The sacred forest is a concrete place with a rich symbolic meaning. For the Laimbwe ethnic group of the North West Region of Cameroon, it is the centre of the social life, around which the people organize their matrilineal system. Henry Kam Kah describes the origin, development and the changes in matriliny as a gender construction from an insider point of view. Using written material and interviews with 150 persons, he shows how the system overcame all the various challenges since the 18th century, especially the rejection of matriliny by the colonial powers and Christian missionaries. With...

This volume is dedicated to how "Europe" is seen from outside. Bringing together external perspectives on Europe and the European Union from five continents, its aim is to assess the region's current international position, its credibility as an international player, and its reach and impact beyond its borders. From their different backgrounds-politics, sociology, economy, history, and education-the authors use case studies to present their research and, mostly critical, points of view on the entanglement of Europe with the rest of the world. (Series: Narrating (Hi)stories. Culture and...