Women Reconfiguring Esoteric Economies

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which women construct expert status and gain authority as marabouts among a largely sceptical suburban population. The experiences of two female marabouts in surburban Dakar highlight how expertise is negotiated, legitimated, and publicly recognized. The author suggests that the women’s success can be explained by migration and urbanization: the suburban environment, filled with migrants looking for their livelihood in an insecure place, creates opportunities for women to engage actively in esoteric Islamic practices.