CULTURAL INTERIORS: THE BEDROOM AS AN IDENTITY OF THE NUPE WOMAN IN CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

Men and women both experience space in different ways. Women are considered to occupy a high position in society due to their socio-cultural roles played. They are custodians of the domestic space; as such, they are positioned with how traditional spaces are constituted. Furthermore, spaces configured in vernacular architecture embody cultural meaning and values. One of the most important spaces within the home is the bedroom, often considered a space for copulation and rest. However, for the women, the cultural values of the bedroom go beyond its function as a resting place in most cultures. As such this study embarked on understanding the meaning and values of the bedroom of the Nupe woman and how it is spatially configured to meet her cultural identity and values. The research employed a qualitative approach toward a deep understanding of how the bedroom space of the Nupe woman is constituted spatially. The elicitation of data was carried out in 5 different Nupe communities and the content analysis of the transcribed interviews showcases a convergence in the character and meaning of the Nupe woman’s bedroom to be a space with distinctive cultural values, beyond it being a space for rest, but which is also filled with the history of the past and preserved for the future.