African Market Women, livre ebook

The lives and experiences of women traders in Kumasi

In these lively life stories, women market traders from Ghana comment on changing social and economic times and on reasons for their prosperity or decline in fortunes. Gracia Clark shows that market women are intimately connected with economic policy on a global scale. Many work at the intersection of sophisticated networks of transnational commerce and migration. They have dramatic memories of independence and the growth of their new nation, including political rivalries, price controls, and violent raids on the market. The experiences of these women give substance to their reflections on globalization, capital accumulation, colonialism, technological change, environmental degradation, teenage pregnancy, marriage, children, changing gender roles, and spirituality. Clark's commentary illuminates the complex historical and cultural setting of these deeply revealing lives.

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Trading Lives
1. Abenaa Adiiya
Portrait: An Adventurer on the Road
Story: Patience and Pleading
2. Maame Kesewaa
Portrait: A Quiet Saver
Story: Someone Has Set Herself a Goal
3. Madame Ataa
Portrait: A Good Citizen
Story: A Man Would Marry You Properly
4. Amma Pokuaa
Portrait: A Market Daughter
Story: All of Them Depend upon Me
5. Auntie Afriyie
Portrait: A Shrewd Dealer
Story: If You Have Wisdom, You Can Do Many Jobs
6. Sister Buronya
Portrait: An International Observer
Story: If I Had Money, I Would Go
7. Maame Nkrumah
Portrait: A Grateful Sister
Story: She Has Cared For Me and My Children
Conclusion: Little by Little

Appendix
Glossary
Notes
References
Index