Woman as the other: Gender ideology and patriarchal hegemony in Ga Proverbs

Abstract

The study explored the issue of gender, but with focus on Ga proverbs and how they serve in creating a male hegemonic culture in which women are given the status of the Other as against men as the Self. Specifically, the study examined how men are represented in the proverbs as the Self, and women as the Other. This was done drawing on feminist literary criticism, with influence from the Marxist concepts of ideology and hegemony. The theoretical premise on which the study was based is that most cultures are fundamentally patriarchal, and they create an imbalance of power that marginalises women, and the social structure is reflected in all aspects of culture, including religion, philosophy, economics, education and literature. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources and analysed, paying attention to content. The analysis revealed that, as the Self, men are generally perceived as superior to women and they control affairs both in the domestic and public spheres. On the other hand, as the Other, women are confined to the domestic space, and they are required to subject themselves to the authority of men. The representation of men as the Self, and women as the Other, in the proverbs, creates an avenue for the suppression of women, as proverbs are considered to be expressions of general or absolute truth. It is recommended that attention is paid to the study of Ga proverbs, and the social construction of gender in Ga culture, both of which have not received much attention in terms of research.