Proverbs and Enculturation

The Gender Convergence of Kiswahili and Ekegusii Proverbs

Abstract

Proverbs in Swahili and Gusii cultures are formulated and deployed in subtle ways that underpin the processes of enculturation and as such, proverbs are implicated in the inscriptions of femininity and masculinity in their respective societies. There is no doubt that both the concept of gendering and the construction of gender itself occupy contested positions in African socio-cultural scholarship. Part of the contestation alluded to here and that has subsisted over a long time is the implication of proverbs as “cultural oralities” in the inculcation of gender as a principle of societal organization. Available scholarly evidence contends that, as artistic phenomena proverbs are crafted with patriarchal bias and as such they are involved in the marginalization and relegation of women in virtually all sectors of human endeavor and social interaction. Like in many other African cultures, proverbs are critical in facilitating the definition of moral consciousness, thought and belief, they are a reflection of “wisdom and truth” preserved and passed from one generation to another. However, it is important to note that in the artistic exquisiteness of proverb folklore are presentations of partiality, prejudice and deprecating image inculcation about women. This formulaic depiction of women in Swahili and Gusii proverbs curtails, blurs and mutes women’s notable contributions in the development of humanity in their respective societies. This paper, therefore, seeks to explore the covert and explicit enculturation of patriarchal bigotry in Swahili and Gusii proverbs.