The Comforts of Home: Prostitution in Colonial Nairobi

by Luise White

Overview

"This history is . . . the first fully-fleshed story of African Nairobi in all of its complexity which foregrounds African experiences. Given the overwhelming white dominance in the written sources, it is a remarkable achievement."—Claire Robertson, International Journal of African Historical Studies

"White's book . . . takes a unique approach to a largely unexplored aspect of African History. It enhances our understanding of African social history, political economy, and gender studies. It is a book that deserves to be widely read."—Elizabeth Schmidt, American Historical Review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226895079
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	10/15/1990
Edition description:	1
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Luise White is professor of history at the University of Florida. She is the author of several books.

Table of Contents

List of Maps
Acknowledgments
A Note on Currencies
1. Introduction: Prostitution in Comparative Perspective; or, Casual Sex and Casual Labor
2. Livestock, Labor, and Reproduction: Prostitution in Nairobi and the East African Protectorate, ca. 1900-1918
3. Prostitution and Housing in Nairobi, 1919-29
4. Malaya Prostitution, 1930-39
5. Prostitution, Production, and Accumulation: The Origins and Development of the Wazi-Wazi Form in Pumwani, 1936-45
6. Constructing Classes: Gender, Housing, and the State in Kenya
7. Prostitution in Nairobi during World War II, 1939-45
8. Prostitution, Crime, and Politics in Nairobi, 1946-63
9. Women, Wage Labor, and the Limits of Colonial Control
Notes
References
Index