New from Ohio University Press:
Marriage by Force? Contestation over Consent and Coercion in Africa, edited by
Annie Bunting (York University),
Benjamin N. Lawrance (Rochester Institute of Technology), and
Richard L. Roberts (Stanford University). A description from the Press:
With forced marriage, as with so many human rights issues, the
sensationalized hides the mundane, and oversimplified popular discourses
miss the range of experiences. In sub-Saharan Africa, the relationship
between coercion and consent in marriage is a complex one that has
changed over time and place, rendering impossible any single
interpretation or explanation.
The legal experts, anthropologists, historians, and development workers contributing to Marriage by Force?
focus on the role that marriage plays in the mobilization of labor, the
accumulation of wealth, and domination versus dependency. They also
address the crucial slippage between marriages and other forms of
gendered violence, bondage, slavery, and servile status.
Only by examining variations in practices from a multitude of
perspectives can we properly contextualize the problem and its
consequences. And while early and forced marriages have been on the
human rights agenda for decades, there is today an unprecedented level
of international attention to the issue, thus making the coherent,
multifaceted approach of Marriage by Force? even more necessary.
A few blurbs.
"This fascinating collection addresses the important problem of
determining what forced marriage is through the perspective of
historical studies of marriage from precolonial through postcolonial
eras in Africa. The essays destabilize any idea that there is a simple
dichotomy between forced and consensual marriage, and show that calling
forms of coerced marriage customary or traditional ignores the extent to
which tradition is constantly subject to change.”
-- Sally Engle Merry
“This eloquent volume tackles age-old yet pressing problems of
coercion, gender, and marriage in present-day Africa. The authors offer
compelling case studies to demonstrate the deep-seated and complex
values that underpin the subordination of women and girls and highlight
the vulnerability of the female gender in the face of a growing
movement—in Africa and abroad—to address the problem. This volume is a
must-read for all those who teach, think, write, and formulate laws and
public policy about gender and violence.” -- Makau Mutua
More information, including the TOC, is available
here.
