The Theory of Personhood. Exploring African Childhoods

Document from the year 2018 in the subject Ethnology / Cultural Anthropology, University of Pretoria, language: English, abstract: In this article, I discuss the theory of personhood which I explain in the first paragraph.The aim of this narrative is to illustrate different African contexts and experiences of childhood, which are hardly taken into consideration when adopting Western definitions and constructs thereof. I draw upon the works of Fortes (1969), Karp (1995), Kratz (2000) and Salo (2004), which confer the meaning of personhood and agency. Subsequently, I then draw upon Chambua&Kamugisha (1994), Mustafa (2006), Holly (2006) and Arnfred (2007) who all provide ethnographic illustrations of personhood and sexual agency.

In these ethnographic examples, I highlight recurring themes. One of the recurring themes is that the notion of personhood is not a fixed notion; rather personhood is constantly negotiated, contested and redefined through everyday social interactions. Secondly, the notion of personhood and agency differs cross-culturally. Lastly, while cultural meanings of personhood and agency may appear to be readily apparent, fixed and commonly shared amongst all members of a specific community, this is not so.