The Fon are the dominant ethnic group in the southern part of the Republic of Benin, West Africa. The hold a prominent place in African cultural studies for their traditional Vodun ('Voodoo') religion and are well known to historical and gender studies for their pre-colonial deployment of female ministers and soldiers. Giving a detailed account of gendered power strategies - highlighted by male perspectives on female power - in contemporary Fon culture, Power and Paradox is an important ethnographic update on Fon culture.
About the book
The Fon are the dominant ethnic group in the southern part of the Republic of Benin, West Africa. The hold a prominent place in African cultural studies for their traditional Vodun ('Voodoo') religion and are well known to historical and gender studies for their pre-colonial deployment of female ministers and soldiers. Giving a detailed account of gendered power strategies - highlighted by male perspectives on female power - in contemporary Fon culture, Power and Paradox is an important ethnographic update on Fon culture.