Afrykański strój, europejskie tkaniny i katolicka moda w Ghanie (original) (raw)

What is in a Dress? A Historiographical Exploration of the Relationship between Clothing, Morality and Cultural Identity in Zimbabwe

The subject of dress in religious and philosophical reflection may be considered to be as old as the human race itself. An analysis of both written and oral sources on the subject shows that discourse on the subject has been varied in terms of context and the players associated with dress. Three players have almost invariably been associated with it: culture, identity and morality. The basic thinking is that dress is not neutral; it tells who you are. Common in such religious discourse is Deuteronomy 22:5 that forbids women from wearing men's clothes. The key research question is: What is in a dress? Does dress depict a person's cultural identity and ethical standing? This study was a qualitative historiographical hermeneutical exploration of the history of dress, briefly across the globe, and in some detail dress in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular. Its findings are that while African traditional values neither condemned being topless nor did they associate nakedness with shame and guilt, historiographical observations are that throughout the history of dress, dress has not been and is not neutral. It does condition the mind to behave in a manner appropriate to the given space and time. Also, our Zimbabwean values on dress today have evolved; they are a hybrid of our traditional cultural values and western Judaeo-Christian values and dress in Zimbabwe is now viewed through these lenses. Thus, this study recommends that given this cultural evolution there is need to adopt dress that is sensitive and non-offensive to the evolved societal values. Brief Background and Key Research Question The subject of dress 1 in religious and philosophical reflection may be considered to be as old as the human race itself. An analysis of both written and oral sources on the subject shows that discourse on the subject has been varied in terms of context and the concepts associated 1 We are using the term dress and not clothing because as some scholars in dress studies show, dress is more inclusive in that it also encompasses such conceptions as adornment and body modification (see Crane, 2000 and Arthur, 2001:294). We add that in our African context dress transcends notions of sexuality and gender as it has ritual significance that has a role in demarcating ritual space and significance.

For God and Glory: Perceptions on Indigenization of Clerical Vestments in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2023

Religious personnel have always been unique in their costumes that depict ranks, nature of ceremony and roles in a given cultic rite. That the splendid vestments have always been culturally related and significant accounts for debates and modifications. For Africans, when it comes to the fabrication of liturgical attires, the focus is not necessarily on the need for change as much as the nature and extent of the Africanness in Christianity. This paper appraises the perceptions of what the contemporary styles of liturgical vestments like the chasuble, stole and cope in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) should be. The work evaluates calls for contextualization, nature and extent of such changes in the materials, colours, embellishment, symbolism, and implications. The authors adopted the qualitative approach, carried out a bibliographic survey and conducted interviews with a focused group and key informants. Data collected was limited to purposively selected priests, parishioners and vestment makers across Yoruba land, SouthWestern Nigeria. The findings reveal divergent views on cravings for indigenization of the priestly sartorial spectrum, what constitutes quality, and ingenuity. The authors recommended more appreciation of traditional textiles and elements by the church.

Decolonising African costume and textiles: Naming, symbols and meaning in the Ghanaian context

2021

This MPhil research is concerned with decolonising African textiles, in particular Ghanaian cloth and wax prints. It focuses on the uses, significance and meaning of designs and patterns in most of the Ghanaian indigenous textiles such as Kente, Adinkra, Tie and Dye, wax and roller prints made in Ghana. It does so in order to explore the relationship between colonisation, past and present day, the cultural and manufacturing history and naming of prints, and the changes that have occurred in designs and names. It examines how designs in the cloth are named within prevailing social concepts, contexts and trends, and the various ways in which Ghanaian practitioners, including myself as a practitioner, visualize and articulate ideas and experiences through these cloths. It also examines how multinational cultural appropriation has affected the naming systems in Ghana. Through a survey of existing literature and through my practice of working with oral traditions of textiles and garment ...

The commodification of ethnicity: Vlisco fabrics and wax cloth fashion in Ghana

International Journal of Fashion Studies, 2015

In this article, we position ethnicity at the heart of the marketplace in contributing to a more complex and multifaceted understanding of identity formation and commodification. We approach the commodification of ethnicity on two, interconnected levels in a globalizing world of fashion. We unravel the designs and discourses of the corporate company and textile producer Vlisco, based in the Netherlands, as well as the practices and ideas of fashion designers in Ghana who make abundant use of wax cloth fabrics. Of central concern in this article is how a corporate company and fashion designers in their designs and narratives unite an understanding of (fashion) identity as both ‘African’ and cosmopolitan, as an individual and collective expression. It is clearly not our intention to applaud these processes of commodification uncritically, fuelled as they are by global capitalism. Yet we do want to approach them as creative processes in all their complexity.

The Relevance and Symbolism of Clothes within Traditional Institutions and Its Modern Impacts on the Ghanaian Culture

Arts and Design Studies, 2013

Traditional institutions in Ghana present themselves with Clothes that are symbolic and portray the culture values and heritages of the country. However, there is concern as to what extent modern influences through clothes can be embraced within the cultural and traditional setting of systems that are mandated to hold fast to these indigenous beliefs and practices. The study was designed to find out, the extent to which modernity influence clothing lives of Ghanaians within the very core of tradition and what the impacts on the sustenance of traditional costumes are. Cluster sampling techniques was used exclusively with descriptive approach to collect data among six ethnic settings in Ghana. The result emphasized that, African clothes are symbolic and are not just for their aesthetic purposes. They are however, facing tremendous modern influences resulting largely from trade liberalization, entertainment industry and advancement of technology within the textile and fashion industry which local artisans are not matching up to. Generally, striking a balance between traditional and modern forms of clothes is vital to the total development, growth and forward match of Ghanaians to promote national unity and reflect our common identity.

Nigeria's Early Cultural History as seen through objects of Adornment and Apparel 2007 (final)

The Nigerian Field 72, 2007

An investigation into the controversy as to why human beings clothe and adorn their bodies is explored in this paper. Drawing on the study and the incorporation of examples of archaeological findings from the Saharan Tassili rock paintings to figurative sculpture, textiles, extant archived photographs, and field notes concerning facial and bodily traditions found across Nigeria, an overview of dress and its accoutrements are shared from this multi-cultural country.

The implications of the usages and theology of clerical dress in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

Using a theological literary study, this article argues that, while there have been significant shifts in the dress code of the ordained clergy of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, these changes are often driven by uninformed personal usages rather than theological principles. This leads to confusion in the usage of liturgical wear and vestments, resulting in marked differences between orders of ordained ministry and the separation of clergy and laity. Furthermore, the inconsistent and often contradictory ecclesiology of ministerial dress leads to tensions along ecumenical lines and does not promote image of the one body of Christ. This article argues that the Methodist Church of Southern Africa needs to revisit its ecclesiology relating to the ministry of the ordained, and for their dress code in their ministry to be relevant in Southern Africa.Contribution: This article contributes towards the ongoing discussion in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa on the usage of lit...

Sexuality Fashion and Gender Roles in Africa: A Moral Issue

Ganga Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 2017

remained unmoving in its views and reactions towards the issue of sexuality and morality. This position has however in recent times been facing a lot of challenges as a result of the fast rate of globalization. No longer is it difficult to access and decimate information. Ideas and philosophies that were at one time foreign seem more and more like the norm today. Amidst this volatile conundrum is the female gender which according to Ojo (2010), is unwittingly burdened with the “gender-skewed” African context, and understanding of sexuality as well as the sometimes unreasonable expectations the African society/culture has placed on the woman as the “moral compass of the society”(Bosco, 1888). This paper posits that sexuality and its many attributes both intrinsic and visual are better expressed in fashion. Therefore it attempts to establish the meaning and history of African fashion, western influences, the link between fashion and sexuality as well as to examine the role of gender in the propagation of sexuality as a tool for fashion and morality in Africa as well as the relationship between clothing and sexuality as represented within the African society.