Integrating Strangers: Sherbro Identity and The Politics of Reciprocity along the Sierra Leonean Coast

This book explores the politics and practice of identity in Sherbro coastal communities in Sierra Leone, focusing on the reciprocal relations between socio-ethnic groups. It demonstrates how Sherbro identity is a flexible category of practice that allows individuals to claim multiple origins and perform ethnic crossovers while remaining Sherbro.

Format: Hardback
Length: 358 pages
Publication date: 14 April 2023
Publisher: Berghahn Books

Drawing on an ethnography of Sherbro coastal communities in Sierra Leone, this book delves into the intricate politics and practices of identity, examining the reciprocal relations between socio-ethnic groups. Anaïs Ménard takes a profound look at the social arrangement that connects landlords and strangers in the frontier region of the Freetown Peninsula, renowned for its high levels of individual mobility and social interactions. Through her meticulous analysis, she unveils the processes through which Sherbro identity evolved into a flexible category of practice, granting individuals the ability to embrace multiple origins and engage in ethnic crossovers while remaining steadfast in their Sherbro identity.

The book explores the complex interplay between social structures, cultural practices, and individual agency, shedding light on the ways in which identity is constructed, contested, and transformed within the context of Sierra Leone's Sherbro communities. Ménard's ethnographic approach provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the social dynamics and cultural values that shape these communities, offering valuable insights into the broader dynamics of identity formation in West Africa.

In conclusion, this book is a groundbreaking contribution to the study of identity politics and practices in West Africa. Through its ethnographic lens, it offers a deep and insightful exploration of the ways in which socio-ethnic groups interact, negotiate, and construct identities in a dynamic and complex social landscape. Anaïs Ménard's work is a testament to the power of ethnography as a method for understanding the complexities of human experience and the significance of cultural diversity in shaping our world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800738409