![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Simba and Yanga are popular soccer teams in Tanzania and are known as long-time joking partners. Several cartoons have emerged in relation to their joking relationship. This paper examines how gender is represented in the joking cartoons between these two soccer teams in Tanzania. The focus of this paper is on the cartoons that display male and female characters. The guiding questions are: How is gender represented in these joking cartoons? What are the themes conveyed by that representation? What is the broader role of such gender depiction in the entire Tanzanian society? The data for this study were collected from blogs and websites. By using Social Identity Theory, this study found that some cartoons seem to disadvantage women by depicting them as incapable of fighting for success in life as they are portrayed as failures. The study also revealed that the themes conveyed by gender representation in these cartoons are sports (victory and defeat), marriage, love and sex, religion, leisure and entertainment, reproduction and decision-making. Despite the fact that these cartoons are about jokes in sports, they demonstrate a traditional stereotypical representation of women as unsuccessful and compliant and men as successful and decisive.
Notes
1 In Kiswahili, the word utani is derived from a verb tania which means to joke. This tradition is very common to various African societies and individuals, including in Tanzania.
2 It is in German in which I am not conversant.
3 I was unable to locate the cartoonists. However, most these cartoons are widely available online and I have provided the website sources. All interpretations and analyses are mine.
4 The name Sunderland (from 1936–1971) was proposed due to the competence of the Sunderland team in Britain at that time (cf. Kaduguda Citation2014, 25). It was renamed Simba in 1971.
5 Another version of the story says that Sunderland was formerly known as Arab Sports Club and was composed of Arabs and Africans (cf. Kaduguda Citation2014, 27). It is also noted that before it became Sunderland it was called Old Boys Sports Club (cf. Tsuruta Citation2007, 200).
6 It started as Jangwani Sports Club, and was then called Navigation Sports Club before it changed its name to Taliano Sports Club. It was then called New Youngs and finally Young Africans (cf. Ching’ole Citation1983, 1–2, Kaduguda Citation2014:24). It was also learned that Yanga originated from the team New Youngs and that Sunderland originated from the team Old Boys (cf. Tsuruta, Citation2007, 200–201).
7 In the official emblem of the team, a lion is also part. Simba is a Kiswahili word for a lion.
8 In 1974–1976 as a result of club internal disputes, Yanga divided into two groups: Yanga Kandambili (Yanga Sandals) and Yanga Raizoni (Yanga High Heels). Even if that division is over, till today Kandambili (a sandal) is used in a cartoon to denote Young Africans Sports Club. A sandal is not part of the official emblem of the team but it is mainly used in cartoons.
9 No cartoons are provided in this paper due to copyright reasons. It is hoped that descriptions given will suffice.
10 Visit the cartoon at http://millardayo.com/simbyang293-3/
11 Visit the cartoon at http://michuzijr.blogspot.com/2011/08/
12 In Swahili tradition, when a coconut tree climber is dispatched to pluck coconuts off the tree, he is normally given two coconuts as a reward.
13 Visit the cartoon at https://igihe.com/
14 Mnunguli Nkhulukulu on Twitter: "#mtanijembe picha za utani mechi ya jana http://t.co/Hu9xcy14D1" December 14, 2014.
15 Visit the cartoon at https://www.jamiiforums.com/threads/mechi-ya-ngao-ya-jamii-yanga-4-5-simba.1306217/page-23
16 The object is not mentioned, whether a goal or what.
17 Visit the cartoon at http://asantemuya.blogspot.com/2014/10/kuelekea-kwenye-mchezo-wa-kesho-angalia.html
18 Visit the cartoon at http://jumamtanda.blogspot.com
19 Visit the cartoon at https://www.jamiiforums.com/threads/
20 Yanga beat Simba 2–0 in matches played on 26 September 2015 and 20 February 2016, respectively.
21 Visit the cartoon at https://www.facebook.com/pg/NinaipendaYANGA/photos/
22 Visit the cartoon at http://jumamtanda.blogspot.com/2011/04/
23 This job does not require a high level of education.
24 Tout Puissant Mazembe is a Congolese soccer club based in Lubumbashi.
25 Tanzanian offshoot of hip-hop music.
27 These words have been taken from ‘Wapambe Msitujadili’ song by Five Stars Modern Taarab.
28 Stereotypes are strongly held overgeneralizations about people in some designated social categories (Basow Citation1992, 3). See also Warburton and Saunders (Citation1996, 307).