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Beyond Pain: Toward Pleasure In The Study Of Sexuality in Africa Rachel Spronk Towards A Sensual Life Style Marlene Wasserman It Has Always Existed: Sexual Pleasure And Fantasy In Africa Charles Ngwena Published by Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre, Lagos, Nigeria www.arsrc.org A Woman Wearing Beads Around Her Waist And Wrist Credit: Waistbeads By Sewra 2008 A Project of Action Health Incorporated In This Issue Feature 3. Beyond Pain, Towards Pleasure In The Study Of Sexuality In Africa Issue Focus 1 7. Expressing Sexual Fantasy Through Songs And Proverbs Issues in Focus 2 9. It Has Always Existed : Sexual Pleasure And Fantasy In Africa Region Watch 11 Creating a Sensual Lifestyle Spotlight 13 Expression Through Lack Of A Woman Wearing Beads Around Her Waist And Wrist Credit: Waistbeads By Sewra 2008 Expression : Lingerie And Sexual Fantasy In Cairo 15 Notes To Contributors (Guidelines for submissions) Sexuality in Africa Magazine is published in Lagos by Africa 16 Sexuality Resources Regional Sexuality Resource Centre (ARSRC) and is distributed without charge until otherwise indicated. Sexuality in Africa Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre P. O. Box 803, Sabo-Yaba We acknowledge the contributions of those who reviewed the Lagos, Nigeria papers in this edition of the magazine. All the views expressed in this publication are solely those of Phone: (234) 1-7919307 the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fax: (234)-1-3425470 ARSRC/AHI or any organisation providing support. Email: [email protected] The images in this material are used for illustrative Website: www.arsrc.org purposes only; they do not imply any particular health status, attitudes, behaviours, or actions on the part of any person who Editorial Team appears in the photographs. Nike Esiet Photoshare images in this material are used for illustrative Dr Richmond Tiemoko purposes only; they do not imply any particular health status, Olunosen Louisa Ibhaze attitudes, behaviors, or actions on the part of any person who appears in the photographs.” Editorial Advisory Board Any part of this publication may be copied or adapted for use to Dr. Elias H. O. Ayiemba (East Africa) meet the local needs without permission from the ARSRC, provided that the parts copied are distributed free or at no cost Mr. Kopano Ratele (Southern Africa) (not for profit) and that the source is identified. The ARSRC Ms. Petrida Ijumba (Southern Africa) would appreciate receiving a copy of any materials in which the Prof. Friday Okonofua (West Africa) text is used. Stephen Kwankye (West Africa). ISSN 0189-7667 © ARSRC 2007 2 FEATURE Beyond Pain, Towards Pleasure In The Study Of Sexuality In Africa By Rachel Spronk sexuality. In this it also refers to sexual desire. These article I will shortly different aspects of sexuality highlight r e f l e c t o n t h e the need to define the term 'sexuality' in dominant trend of concepts such as sexual practices, sexuality research categories, desire, identity, etc., in order in Africa, after to clarify what is being studied. which I will explore A second related- flaw is that a mainly how to study sex ahistorical approach has been beyond its painful responsible for grossly simplifying r e a l i t i e s a n d notions of 'culture'. Much research has consequences and been limited by ideas that there is how to study its something peculiar about African p l e a s u r a b l e cultures regarding sexuality [2;3]. capacities as well, Cultural 'traditions' and 'taboos' are the b a s e d o n m y first things researchers tend to look for, research on love to account for sexual behaviour, and sex in Nairobi, overlooking the more mundane aspects Kenya. of life such as the influence of poverty or the emotional weight of sex. One such The State Of Art common assumption is that African men R e g a r d i n g engage in multi-partnered sexual S e x u a l i t y relationships because of 'their culture'. Research In Africa A historical analysis of sexuality in There are two Kenya offers an alternative explanation major flaws in the which is that, since the colonial period h e a l t h - r e l a t e d onwards, many married couples could A Woman Adorned With Beads not live together due to laws controlling Credit : Waistbeads By Sewra 2008 a p p r o a c h e s t o studying sexuality. male labour migration. In such situations The global Aids epidemic exposed the The first is that the of separation women and men would deficiency of our knowledge about the term 'sexuality' has been used in a self- have engaged in other sexual affairs, all complexity and variety of sexual evident and instrumental manner, rather likely to be against 'cultural' conventions behaviour. As a result, there has been an than being approached with due because adultery was a crime amongst impressive increase in research attention to the full variety and many groups in Kenya [4; 5]. Since activities aimed at responding to this subjectivity of sexual behaviour. sexuality is often presented as embedded discrepancy. In Africa this has meant Studying 'the' sexuality of teenagers, in 'age-old traditions', too little attention that the study of sexuality is mainly for example, can mean studying their has been given to such historical and conducted in relation to HIV infection. discourse on sex, their experience of social explanations of particular One of the major consequences of this is arousal, their gendered expectations, contemporary sexual practices. This is that sex becomes de-eroticised to an act their sexual identity or their sexual especially important given the current devoid of meaning and as a result, sex is relations. Studies that do not take into colonization of the public debate in studied apart from its sensorial power. account the imprecision of the term different African countries representing The challenge of sex research is to 'sexuality' start from a flawed position a glorified 'African' past where sexuality understand the ways that societal factors that sees sex simply as an obvious was trouble-free and healthy. organise sex and sexuality. It is incident or action [1]. In reality it is far The challenge of sex research is to important to note that sex is, above all, more complex than this. The word 'sex' understand the ways that societal factors about the senses, and many times people refers to an act, a category, a practice, a organise sex and sexuality, and finding engage in sex for pleasure. If we do not gender. 'Sexuality' refers to the quality out how these processes shape the pay due attention to the pleasurable and of 'being sexual', it is a concept depicting experiences of people. How, then, do we sensorial aspects of sex we will continue the social arena where power relations study sexuality and at the same time producing deficient knowledge about and moral discourses are played out, and respect the interface between the social 3 context and personal experience? sexuality becomes partly redefined in nothing.' (Ruben, aged 28) relation to female pleasure. This 'Better Sex Makes Happier Couples' approach is new, exciting and more In general, young adults are searching In Nairobi (where I did my research on engaging for both women and men for new definitions of sex. They want to the love and sex lives of young adults), compared to conventional perspectives give a positive meaning to sex in their public debates about sexuality getting on sexuality emphasizing the premarital sexual relationships. Pamela, out of hand due to the loss of ('African') procreative aspects of sex. For many aged 22, for example, says: 'How can morals have flared up from late young adults, to have a fulfilling sex life something be wrong when it makes me colonialism [6]. Debates about has become a symbol for a truly feel good?' In popular definitions of sexuality tend to articulate social contemporary person. This does not sexuality, sex is linked to love instead of discontent about social change, necessarily imply that it is perceived as a to reproduction, ethnic compatibility or particularly when gender and sexuality green light to sexual permissiveness. marriage as conventional discourse has are shifting because this occurs to the Depending on the person's morals, a it. What is most notable is that women, detriment of existing gerantocratic sexual life is developed only in in contrast to conventional discourse, power structures [4; 5; 7]. The history of marriage, while for others it is possible also recognise sex as natural, as an public debates about sexuality shows in premarital relationships as well. Both embodied element of growing into that current changes in gender and women and men are advised and adulthood. They thus recognise sexual sexuality are part of a continual encouraged to 'work' on their sex life, as desire as crucial to their identity as reconfiguration of gender and sexuality, it 'enriches' their personal sexual women, instead of understanding sexual despite common views that sexual experiences as well as their partner's. desire in relation to married morals or 'traditions' have been under Personal and mutual sexual happiness motherhood. For men, sexual desire has pressure in the last decades only. becomes an asset of individuals, as well always been understood as self-evident Interestingly, the volatile discussions as a symbol for a successful relationship: in conventional discourse; sex is about sexuality in Nairobi occur side by normatively understood as individual side a positive discourse on sexuality achievement. But, as Ruben explains, that has found a niche in the media.

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