Culture and Customs of Cameroon

(Hardback)

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A definitive accessible introduction to modern Cameroon Cameroon has been called "Africa in miniature." It is characterized by exceptional social and ethnic diversity, with more than 250 ethnicities now forming five major regional-culture groupings. This volume is the first to encapsulate Cameroon's rich indigenous and modern customs and traditions in depth. The narrative emphasizes those aspects that define its modern nation, its peoples, the unique societies, their institutions, and various lifestyles. The origins of Cameroon's diverse culture are traced back to the various ethnic groups and languages as well as the influence of European colonialism, Christianity, Islam, and other external factors, including globalization. In each topical chapter, examples from ethnic groups are presented to give some sense of the variety of experience. Cameroon has had a turbulent and eventful modern history with German, English, and French incursions, and students and general readers will be able to understand the current struggle for democracy. The history colours the substantial coverage of the many topics examined, from education, to marriage and women's roles, sports, and holidays, daily life, the arts, and much more.. Part of the Culture and Customs of Africa series. The first book of this kind to cover Cameroon

Reviews

Culture and Customs of Cameroon gives a clear, informative analysis of the dynamic Cameroonian world-view and offers the reader tools to delve further into Cameroon's cultural patterns. * Round Tables *
Mbaku summarizes Cameroon's indigenous and modern customs in depth, emphasizing aspects that define the modern nation, its people, their institutions, and their various lifestyles. He traces the origins of Cameroon's diverse culture back to its various ethnic groups and languages, and examines the influences of European colonialism, Christianity, Islam, and globalization. In each chapter, examples from different ethnic groups are presented to give a sense of the variety of experiences within the country. B&W photos are included. * Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual *
This volume is an in-depth overview of the country's history and geographic features. Other topics featured include religion; literature and media; art, architecture and housing; cuisine and traditional dress; gender roles, marriage, and family; social customs and lifestyle; and music and dance. For each of these subjects, different ethnic manifestations are covered. * MultiCultural Review *

Author Bio

JOHN MUKUM MBAKU is Professor of Economics at Weber State University, Utah, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Third World Studies.