Fabrics of Identity: Uniforms, Gender and Associations in the Cameroon Grassfields

Fokwang, Jude

doi:10.1017/s0001972015000625

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Pagne fashion became increasingly accessible to young women (cf. Fokwang 2015; Pommerolle and Ngaméni 2015). As Annie neatly put it, now one could be ‘Fashion 24/7’.…”

Section: Digitizing Female Fashionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital fashionistas: young women, wealth-in-followers and matronage in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Majczak

2023

Africa

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Against the background of post-Cold War trade and media liberalization, this article examines how young women living in Yaoundé, Cameroon, share digital images of their crafted styles via WhatsApp. Such sharing is an act of influence usually aimed at building the woman’s name as a digital ‘fashionista’, in that it constitutes a virtual potential for persuading others to copy one’s style. When this potential is actualized among women of status and rank, young women can fashion relations of matronage, opening up avenues of upward social mobility. To reach out to women of status and rank, young women circulate images of their styles to mobilize digital follower networks of peers, kin and strangers, drawing on their skills, status and knowledge. This mobilization in turn relies on the actual and potential benefits that sharing a fashionista image can bring to the follower. Thus, I argue, interdependencies between stylish leaders and their followers are key to making and maintaining a name as a digital fashionista. This article contributes to the literature on fashion and social mobility in West Africa by showing how the circulation of digital images over social media networks generates potentialities for young women living in Yaoundé to fashion matronage relations and social mobility. More broadly, the framing of followers as a form of wealth-in-people provides a critique of the neoliberal market valuation of social media influencers, illuminating alternative regimes of valuation that inform digital influencer economies.

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“…Pagne fashion became increasingly accessible to young women (cf. Fokwang 2015; Pommerolle and Ngaméni 2015). As Annie neatly put it, now one could be ‘Fashion 24/7’.…”

Section: Digitizing Female Fashionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital fashionistas: young women, wealth-in-followers and matronage in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Majczak

2023

Africa

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“…This explains the significance attributed to school uniforms in the institution of education. Joseph N. traces the word uniform to its Latin origin, ‘uniformis’ meaning ‘having one form or shape’ (quoted in Fokwang, 2015, p. 679). As stated earlier, this uniformity enforced by a uniform indicates similarity of a position in a set of individuals yet differentiating them from the others holding somewhat different positions even if on the same matrix.…”

Section: School Uniformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hijab Controversy: Revisiting Discourse on School Uniforms

Jain

2023

Sociological Bulletin

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While analysing the hijab controversy, the paper attempts to discuss the significance of ‘uniforms’ in an educational institution. Employing sociological perspectives, it looks at the institution of education as a social institution and locates the sociocultural context of educational policies including the policy on uniforms. Attempt is to understand how political ideologies associated with nation- building promoted by the state, shape these policies. The paper looks at how and when changes in the policies are accommodated and where are these resisted. Exploring the trajectory of state, community and patriarchy, the paper attempts to comprehend what caused the hijab dispute and looks at some of the implications of the same on society, especially Muslim women. Theoretical framework of the paper is drawn on the critical understanding of uniforms as developed in sociology though the paper also draws from the Parsonian functional school of thought. The paper aims to show how the state uses the institution of education with support from other institutions of society, to promote its hegemonic agenda and how uniforms support this process. Secondary sources have been utilised for the data collection.

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“…Дж. Фокванг зазначає, що на відміну від звичайного одягу, уніформа привертає "увагу саме завдяки своїй унікальній ролі маркерів колективної ідентичності, а також тому, що вона втілює й водночас виражає парадокс схожості та відмінності" [10]. Уніформа часто асоціюється з армією через її інтегрованість у бюрократичні структури та більш точне, порівняно з будь-якими іншими візуальними елементами, відображення ієрархічних позицій і внутрішніх організаційних відносин.…”

Section: Uniform As a Symbolic Stage For Organizational And Gender Id...unclassified

Uniform as a symbolic stage for organizational and gender identity formation of women serving in the armed forces of Ukraine

Khraban,

Khraban

2023

Ukr. socìum

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This paper aims to describe how female military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine perceive the military uniform in terms of its significance for their gender and organizational identities. The research was part of a pilot project in the form of an interview study. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the results. The data was structured into codes, then categorized and grouped to form general themes. The analysis of the servicewomen’s reflections on the military uniform has shown how important it is for them, especially in developing their identity. Servicewomen’s attitudes toward military uniforms and their psychological well-being levels may be correlated with their organizational and gender identities. Organizational identity becomes a catalyst for positive attitudes toward uniforms when: 1) servicewomen see the uniform as a framework of organizational identity, a guiding principle and a directive that programs the wearer for ethical behaviour and teamwork; 2) the main factors that influence organizational identity are the conceptual constructs of `idealism` and `military professionalism`. The collectivism, patriotism, and philanthropic values on which idealism is based on the perception of the self as a defender of one’s people and country. Military professionalism correlates with the effect of expecting to go to war and satisfaction with fighting; 3) among the identification criteria, which manifest the patterns, regularities and features of the military organizational identity, the parameter `gender equality` is included. When organizational identity dominates, the main risk factors that lead to negative attitudes toward uniform are 1) excessive identification with the organization, in which servicewomen may internalize the goals and objectives of the armed forces to the point that their personal identification may suffer; 2) the formation of an organizational identity that does not include the identifying marker of `gender equality`. This threatens psychological well-being through an unhealthy dependence on the approval of others. In cases where gender identity is central to the personality, attitudes toward the military uniform depend on succeeding in forming a balanced military identity. Based on Culver’s Gender Identity Development of Women in the Military (GIDWM) 4-phase matrix, it can be argued that servicewomen’s position in identity development stages, such as `donning the mask` and `wearing the mask`, likely predicts their negative attitudes toward military uniforms. Wearing a uniform begins to evoke positive emotions only in the fourth stage of `taking off the mask` when servicewomen overcome the masculine ethics of military culture and stereotypical identity expectations. The main reason for the “uniform conflict” can be found in forming gender and organizational identities of servicewomen. Efforts to solve the “uniform problem” in the armed forces should be aimed at introducing standards for servicewomen’s military uniforms and providing psychological assistance to servicewomen in forming a balanced military identity, which is seen as a harmonious combination of organizational and gender identities. In developing mechanisms to ensure gender equality, it is crucial to remember that the identities of military women are not homogeneous. Therefore, no single strategy exists for integrating a gender perspective into the armed forces. The formation and evolution of gender culture in the military can be slowed by ignoring the nuances and intersections of military women’s organizational and gender identities.

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Fabrics of Identity: Uniforms, Gender and Associations in the Cameroon Grassfields

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

Digital fashionistas: young women, wealth-in-followers and matronage in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Digital fashionistas: young women, wealth-in-followers and matronage in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Hijab Controversy: Revisiting Discourse on School Uniforms

Uniform as a symbolic stage for organizational and gender identity formation of women serving in the armed forces of Ukraine

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