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A Study of Married Bemba Women Appropriating the Imbusa Pre-Marital ‘Curriculum’ at Home and Workplace

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A Study of Married Bemba Women Appropriating the Imbusa Pre-Marital ‘Curriculum’ at Home and Workplace Negotiated Feminism? A Study of Married Bemba Women Appropriating the Imbusa Pre-Marital ‘Curriculum’ at Home and Workplace By MUTALE MULENGA KAUNDA 211523936 Submitted in Fulfilment of the Academic Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Subject of GENDER AND RELIGION at the SCHOOL OF RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY AND CLASSICS IN THE COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU- NATAL (Pietermaritzburg Campus) SUPERVISOR PROF. SAROJINI NADAR PIETERMARITZBURG December 2016 0 | Page DECLARATION In agreement with the University principles, I hereby state explicitly that this work has not been submitted at any other University or any other institution of higher learning other than the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg Campus), and that unless specifically indicated to the contrary within the text; it is my own original work. ------------------------------------------------------- MUTALE MULENGA KAUNDA December 2016 As the candidate’s supervisor, I hereby approve this thesis for submission ------------------------------------------------------- PROF. SAROJINI NADAR December 2016 i | Page CERTIFICATION Language Editing Certification Dr Karen Buckenham PO Box 46 Bisley 3203 [email protected] 19 November 2016 Re: Confirmation of Language Editing To Whom It May Concern This letter is to confirm that Mutale Kaunda’s PhD thesis, Negotiated Feminism? A Study of Married Bemba Women Appropriating the Imbusa Pre-Marital ‘Curriculum’ at Home and Workplace, was edited by Karen Buckenham. Cordially Dr Karen Buckenham ii | Page Dr Quraisha Dawood (PhD) [email protected] Write This is to confirm that this dissertation entitled: Negotiated Feminism? A Study of Married Bemba Women Appropriating the Imbusa Pre-Marital ‘Curriculum’ at Home and Workplace By: Well MUTALE MULENGA KAUNDA Has been edited by: Dr Quraisha Dawood (PhD, Director of Write Well) 17 March 2017 iii | Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The journey to the completion of this PhD was quite challenging and lonely especially toward the end when I faced a number of uncertainties regarding its completion. I am a self-motivated woman, however, working alone on this project proved de-motivating and often frustrating. I had given up on this work often and yet somehow I would find that strength and inner voice encouraging me to soldier on. A number of people are instrumental, regardless, in assisting me to continue working when I felt like giving up. A Bemba proverb would articulate my appreciation better here; a person that walks with you in your dark or hard and difficult circumstances/situations deserves appreciation when the turbulent times are over, or literally, a person that walks with you at night should be appreciated at dawn (uwakwensha ubushiku bamutasha elo bwacha). The completion of this thesis would not have been successful without the assistance of the following: God of my foremothers and forefathers, I have realised through this journey that God was with me in the working of this project and I am grateful that God gave me the inner strength and re-motivated me to continue working on this piece “when the going was tough”. When the times were hard, I often went back to what or who I know best not to let me down – God. My supervisor, Prof Sarojini Nadar, you have walked with me on this journey for six years (from Honours). I appreciate your critical insights, suggestions and academic assistance on this thesis. The “final push” was stressful for both of us and you were there to show me the way. I appreciate that we worked together on this study. Rev Dr Chammah J. Kaunda, (my partner-husband) you have been a pillar of strength in my life. The potential that you see in me (I do not even see often) is amazing. I am truly grateful for all the encouragements. Those evenings of iv | Page discussions on Bemba people and their (our) cultural values and practices have been beneficial. This song speaks volumes ine ndikapende pabalume bandi ndafwaya ukulepa! My daughters (Malumbo, Chatale and Tamanda), I loved all the interruptions and the twins asking me to put away the computer because it was time to play, eat, bath etc. Malumbo your endless questions about life and gender issues that you are so concerned and interested to know more about even at this tender age is remarkable and inspired me to work hard and look forward to the completion of this study. Your future is bright my girls, aim for the stars! Because being a black African (female) means fighting for your space in life. Prof Roderick Hewitt, thank you for all the assistance with the search for funding and giving me opportunities to minister in your Church on several occasions. I appreciate your support during the most difficult time as I worked on examiners’ reports. Thank you to all the participants in this study, taking time out of your busy schedules and taking part in the interviews, was selfless and truly Zambian I appreciate. Tania Missa Owino, words are not enough to show my utmost gratitude for assisting me with your laptop when mine crashed on two occasions. Thank you asante sana sister friend! Wewe rafiki yangu. Ba Josephine Yandwa Towani, thank you for inviting me into the marriage preparation space in Pietermaritzburg! My research was further enriched, kalebalika!! Dr. Kapya J. Kaoma, thank you for the insights of the Bemba people as you read my thesis. Lesa amipale, kalealika lelo kelamocha. v | Page To the Eastwood Baptist and Scottsville Presbyterian Church family, I am grateful in so many ways for your continuous support, friendship and encouragement as I worked on this research. Thank you! I am grateful to the Gender, Religion and Health class of 2015 for the discussions and probing during the cohorts and writing retreats; Dr Fatima Seedat thank you for the opportunity to mentor three of the Masters students from this class as well as one from the 2016 class and an opportunity to be part of the writing retreats. The financial assistance of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences - Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (NIHSS-CODESRIA) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NIHSS-CODESRIA. I would also like to acknowledge financial assistance from the following: The School of Religion Philosophy and Classics’ prestigious Nsibande Scholarship; and Bursary Grants for Coursework Masters, Research Masters and Doctorate Students from the College of Humanities of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. vi | Page DEDICATION TO My mother who fathered me!! Ms Louise Mambwe, thank you for your inspiration to soar, I always wondered how you managed to raise us up with a FIRM but loving hand as a single mother. I miss you dearly; RIP and I wish you were here to witness and celebrate this milestone I have achieved. AND To the participants in my study, and the many other African women who have freely shared their knowledge with researchers in the past, I hope that through this study and as a Bemba woman, I have mediated your voices as honorably and respectfully as possible. It is my hope that the experiences you have shared will continue to open up some kind of imbusa spaces for authentic reflection and debate, and not just become intellectual property of the academy. vii | Page MAP OF COPPERBELT PROVINCE, ZAMBIA The map is extracted from www.Mapsof.net (2016). viii | Page ABSTRACT AND KEY TERMS Abstract Imbusa spaces (anthropologists refers to it as initiation rites) are often perceived as cultural spaces for uneducated, rural women, yet, even educated Bemba (Zambian) women undergo these rites as well. Imbusa teachings (consisting of sacred emblems/visual aids handed to brides) are important for the Bemba people and essential to the marriageability of a woman in almost similar ways that education qualifies one to be employable. This empirical study focused on Bemba married career women, living in the Copperbelt province of Zambia. The objectives of this study were first, to discuss the imbusa teachings regarding Bemba career women. Second, to determine how career married women learn, negotiate, and resist amafunde yambusa in their homes and at places of work. Third, I analyzed why Bemba married career women negotiate, engage or resist amafunde yambusa in their homes and at places of work in the way that they do. The study was framed through Nnaemeka’s (2003) feminist postcolonial concept of Nego-feminism. Snowball sampling was used and seventeen Bemba married career women were interviewed using feminist interviewing to produce data concerning the indigenous imbusa teachings of the Bemba people in the Copperbelt province of Zambia. African cultural hermeneutics and community of practice theories were used as tools for analyzing the produced data. Findings established that Bemba women, like women from other ethnic groups within Zambia, have been progressing in careers and education, while they are given a teaching that has remained static in some of its content. At the same time, the teachings received at imbusa have been tainted with cultural aspects from various cultures that the Bemba people encountered upon migrating to the Copperbelt. I have demonstrated how women move and live between two parallel worlds – the public and private spheres – and hence have a conflictive consciousness with regard to their identity in the two worlds. This implies a need to a revisit the traditional syllabus or curriculum so that it is in line with current debates on women’s issues. The study concludes with a proposal for a progressive curriculum for career women that is inclusive of teachings on gender justice, masculinities and femininities, and involves men as part of certain aspects of the teachings, since currently it is only women who are taught in imbusa.
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