Reconfiguring Gender and Cultural Practices for Sustainable Development in 21st Century: An Analysis of Ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah.

Abstract

This paper examined the possibility of redefining and reconfiguring gender roles and cultural practices for sustainable development. Any venture in the realization of sustainable development for 21st century calls for a repositioning of some age-old traditional practices for a better society. Thus societal needs in the contemporary world require active participation of both genders to lay a solid foundation for any development to flourish. The paper points out that the inability of most societies to have gender inclusive structures and a bias of cultural biases work against the realization of sustainable development. Most societies across the globe such as India, Afghanistans, Iranians, and Africans grapple with the question of gender inclusivity embedded and camouflaged in the cultural practices. As a result, structures that entrench inequity and inequality become stumbling blocks to realization of development in the society since age old traditional and cultural practices have a direct influence on the worldview and behaviour of people. This paper pays attention to Ole Kulet’sBlossoms of the savannah and how it advances the need to address gender and traditional practices as issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve development. The question that arises is: how possible can literary texts address issues pertinent to sustainable development and how can gender inclusivity propel the realization of development in society? Answers to these questions form part of analysis in this paper.