THE EFFECT OF UJAMAA AND PATRIARCHAL IDEOLOGIES IN THE (RE) DEFINITION AND (RE) CONSTRUCTION OF MASCULINITY IN GAMBA LA NYOKA

Abstract

This paper examines how Ujamaa and traditional patriarchal ideologies influence the (de)construction and (re)definition of masculinities in Gamba la Nyoka, particularly in the process of the implementation of nationalization and villagization policies. The paper adopts Judith Butler and Robert Connell theories of masculinity as well as Louis Althusser’s concept of interpellation to read and understand how Ujamaa and patriarchal ideology influence men’s masculinity. Through the portrayal of male characters, the novel reveals that political and cultural ideologies play a significant role in the construction of masculinity. The novel indicates that masculinity is a social construct that is subject to constant changes. Through this novel, Kezilahabi emphasizes that for a society to build a new nation, changes are inevitable. The novel dismantles conventional gender relations and complements them with modern ones; the state that allows emergence of new masculinities. From this emergence, Gamba la Nyoka emphasizes that masculinity is a mutable subject. It changes over time, within contexts, and in response to various changes in the individuals as well as in a wider community.