Wives

In Senegalese standards I have been very active, and regardless of whether this matches up with the American standards I feel like I am doing a lot. I had some students come visit me for the weekend, which ended up with a lot of activity and a lot of fatigue, but it was generally the same thing. We visited Fadiouth, we visited the Sacred Boabab tree, mostly the same things we did last time. The major problem that happens when I have visitors is the idea that everyone feels they should have their share of time, financial help, etc., from me and my visitors. This is more noticeable when these visitors are women. When I first came here I was tempted to think that the whole bride price way of getting a wife, plus the whole idea that you could ask your friend to bring you a wife and it would actually happen, was just an old reality that wasn't really applicable today. I am still tempted to think that its more a joke than it is a reality, but the overwhelming pressure that is constantly pushed on you to "give" a white women as a gift to a Senegalese man, or the fact that men say they will "give" me a Senegalese wife before I go back to the states, makes me think otherwise. I was reading a article by the newly named cardinal in Senegal, Théodore Adrien Sarr, and he talked about his youth in Fadiouth, the island that is matched together with Joal to make up the "commune" of Joal-Fadiouth. He talked about, despite the history of christianity in the area (the Serer are the people that have been impacted the most by colonial religion. The majority, and often and overwhelming majority at that, had historically been converted to christianity from Animism and Islam.) The cardinal mentioned the importance of Serer lifestyles, more so than the importance of Christianity. Although he later connected the two moral systems, saying that they often complemented each other, the christian one and the animist one, he said there was an importance in his youth placed on the Serer lifestyle more so than the Christian lifestyle. I think this makes sense, that despite the rapid modernization of Joal, and the growth even in terms of population of the city itself, there exists this presence of tradition. I guess this can be seen in most of Senegal. Even Islam itself has its nuances particular to Senegal. Sufism, I believe is the word, is the mixture of traditional African belief systems with the Islamic belief systems. This gives you things like the Mourhids, who believe that Serigne Touba was another prophet (which fundamental Muslims deny). This also explains the importance of Marabouts, the religious leaders in Mouradism. The Marabouts are the religious leaders that read the Coran, and often they have a connection with spirits and thus god. It is kind of like the old catholic church, they don't want people to interpret the Coran for themselves, they tell them what they should think.

But overall, what I am getting at is that I do think that if I was serious, and insistent that I could probably get most women in Joal to marry me depending on how much money I provide their family. Its a custom that is left over from antiquity, and although I am tempted to think it doesn't exist, that its just a joke, the reaccurance of these questions (even if they are jokes) makes me think this. An example: my host father asked if I thought a particular girl was beautiful. I replied that I indeed think she was beautiful. He then told his wife "Good, we will talk to her parents before you leave so you can bring her back to America with you".

This wasn't really made in a joking manner, like a lot of the other things are. I was surprised by the boldness of it all, by the reality, I guess. I guess this one experience has pushed me to think this, but it constantly slaps me in the face. Senegalese people often scold me for not "loving" Senegalese women, but I can't help but think even if I were to take them up on these opportunities that it would be some sort of exploitation, some sort of cultural invasion, or some bride price that I've been trained to think is terrible since my birth. I just feel like a dollar sign, I feel like it would just be some girl trying to make things better for her family. Isn't this just a continuation of colonialism? Ha, I am tempted to think things like this. I found that joking is often a great way around these sorts of issues.

Its fun and interesting to come to understand traditions, to understand cultural beliefs, but ultimately there are things which are cultural differences and that even if one understands them it does not mean that one has to participate in them. In the eyes of Senegalese people I may be rude by not taking many wives (especially to the muslims) or even one wife, but I am fine with this. I have made my choice. Its largely a wealth thing I think, I mean the father of Leopold Sedar Senghor (the first Senegalese president) had a father who had 5 wives and 41 kids, only because he was a wealthy merchant. I know this was a hundred years ago, and people say globalism changes beliefs faster today than at any other time in history, but the pace is slower here. Often people assume a sense of modernization (in terms of socialized modernization) when they think of globalisation. However there is a difference between technology and modernity, although third world countries may be advancing by having newer technology, having infrastructural advances, the social pratices that we associate with development, such as equal rights, democracy, etc. often are far behind these advances. Just because people in a certain country can now talk on cell phones doesn't always mean they can say whatever they want into these cell phones. This a good example of the internet, all those bloggers across various third world countries that are jailed because they criticize the government. There is a stark difference between development and technology, although the industrialized nations often forget this. Its something as simple as going to a village where there is no electricity, running water or sewage systems and seeing three cell phone towers in the backround. Is this development? I think you know the answer.

P.S. And don't worry, I won't be coming back to the U.S. with any bride(s).