Young men and Islam in the 1990s: rethinking an intergenerational perspective

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Periodical article

Title:	Young men and Islam in the 1990s: rethinking an intergenerational perspective
Authors:	Gomez-Perez, Muriel LeBlanc, Marie-Nathalie Savadogo, Mathias
Year:	2009
Periodical:	Journal of Religion in Africa
Volume:	39
Issue:	2
Pages:	186-218
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Burkina Faso Ivory Coast - Côte d'Ivoire Senegal
Subjects:	Islamic movements urban youth men generation conflicts
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1163/157006609X436021
Abstract:	Interest in the question of youth and Islam in West Africa stems from the overwhelming demographic weight of youth and their relatively recent incursion into the public domain, as well as the wave of Islamic revivalism that has swept across Africa from the late 1970s on. This paper examines the sociopolitical role of young men in Islamic revivalist movements that occurred in urban centres in Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal in the 1980-1990s. Such movements were particularly popular among secularly educated young men who attended French-speaking schools. While the role of young men in revivalist movements suggests new configurations of authority and charisma, their religious agency remains closely embedded within relationships that extend across generations. The paper looks at instances of conflicts between generations and pays attention to sites of negotiation, such as mosques and voluntary associations. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]