Sound subjects: Ajamized acoustemology and Islam in Senegal
Embargo Date
2027-01-30
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
This dissertation explores the concept of religious subjecthood and religious plurality in Senegal through the sonic. Local cultural and religious emphasis on generosity—teraanga—and discretion—sutura—foster plurality, and religious subjects of the secular state inhabit a world of “Divine creatures,” which can be both human and non-human. I suggest that discourse about the crafting of religious subjects in Senegal often includes a type of sonic Ajamization, the enrichment of Islamic practice with local customs and traditions through sound. Examination of the sonic reveals a plural, religious subjecthood which is connected to the worldwide Islamic community, but also complexly interwoven with non-humans like animals, the ocean, and the surrounding environment. Through ethnographic analysis of the intersection of sound, plurality, and religious subjectivity, the dissertation demonstrates that religious subjecthood in Senegal is fashioned historically, hagiographically, and in relation to the Islamic Ummah and the world outside Senegalese borders, and that the use of sound in religious practice, the coexistence of multiple religious traditions, and the integration of local cultural practices all contribute to the formation of religious subjects in Senegal.
Description
2023
License
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International