Synopses & Reviews
Female initiation rites appear to be at odds with western ized urban society in present-day Zambia. This book of fers an interpretation of the relevance of female initiation rites in an urban setting among today's modern Christian women. In doing so, it examines changes in gender relations during the last few centuries on an socio-economic, religious and political level.
The author provides an in-depth description of initiation rites and analyzes their meaning and relevance for Zambian women. Despite new types of initiation rites and wedding ceremonies, such as Christian weddings and kitchen parties, based on Christian ideas and ideas of modernity, traditional initiation rites remain the central institution that construe female Zambian identity.