{"product_id":"9781516517664","title":"Essentially Africa: Cultural Traditions from the Cradle of Humankind","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlending contemporary readings on African culture with additional references that provide rich historical context, \u003cem\u003eEssentially Africa: Cultural Traditions from the Cradle of Humankind\u003c\/em\u003e provides students with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of African cultural traditions and their historical influences. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSection I of the anthology explores the topics of courtship, marriage, and sex in African culture, addressing kinship relations as a support system for children, polygyny and Christian marriage in Africa, female husbands in Igbo Land, and more. Section II is devoted to African religions, rites, and traditions, including the Charismatic Renewal movement in Ghana, modern practitioners of ancient religions, and “magic” in contemporary Africa. Section III recognizes African clothing, art, and dance, discussing dress for special occasions, tribal dances of Africa, the presence of the hijab in Nigeria, and the complexities of modern masculinity in the Maasai people. The text closes with a section on death and dying, introducing readers to the symbolism of masks, the living, and the dead, the concepts of good and bad death in Kwahu-Tafo, Ghana, and African funeral rites sites for performing, participating, and witnessing trauma. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEdited with the perspective that African history cannot be appreciated without a rich understanding of the relevance of its diverse living cultural traditions, \u003cem\u003eEssentially Africa\u003c\/em\u003e is an interdisciplinary anthology suitable for courses in African history or culture, cultural anthropology, folklore, international relations, and global public policy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLinda Tavernier-Almada, Ph.D.\u003c\/strong\u003e, is a faculty member of the University of South Florida, serving in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies. She received her doctorate in interdisciplinary studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her focus is on traditional culture and people of African descent. Dr. Tavernier-Almada is a committee member for the Institute of Black Life and president of the Haitian Association Foundation of Tampa Bay. She is the author of \u003cem\u003eSHE…The Journey Imposed on the African Women by HE, the White Male\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as various articles and book chapters that serve as a force for global change, African cultural expressions, Caribbean identity, history, culture, and more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47051399659760,"sku":"9781516517664","price":113.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781516517664_p0.jpg?v=1763726371","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781516517664","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}