While the Asantehene and the Asantehemmaa are well known figures in Ghana, less familiar are the many queen mothers who function in parallel roles to chiefs in every Asante town and paramountcy. Ignored by the British and generally bypassed by modem Ghanaian leaders, queen mothers have nevertheless continued to serve their constituencies faithfully. More recently, however, globalization has discovered them, and external sources are beginning to seek them out for local projects. Yet, queen mothers continue to face serious obstacles as a precolonial female authority in a postcolonial society.
ResumeBien quo le Roi et la Reine des Asante soient tres connus au Ghana, la plupart des Reinesmeres qui jouent parallelement les roles de chefs dans tous les milieux Asante son) moins reconnues. En depit du fait qu'elles sont ignorees par les Britaniques et non reconnues en general par les leaders ghaneens actuels, les Reines-meres continuent de servir loyalement leurs chefferies. Cependant, le concept de la mondialisation a tres reeemment pcrmis de les redecouvrir. C'est ainsi que des organisations etrangeres commencent a lesreperer pour des projets locaux. Apre-s tout, les Reines-meres font toujours face a de serieux problemes par le fait qu'elles constituent un pouvoir feminin precolonial dans une soeie:e postcoloniale.
As concepts of reflexivity and postcolonial perspectives have advanced our understandings of the way we represent those we study, they have also introduced a consciousness of the role of the self in research. This article reviews the history of the field of folklore with regard to the method of obtaining data or texts and demonstrates that collecting material contrasts with the practice of conducting research in the field. Pointing to a moment of transition, it shows that theories of folklore had to undergo significant change before methods of research would acknowledge the identity of the fieldworker and its significance.
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