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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | The pursuit of pleasurable women in the war-ridden city of Butembo, eastern DR Congo |
Author: | Geenen, Kristien |
Year: | 2016 |
Periodical: | Journal of Modern African Studies (ISSN 0022-278X) |
Volume: | 54 |
Issue: | 2 |
Pages: | 191-210 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Congo (Democratic Republic of) |
Subjects: | urban life leisure prostitution sexuality |
External link: | https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X1600001X |
Abstract: | In this article, the author maps out spaces of social encounters and elaborate upon the once openly exposed but now hidden nightlife of Butembo, in eastern Congo. She explores what moves the people of Butembo, where they go to have fun, and what 'fun' means in a war-torn place. The main focus lies on the city's countless cabarets, as these seemed the places where people mostly met. A cabaret is a private dwelling where a single woman offers home-brewed alcohol and sexual services alike. Usually, a cabaret bears no signage at all, so from the outside, it is hard to discern from an ordinary house. Yet, their sheer invisibility stands in sharp contrast to their major importance. As the author proceeds through the article, it becomes clear that these obscure cabarets are spaces of sociability with an undeniable importance that contribute to the functioning of the city in many respects. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract] |