EV PhD student Carolien Hulshof has “nailed” her PhD thesis: it is now announced and handed over to the university library.
In her thesis, Carolien examines the music of unyago and msanja, two female ngoma, or music-dance events, that are associated with weddings in Zanzibar. Drawing on audio and video recordings made in Zanzibar as well as interviews and informal conversations to analyze the music, the lyrics and the social context, Carolien offers a grounded and nuanced understanding of how Zanzibari women play with societal expectations as well as challenge them. Indeed, if the ngoma events guide women how to “walk the line” towards knowledge about gendered expectations, the ngoma events also encourage women to “walk the line” to challenge existing power relations.
More information about the thesis here.
Carolien will defend her thesis on June 12 at 13.00, Hall IV, University Main Building (Universitetshuset), Biskopsgatan 3, Uppsala
