The Nzaiko of the Akamba: Music and Gender Identity Construction in the Community

Abstract

One is born male or female (biological gender) but is exposed to social dictates to perform the roles expected of him or her in that society (Kameli, 2011). Gender identity is ones private sense of being a man or a woman, and consists primarily of the acceptance of membership in a particular group of people: male or female. All societies have a set of gender categories that can serve as the basis of the formation of a social identity in relation to other members of society. In most societies, there is a basic division between gender attributes assigned to them. One's gender identity is also influenced through observing and imitating gender-linked behaviors, and then being rewarded or punished for behaving that way. Social factors which may influence gender identity include gender messages conveyed by family, mass media, and other institutions. Music is one of the oldest forms of human communication. It is a natural part of human life; a universal found in all cultures at all times. As a means of communication it serves many functions. It is used as a means of enculturation and hence plays a central role in the process of personal, cultural and gender identity formation. (Blacking,1973 and Shuker, 2001). Among the Akamba of Kenya music is one of the tool used in the traditional education to prepare the youth for special roles according to their gender. This paper therefore looks into the learning and practice of music in the Akamba traditional education and how it worked in the construction of gender identities and roles.