The study explores the intricate relationship between Acoli song performance,udgender identity construction and gender power relations. The investigation isudguided by the understanding that gender identity construction does not onlyudinfluence gender power relations but it is also part and parcel of the contextualudperformance of power relations. The study involves a contextual socio-culturaluddiscussion of the gender situation in Acoli society, and with it the role of theudperforming arts in the gender identity construction and power relations. Genderudperformativity theory is revisited in light of the genre-based performance of one’sudgender, as manifested in the Acoli song performances. The analysis is guided byudthe argument that to understand gender one needs to pay attention to the genresudthrough which it is expressed.udDespite over a century of gender theorisation, gender theorists are still not agreedudon what constitutes power, neither has any offered an irreproachable andudconvincing conception of power. Given current debates in gender theorisation, theudstudy attempts to make fresh empirical investigation to make valid and concreteudentry into gender debates by deriving a situated gender concept of “power” basedudon field research evidence. By analysing Acoli song performances, the major sitesudof power in the society are elucidated and the positions of the two genders vis-àvisudthese sites of power are examined to determine the nature of the gender powerudrelations matrix. Song performance does not only act as a catalyst in genderudperformativity but it is an integral part of it, as the study reveals; and through songudperformance the Acoli females have particularly invested in the differentialudgender notions to make themselves visible and achieve their aspirations as ‘women’.
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