Rose Ong'oa-morara

Kanga: One Size Fits All: the Interplay of Kanga, Makawa, Swahili Poetry, and Taarab in the Communication of Zanzibari Women Rose Ong'oa-morara

Language is an important aspect of Zanzibar and the Swahili society in general, and its use is regulated by social norms set to encourage appropriate uses and discourage inappropriate uses. The appropriateness or inappropriateness of language use is mainly determined by the gender and age of the speaker, as well as the age composition of the audience. In any setting, individuals who hold authority over the rest, as determined by gender, age, and level of education are expected to lead in any speech activity. In most cases, they are expected to initiate and moderate conversation. According to the norm, men hold authority over women and this authority increases with increase in age and of late, increase in level of education. For this reason, women have little room to give their opinion on matters affecting the larger society, they, however, find other means of expressing themselves, including their dress. These other means of expression are the subject of this book. This book is a great resource for people interested in African and gender studies, African dress, and African linguistic studies.