Public seminar on ‘Thinking with Pleasure: Returning Sex and Sexuality to Where it Belongs’
The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Witwatersrand warmly invites you to a public seminar this Thursday 24 February 2011, 12h30-14h00, Graduate Seminar Room, South West Engineering Building, East Campus, University of the Witwatersrand.
Thinking with Pleasure: Returning Sex and Sexuality to Where it Belongs
Dr Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, Independent Scholar, Publisher and CEO of Cassava Republic Press
Public discourse about African women sexuality is generally about danger, disease, dread, abuse, violation, victimisation, population explosion and psychic suffering. Our culture and religion (especially the Abrahamic religions) have taught us to fear sex and to see it as dirty and unclean. Feminism has taught us how to say to no to unwarranted sexuality and the media has exploited and commodified it for its own purpose. What is missing is the discourse of desire and pleasure, of how we can say yes, to what feels good and what feels right. In this talk, I want to suggest why desire and pleasure are missing in our discussion of sexuality and to argue why a focus on sexual pleasure and desire is important to thinking about female agency and quality of life, especially on this continent.
-
Nkhensani
I attended this talk only because I wanted to humour the Faculty of Humanities, as they have faithfully been sending me e-vites to these talks for so long, and I thought it would just be the right thing to do to go and see what all the fuss was about.
At first, when I saw that I was one of the very few actual students attending, I was a little apprehensive, and planned to skip out quietly if the academics started getting too “hardcore” for me. I mean, what opinions could I possibly share with my Sociology I lecturers?
I was interested in hearing what exactly would be said about the topic at hand, though, so I stayed on.Well. If I’d known that Dr Bakare-Yusuf’s work was of such a high standard before, I would’ve joined the Cassava Republic Press “movement” a long time ago!
It felt good to be sitting in the room with people who were so eager to share their opinions and gain some new knowledge around a topic which at first seems so controversial, but which Dr Bakare-Yusuf proved to be an important question of African women’s identities and the expression of the many facets thereof.
If the academic content of the talk wasn’t enough to pique one’s interest, the attendance of the talk by people such as Kgomotso Matsunyane, and another female “celebrity” whose name escapes me at the moment (I remember seeing this woman on ‘3Talk’ a few years ago, I think she’s an American poetess…?)proved that what was being said by Dr Bakare-Yusuf was indeed important to all women from all walks of life.
Thank you to the Faculty for always looking out for fascinating speakers- I really enjoyed the experience of attending such a discussion, and only wish I could’ve stayed until the end instead of having to run out to a class in the middle of the ‘open floor’ part.
I look forward to attending more of these talks, and also to seeing how far Cassava can take their wonderful initiative(s).
Reply -
Tanyani
I had no idea about the public seminar until I logged onto this blog just 5 minutes before it started. Given the captivating theme, I informed my friends that I will be skipping lunch to attend the seminar.
Given my traumatic past concerning sexuality I guess the theme intrigued me in a more personal way. I wanted answers, if not, at least raise relevant questions that could maybe answered at a later stage. Dr Bakare-Yusuf’s essay at the beginning was impeccible as she touched briefly on issues concerning religion, culture, society and these institutions have shaped our identity concernign sexuality.
I was thoroughly edified as a student and definitely looking forward to more thought-provoking seminars such as these.
Reply -
omega
To echo the words of Professor Phumla Gqola amongst others, the topic was a very ‘courageous’ one. As much a we’d like to believe that South africa is one of the more progressive countries in the continent and that we’re more liberal and socially tolerant to deviations, (perhaps we are) but we still have a long way to go. Truth is, issues of homophobia (even violence involving these) are still quite prevalent in this country. So bravo to Dr Bibi for (though briefly) touching on the topic.
Much of the seminar focused on the feminist cry for the expression of sexual desire and enjoyment. Woman in society are oppressed in many ways and quite significantly on the sexual pleasure department. The topic is still a bit sensitve for woman in particular. For instance men get to boast cofindently about their sexual pleasures and activities yet for woman the issue is still stigmatised. Woman are afraid of expressing their sexual pleasure, even worse indulging in them. Its like woman are not allowed to enjoy sex and if they do dare’nt express that enjoyment.
I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed the talk. Dr Bibi’s essay was both fun and neccesary. It was nice to get to focus on the woman that is not afraid to desire as opposed to the one that only waits (or works) to be desired for a change as many of the media messages that are disseminated often encourage.
Reply
