User:Awilson107/sandbox

Group 3 sandbox

In the "article evaluation" section we can read the article individually, answer these questions, and compare/discuss our answers and begin gaining ideas of how to improve the article. Or we can simply copy and paste the evaluations we each leave on the "sitting on a man" article for this week's assignment.

Article Evaluation

• Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
• Dw- Yes, But I feel like the sources could of been fleshed out a little bit more.
• Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
• Dw- Yes, For me I thought limiting "Sitting on a Man" tactic to just Igbo women really narrowed this tactic but rather connect this to other communities that use the same tactic and add the wiki page expand resources.
• Des W- I also agree that the article is being limited to only Igbo women.
• Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
• Dw- Believe article is written in a neutral tone but just elloborating on just one event in history I feel narrows the perception of effectiveness of "sitting on a man." Rather listing several other events shows how and what causes sitting on a man has been used.
• Des W- The article appears to be neutral, but it could also appear more neutral if it included more information regarding the effects sitting on man had on the "men" involved in the community and how it affected their role in the women's lives
• Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
• Dw-Sources are neutral because of the mix of them. many of which come from universities and some even from feminist press. If all the sources where just from one institution or place i would thing that the ver article would inheritanly be bias.
• Des W- The links to the sources appear to be neutral, I'm trying to see if I can find any recent sources regarding the topic to give a more newly dated unbiased perspective though
• Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
• Dw- No viewpoint of men perspective. Also, underrepresentation number of important Sitting on a Man occasions.
• Des W- The article appears underrepresented because there is much more information regarding this movement that should be included to provide a solid rendition of what the practice of sitting on a man is and what were its effects
• Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
• Dw-Yes, Links worked. No plagiarism that i have noticed.
• Des W- The links work!
• Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
• Dw-Timeline and how Sitting on Man changed or was effected through time. Pre and Post Colonialism.

Sitting on a Man (Article Draft)

awilson- Lead Section: There is already a strong lead section in the existing "Sitting on a man" article. Proposing vocabulary changes, such as removing the word 'traditional' while explaining the practice, and other grammatical changes would improve the lead section of the article. The author notes this is a practice of Igbo women, but does not note where this culture is located, this will be added in the revision of the article. The current lead section also neglects to note the purpose and effect of the practice, which is an important aspect of the summary to understand the practice. The lead section also needs to mention the following topics (with links) which will expand on what the practice is, explaining briefly what actions provoke it and how it played a role in the status of women in their society, and noting how it changed through time.

To also expand the knowledge of the practice of "sitting on a man", we know how life and experience were during precolonial and colonial times in Igbo society as well as how the introduction of new laws and rules changed women life style and also as leaders; but we should also go deeper on the affect in has in present day this culture, are women holding political power or are they still limited? how are women roles presently? and how is power distributed today? and lastly is there a new version of sitting on a man in present day?

Contents History of the Practice Colonial and Post- Colonial Changes

History of the Practice

awilson- The existing article does a good job at explaining possible provocations of the practice; however, fails to note how the practice provided the means for women to have influential roles in their society.

Noting the effects of the practice. How did sitting on a man enact change in their culture? How did the practice play a role in the political and social standing of Igbo women?

DW- The practice of sitting on a man functioned to reinforce the substantial standing women held in the social and political spheres of their society. The solidarity among women engaging in the practice allowed for the power of the practice to be quite effective. The women gathered together in mikiri (define and link) or mitiri (define and link) which gave the women a forum to come together for political, kinship issues, market regulation, and sexual freedom (cite). Individually women had little ability to enact societal change, but collectively women were capable of gaining influential roles, holding men accountable and maintaining structure.

DW- (The solidarity of women in the mikiri platform gave women access to autonomy within the political structure in pre-colonial times. The cooperative  measures women took in boycotts and tactics was effective in pressing men to comply to women’s needs and beliefs. An example of this is a boycott about sexual freedom. All the women left the town and went to a neighboring town and left the men to children, babies, and women jobs. The boycott was carried out because the men demanded that women renounce having open relations with lovers and pay the men with a goat. After a day and a half of boycott the men apologized and gave the women a goat.) This anecdote may not be necessary. Instead maybe mention how sitting on a man had similar effects as boycotts, then maybe add an external link to the source of this anecdote.

fkouassi- How igbo women came up with the idea of sitting on a man was pure genius, being able to develop such method to challenge male authority or superiority should not be downplayed, as we all noted in the article it was very effective. To this i think men in ingboland should have listened and appreciated their women even more.

Women's War additional link page relative to subject

 (Ibibio, Andoni, Orgoni, Bonny, Opobo, and Igbo) other groups that use tactic

Colonial Resistance

awilson- The existing article touches on ways in which the practice was adapted as a form of an anti-colonial protest method, and addresses the Women's War with an external link. Alterations to this section would include expanding on the existing information and adding additional explanation for vague concepts. This includes explaining what a 'warrant chief is', and stating the current damaged role/influence of women in the culture.

Noting changes in the practice and its effects on women from Colonial to Post-Colonial times.

After British colonialism dynamic of politics and authority legitimized the power of the mikiri platform creating a “ordered anarchy” demobilizing Igbo women by a monopolizing force. Van Allen 1972 Sitting on a Man

awilson- In a culture in which women had significant and influential social and political standings (while still second to men), Europeans stripped them of that by excluding women from political settings and activities. This very negatively affected their political and social standings in their societies and their power of influence in their cultures.

deswilliams- Women's political power was diminishing following the political reforms of 1933, addressing the Igbo grievances regarding the Native Administration. The act of removing Warrant Chiefs with massed benches was expected to benefit Igbo women because it removed the corrupt individuals infringing on their property and personal rights. However, this new British Native Administration design debilitated and weakened women's rights by outlawing the act of sitting on a man. Under new Native Administration, the British banned the use of illegitimate force and under this ban sitting on a man was considered illegitimate force. The British enforced that only the state can use force or perform the act of "sitting on" someone, and anyone else performing the act would be considered illegal. Making the act of "sitting on a man" illegal for women stripped women of the ability to protect their fellow women from individuals or entities that negatively affected women's interests. The British did not knowingly try to ban sitting on a man, but with creating a new political system, they interfered with the original balance power. Through interrupting the original balance of power, the British inadvertently terminated the women's ability to protect each other's interests.

Final Sections

Lead

Nigeria

"Sitting on a man" is a method employed by Igbo women (located in Nigeria) which functions to challenge authority, and maintain accountability of men. "Sitting" consists of women gathering and publicly shaming a man by convening upon his hut or workplace; women may dance, sing songs detailing grievances with his behavior, beat on the walls of his home with yam pestles, or, occasionally, tear the roof from his home. Throughout history this tactic has been employed in times of mistreatment of women or of the demonstration of deviant behavior. The practice is also referred to as "making war on" a man and may be employed against women as well.^[1] “Sitting on a man”, along with strikes and various resistance methods, ultimately functions as a tool for women to maintain status and a balance of both social and political power throughout pre-colonial times; however, colonialism would eventually negatively impact their status.^[2] 

History

There were multiple reasons a man could be subjected to the practice of “sitting on a man”. If a man was found mistreating his wife, allowing his cows to eat the women's crops, breaking the rules of the market, causing marital disputes^[2], women would collectively consult with the mikiri (which gave the women a forum to come together for political, kinship issues, market regulation), support the woman making the grievances and employ their tactic. The women would wear ferns on their heads and don loincloths, paint their faces with charcoal and carry sticks wreathed with palm fronds.^[3] Such a display of solidarity among women reinforced their influential role in their society, offered access to autonomy within the political structure in pre-colonial times, and lent itself as an effective measure to enact change.^[4]

Colonialism

Resistance

In the early twentieth century, women in British Nigeria organized anti-colonial protests in response to political reforms regarding the Native Administration. “Sitting” on the Warrant Chiefs was a prominent method of resistance. The Women's War was a significant demonstration of such resistance from imposed indirect colonial rule in British Nigeria. [5] Protests would consist of singing and dancing around homes and offices, invading personal spaces, and other actions which demanded the attention of the Warrant Chiefs. Wives of the local colonial representatives were often disturbed by this form of protest and aided in encouraging Warrant Chiefs to adhere to the requests and demands of the women. "Sitting on the Warrants," became a widespread tactic in efforts of colonial resistance.

Effects of Colonial Changes

Igbo women held significant and influential social and political standings (while still second to men), colonial imposition excluded women from political settings and activities, despite resistance, this alteration in social institutions negatively affected women’s rights and status in society by de-legitimizing their power of influence. This was done through the outlawing of the practice of “sitting on a man” in the new British Administration design. The criminalization of the tactic was not necessarily deliberate, as colonists were naïve of the functions and implications of the practice, nevertheless through disturbing women’s means of balancing power, colonialism detrimentally effected Igbo gender relations and societal structures.