Lecture: Religion and Masculinities in Africa - 26.09.14

Prof Brad Weiss (College of William & Mary) will deliver the keynote lecture for the 'Religion and Masculinities in Africa' conference.

This talk offers a heuristic assessment of certain patterns of transformation in the way that persons and subjects (and thereby “masculinity,” as one critical dimension of personhood) are rendered public in the world today. I suggest that innovations in everyday life are characterized by distinct modes of temporality (as indicated, for example, by Jane Guyer’s [2007]recent discussions of this question) that thereby entail changing perceptions, and understandings of effective action – including ritual action.

I use the examples of “temptation” and “desire” as motivations for, and features of effective (religious) action which increasingly frame the way that men, in particular, come to define themselves in the world.

This event is open to the public. To register, please email cas@soas.ac.uk