Women and Men Represented? Multidisciplinary Journal

of Gender Studies, 4(1): 559–585. doi: 10.4471/generos.

Masele, J. 2017. Gender Relations in the Discourse of Sukuma Songs. PhD thesis, University of

Dodoma.

Mhache, E. P. 2014. Gender Division and Utilization of Natural Resources: A Case Study of

Mindu-Tulieni and Makombe Village in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. HURIA 16: 26–49.

Neubauer B. E., Witkop C. T. B. & Varpio, L. 2019. How Phenomenology can Help us Learn

from the Experiences of Others. Perspectives in Medical Education 8(2): 90–97. https://doi.org/

1007/ s40037-019-0509-2

Nfah-Abbenyi, J. M. 2005. Gender, Feminist Theory, and Post-Colonial Women’s Writing. In:

Oyewumi, O. (2005). African Gender Studies: A Reader. New York: Palgrave Macmillan

Publishers.

Salamh, S. B. & Maalej. Z. A. 2018. A Cultural Linguistics Perspective on Animal Proverbs, with

Special Reference to Two Dialects of Arabic. AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, 2(4):

–40. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol2no4.2

Sanauddin, N. 2015. Proverbs and Patriarchy: Analysis of Linguistic Sexism and Gender

Relations among the Pashtuns of Pakistan. PhD Thesis, University of Glasgow.

Seital, P. 1999. The Powers of Genre: Interpreting Haya Oral Literature. New York: Oxford

University Press.

Senkoro, F. E. M. K. 2005. Understanding Gender through Genre: Oral Literature as a Vehicle for

Gender Studies in East Africa. Gender, Literature and Religion in Africa, Gender Series 4: 1–16.

Songoyi, E. 2005. The Form and Content of the Wigashe Dance Songs of the Sukuma. PhD

dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.

Womack, M. & Marti, J. 1993. The Other Fifty Percent: Multicultural Perspectives on Gender

Relations. USA. Waveland Press.

Author biographies is not available.