Work, Social Status, and Gender in Post-Slavery Mauritania

Work, Social Status, and Gender in Post-Slavery Mauritania

Paperback (10 Sep 2018)

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Publisher's Synopsis

Although slavery was legally abolished in 1981 in Mauritania, its legacy lives on in the political, economic, and social discrimination against ex-slaves and their descendants. Katherine Ann Wiley examines the shifting roles of Muslim arain (ex-slaves and their descendants) women, who provide financial support for their families. Wiley uses economic activity as a lens to examine what makes suitable work for women, their trade practices, and how they understand and assert their social positions, social worth, and personal value in their everyday lives. She finds that while genealogy and social hierarchy contributed to status in the past, women today believe that attributes such as wealth, respect, and distance from slavery help to establish social capital. Wiley shows how the legacy of slavery continues to constrain some women even while many of them draw on neoliberal values to connect through kinship, friendship, and professional associations. This powerful ethnography challenges stereotypical views of Muslim women and demonstrates how they work together to navigate social inequality and bring about social change.

About the Publisher

Indiana University Press

Book information

ISBN: 9780253036223
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Imprint: Indiana University Press
Pub date:
Language: English
Number of pages: 228
Weight: 356g
Height: 153mm
Width: 228mm
Spine width: 30mm