Historique
Chapitre
Women, moral virtue and tchat-chewing
Auteur(s) :
ALMEDOM, A. M. ;
ABRAHAM, S.
Année
1997
Page(s) :
249-259
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Refs biblio. :
14
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Note générale :
In : MCDONALD M., Gender, drink and drugs, Oxford, Berg publ., 1997, (Coll. Cross-cultural perspectives on women, Vol.10), 249-259
Résumé :
ENGLISH :
The significance of chewing tchat is gender-specific. While the men chew tchat in order to be real men, to socialize and to derive extra energy for heir work, women use it as a means of achieving religious fellowship and womanly fulfilment. Tchat is socially and economically important to the populations of large areas of the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabia. The people who use it in these parts of the world regard it highly, both morally and socially. However, for Westerners, tchat is a sort of 'drug'. The significance of tchat in the lives of peoples such as the Gurage is little understood by outsiders. For instance, the tchat ceremonies described in this paper might easily be misinterpreted by a tabloid newspaper in the UK which might refer to the women as 'drug-dazed', from an unreflecting, ethnocentric point of view. Tchatchewing could, in the west, easily be assimilated to 'drugtaking'. This paper endeavours to present the women's own perceptions, and these do not equate tchat with 'drug' - a harmful or dangerous substance. (Extract of the publication)
The significance of chewing tchat is gender-specific. While the men chew tchat in order to be real men, to socialize and to derive extra energy for heir work, women use it as a means of achieving religious fellowship and womanly fulfilment. Tchat is socially and economically important to the populations of large areas of the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabia. The people who use it in these parts of the world regard it highly, both morally and socially. However, for Westerners, tchat is a sort of 'drug'. The significance of tchat in the lives of peoples such as the Gurage is little understood by outsiders. For instance, the tchat ceremonies described in this paper might easily be misinterpreted by a tabloid newspaper in the UK which might refer to the women as 'drug-dazed', from an unreflecting, ethnocentric point of view. Tchatchewing could, in the west, easily be assimilated to 'drugtaking'. This paper endeavours to present the women's own perceptions, and these do not equate tchat with 'drug' - a harmful or dangerous substance. (Extract of the publication)
Affiliation :
Royaume-Uni. United Kingdom.
Cote :
L00192