Papers by Annelien Bouland
Islamic Africa, 2021
Divorce is not uncommon among Muslims in Senegal and tends to take place outside of court, even i... more Divorce is not uncommon among Muslims in Senegal and tends to take place outside of court, even if the Senegalese Family Code has made out-of-court divorce illegal. Yet little is known about how women in particular may obtain divorce outside of the court. This article provides ethnographic material on the way women divorce out-of-court,
and the repertoires of justification they draw on. In line with scholarly work on women’s use of Islamic courts in other countries the article foregrounds women’s agency, yet in a different out-of-court context. First, it is shown that women draw on multiple, gendered, repertoires. Second, it is argued that because family members play a central role in the divorces studied, the analysis of women’s agency requires an attentiveness to kin and women’s “kinwork”.
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Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue canadienne des études africaines, 2020
In Muslim contexts across Africa, family law gives rise to heated
debate. In Senegal also, the Fa... more In Muslim contexts across Africa, family law gives rise to heated
debate. In Senegal also, the Family Code has long been a subject of
vigorous national discussion, pitting Muslim authorities against the
state. This article analyzes the governance of marital dispute and
divorce as well as the relations among authorities at the local level.
While several authors imply that relations among authorities concerning
family matters are similarly adverse at this level in Senegal,
the ethnography presented here suggests differently. In the secondary
city of Tivaouane, state, religious and semi-state authorities
work from competing claims, but their relations are tolerant, thus
demonstrating a “pragmatic pluralism” of negotiated co-existence.
This relates, it is argued, to an overriding concern for social peace
and to the multiple attachments of local-level authorities and their
constituents – meaning that for these authorities, power derives
from negotiation.
Dans les contextes musulmans d’Afrique, le droit de la famille est
l’objet de débats passionnés. Au Sénégal aussi, le code de la famille
fait depuis longtemps l’objet d’un vif débat national, opposant les
autorités musulmanes à l’État. Cet article analyse la gouvernance
des conflits conjugaux et du divorce, ainsi que les relations entre les
autorités au plan local. Bien que plusieurs auteurs laissent entendre
que les relations entre les autorités, en ce qui concerne les questions
familiales, sont antithétiques à ce niveau au Sénégal, l’ethnographie
présentée ici suggère autre chose. Dans la ville secondaire
de Tivaouane, les autorités étatiques, religieuses et semi-étatiques
travaillent à partir de revendications concurrentes, mais leurs relations
sont tolérantes, attestant ainsi un “pluralisme pragmatique”
de coexistence négociée. Il est dit que cela est lié à une
préoccupation primordiale de paix sociale et aux multiples liens
des autorités locales et de leurs administrés – ce qui signifie que
pour ces autorités, le pouvoir découle de la négociation.
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Recht der Werkelijkheid, 2018
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Book Reviews by Annelien Bouland
Research Africa Reviews, 2019
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Blogs by Annelien Bouland
Leiden Law Blog, 2015
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Leiden Law Blog, 2016
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Leiden Law Blog, 2021
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Papers by Annelien Bouland
and the repertoires of justification they draw on. In line with scholarly work on women’s use of Islamic courts in other countries the article foregrounds women’s agency, yet in a different out-of-court context. First, it is shown that women draw on multiple, gendered, repertoires. Second, it is argued that because family members play a central role in the divorces studied, the analysis of women’s agency requires an attentiveness to kin and women’s “kinwork”.
debate. In Senegal also, the Family Code has long been a subject of
vigorous national discussion, pitting Muslim authorities against the
state. This article analyzes the governance of marital dispute and
divorce as well as the relations among authorities at the local level.
While several authors imply that relations among authorities concerning
family matters are similarly adverse at this level in Senegal,
the ethnography presented here suggests differently. In the secondary
city of Tivaouane, state, religious and semi-state authorities
work from competing claims, but their relations are tolerant, thus
demonstrating a “pragmatic pluralism” of negotiated co-existence.
This relates, it is argued, to an overriding concern for social peace
and to the multiple attachments of local-level authorities and their
constituents – meaning that for these authorities, power derives
from negotiation.
Dans les contextes musulmans d’Afrique, le droit de la famille est
l’objet de débats passionnés. Au Sénégal aussi, le code de la famille
fait depuis longtemps l’objet d’un vif débat national, opposant les
autorités musulmanes à l’État. Cet article analyse la gouvernance
des conflits conjugaux et du divorce, ainsi que les relations entre les
autorités au plan local. Bien que plusieurs auteurs laissent entendre
que les relations entre les autorités, en ce qui concerne les questions
familiales, sont antithétiques à ce niveau au Sénégal, l’ethnographie
présentée ici suggère autre chose. Dans la ville secondaire
de Tivaouane, les autorités étatiques, religieuses et semi-étatiques
travaillent à partir de revendications concurrentes, mais leurs relations
sont tolérantes, attestant ainsi un “pluralisme pragmatique”
de coexistence négociée. Il est dit que cela est lié à une
préoccupation primordiale de paix sociale et aux multiples liens
des autorités locales et de leurs administrés – ce qui signifie que
pour ces autorités, le pouvoir découle de la négociation.
Book Reviews by Annelien Bouland
Blogs by Annelien Bouland
and the repertoires of justification they draw on. In line with scholarly work on women’s use of Islamic courts in other countries the article foregrounds women’s agency, yet in a different out-of-court context. First, it is shown that women draw on multiple, gendered, repertoires. Second, it is argued that because family members play a central role in the divorces studied, the analysis of women’s agency requires an attentiveness to kin and women’s “kinwork”.
debate. In Senegal also, the Family Code has long been a subject of
vigorous national discussion, pitting Muslim authorities against the
state. This article analyzes the governance of marital dispute and
divorce as well as the relations among authorities at the local level.
While several authors imply that relations among authorities concerning
family matters are similarly adverse at this level in Senegal,
the ethnography presented here suggests differently. In the secondary
city of Tivaouane, state, religious and semi-state authorities
work from competing claims, but their relations are tolerant, thus
demonstrating a “pragmatic pluralism” of negotiated co-existence.
This relates, it is argued, to an overriding concern for social peace
and to the multiple attachments of local-level authorities and their
constituents – meaning that for these authorities, power derives
from negotiation.
Dans les contextes musulmans d’Afrique, le droit de la famille est
l’objet de débats passionnés. Au Sénégal aussi, le code de la famille
fait depuis longtemps l’objet d’un vif débat national, opposant les
autorités musulmanes à l’État. Cet article analyse la gouvernance
des conflits conjugaux et du divorce, ainsi que les relations entre les
autorités au plan local. Bien que plusieurs auteurs laissent entendre
que les relations entre les autorités, en ce qui concerne les questions
familiales, sont antithétiques à ce niveau au Sénégal, l’ethnographie
présentée ici suggère autre chose. Dans la ville secondaire
de Tivaouane, les autorités étatiques, religieuses et semi-étatiques
travaillent à partir de revendications concurrentes, mais leurs relations
sont tolérantes, attestant ainsi un “pluralisme pragmatique”
de coexistence négociée. Il est dit que cela est lié à une
préoccupation primordiale de paix sociale et aux multiples liens
des autorités locales et de leurs administrés – ce qui signifie que
pour ces autorités, le pouvoir découle de la négociation.