• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.28
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• pp.87-114
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• 2012

The Maa speaking Torobo people inhabiting the southern portion of the Mau Escarpment in Kenya approach both individual and community survival from a relational orientation focused on ethnic identity and responsibility. This social responsibility to the tribe is in stark contrast to Torobo relationships with other ethnic groups. The purpose of the research is twofold. First, the paper explores how folkloric language through a trickster image reflects important cultural and social ideals, understandings, and patterns of thought in Torobo world view. A second purpose is to offer ethnographic information to scholars and students' alike necessary for world view studies of eastern Africa specifically focused on the interplay between anthropomorphic tales and the social context in which these stories are utilized. The key research question for this analysis asks how the trickster image in Torobo folklore conceptualize the life experience. A Torobo folktale entitled, The Clever Hare, is the text chosen for analysis with the hare character as the protagonist. A second query explores the importance of the trickster image in understanding Torobo world view categories of Self and Other. The analysis contributes an ethnographic perspective for the world view categories of Self and Other as well as trickster folklore by examining the nature of Torobo-ness using the tale of the cunning hare as a research tool.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 1998

This study has it's purpose in examining the materialized background. characteristic of African traditional costume and the A fro fashion of the year 1960. and it's influence on the contemporary fashion. Then the findings are applied to suggest a new way of image creation. 1960' s was the year in which people tried to free oneself from the ruling culture of the social standards. war. and the development of science. By such movement. people started to get interested in the environment and ecology. This then lead to the interest of the rights of the minority. With the youngs as the central figure A fro hair style and dashiki appeared as the street fashion. The characteristics of African costume applied to A fro fashion in 1990' s is as below. First. the North African style. Djellaba. and wrap style in the most common silhouette. Second. heavy materials such as stone. copper. silver. and gold are used. Necklace can be classified according to it's simple but. modern style. delicate but grand style. Bracelets are however. broad in width and many rings are worn widely. Third. Multi colored stripe and prints inspired by tattoo and deformation using red brown. dark beige. and orange are printed on textiles such as see through. Fourth. image of tattoo and deformation are applied to make-up. A fro hair and corn beads are also African taste. Fifth. African taste in recent fashion showed off the black beauty by appointing black models at the collection. In analyzing the study done above. characteristic images of African costume. accessaries and body painting was applied in presenting 3 creative designs. The first design named "Geometric I", took it's motif from the geometric pattern of the body painting with the afro hair. "Geometric II", the second design, showed it's application of geometric pattern of mutilation and the silhouette of the costume by using the see through. The third design called the "Geometric III" showed that the aesthetic and decorative side of clothing can be satisfied by applying various form and color of accessaries as the motif. A fro fashion is chosen as one of the folklore mood and it's beauty is conveyed on till today.