Construction of Masculinities in Special Purpose Gusii Oral Poetry

Conditioning of the human psyche into the societal collective consciousness is a continuous process, and special purpose oral poetry is one of the vehicles for this conditioning because of its versatility. Indeed, its rhythm, harmony and the inbuilt ability to present arguments coherently make it a powerful force in moulding public opinion. Therefore, the choice of Gusii special purpose oral poetry as a vehicle for interrogating the construction and nature of Gusii masculinities is hinged on the premise that despite its versatility and efficacy, it has not received sufficient scientific attention. The main objective of the study was to determine the various types of masculinities constructed by Gusii special-purpose oral poetry. This paper examines a sample of Gusii special purpose oral poems as semiotic systems and discourses of encoded signs that embody the Gusii masculinities. In the analysis of the poems, this study has used an eclectic theoretical framework developed from Chandler's (2005) strands of semiotics, the sociological literary theory strands by Rosenblatt (1968) and Albrecht (1978) and the Althusserian (1971) tenets of Marxism. This study uses the analytical study design. Secondary data was obtained from a review of published and unpublished works. Primary data was the textual analysis of sixteen oral poems, which is thirty percent of the poems purposively collected from various sources. Three types of Gusii masculinities were established in the analysis, and they include: the masculinity of male hegemony, the masculinity of familial and communal defence and the masculinity of material provision. The study is significant in the sense that it contributes intellectually towards the understanding of the role of oral poetry as a vehicle for human socialisation. Ultimately, the findings enhance trans-gender and intercultural relations as well as form a basis for related studies.