This research project examines the relationship of cloth as wealth woven by women, and political hierarchies, represented by chieftancies among the Owe Yoruba of Kabba, Nigeria. The student will examine why women's handwoven cloth production continues in situations of rapid social, political, and economic change. This study is important because it clarifies the roles of both men and women in the political process and illustrates the deep significance of cloth as wealth and as a continuing symbol of traditional cultural values that persist in the face of social change. The importance of cloth in West African societies has long been noted by social scientists yet few scholars have investigated the political role of this form of material culture nor tried to understand its social significance. In societies with political organizations that include hierarchies of titled chiefs, cloth is used to establish and maintain the ranking of individuals and groups. It is used as a symbol of legitimacy for title holders, a visible link to the past. This project will help advance our knowledge of the processes and problems of cultural and political change in developing nations, aesthetics in cross.cultural perspective, and issues relating to gender.
