Book Reviews 91
This book's integration of theory and clinical intervention provides a thorough
basis for addressing some of the key themes in the resolution of sexual abuse. The
frrst three chapters contain a detailed discussion of the theoretical and philosophical
underpinnings involved in conducting group psychotherapy with women who
have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Anecdotal and self-help approaches are
also outlined, which provide a useful foundation for research and clinical practice.
However, the necessary bridge between theory and practice is initially accomplished
by including contributions from the Eriksonian approach, the feminist
perspective, narrative therapy, and the solution-oriented approach. These different
theoretical frameworks establish the rationale for group treatment. The importance
oflanguage in the recovery process is also extensively covered, as in the quote from
Walters and Havens (1993): "Becoming a survivor certainly is better than being
a victim. but becoming a celebrantoflife seems to us to be an even better outcome."
The following chapters provide the practical "how to's" of conducting a thirteen
session group, which emphasises the discovery of solutions, strengths, and both
internal and external resources, while highlighting the temporal nature of "being
a victim." and "being a survivor" at theoretical and clinical levels. The detailed
step-by-step account of how to conduct group work emphasises leading clients to
personal empowerment, self-compassion and resourcefulness.
The final chapter on "Self-care and the therapist: creating a context for
renewal" seems almost an adjunct to this book. However, the critical importance
of facilitators having adequate training in addressing sexual abuse issues in a
counselling context, as well as having experience working with groups, and
competent clinical skills, is highlighted. Sexual abuse work is extremely challenging,
and, "one of the most important tasks of the therapist is to cultivate a healthy
sense of self amidst the myriad of responsibilities of working with individuals with
past sexual abuse histories." Thus, care for the self of the therapist. particularly
in this domain. is a high priority and so the chapter constitutes a useful ending to
a readable volume. Indeed this book is an important addition to the extensive
literature on sexual abuse and is a valuable and efficient source for counselling
practitioners embarking on group work.
Reviewed by Sally Tasker, Clinical Social Worker and Family Therapist.
Islamic Society and State Power in Senegal, Leonardo A Villalon, Cambridge
University Press. Cambridge, England (1995), ISBN: 0521-460077 (bib). Price:
N/K.
This book is a major study that should be read by every studentofIslam and politics
as well as of Africa. Itunderlines a very important observation which escapes many
92 Book Reviews
researchers in Senegal, that the political role of Islam in this country is clearly not
that which much of the recent literature on Islam and politics would lead one to
predict.
Leonardo Villalon argues that in Senegal, the Muslim orders have been a central
component of a political system that has been among the most stable in Africa. This
can be understood by looking at his detailed account of grassroots politics with an
analysis of national and international forces and examination of the ways in which
the internal dynamics of the orders shape the exercise of power by the Senegalese
state.
Villalon's study shows how the interaction of religion and politics in Senegal
proves intriguing and puzzling. For example, the religious elite carry great weight
in national politics. Political discourse is replete with references and appeals to
Islam; Islamic symbols are omnipresent, and a myriad of popular organisations
centred around Islam are flourishing.
On the other hand, there is Iittle evidence of the social phenomena which might
be expected to accompany the politicisation of Islam; socio-political cleavages
based on religion, whether between Muslim and non-Muslim or between orders,
are virtually non-existent; and outside a very small urban minority, there is
virtually no opposition to the much-touted principle of the secular state.
This book explores the relationship between the two central traits of the
Senegalese political system. It recognises, as many others have, that there is a close
link between the role of Islam in the country and its political system.
The methodology adopted differs substantially from various other models that
have been suggested by writers on Senegal. This book particularly calls into
question both interpretations that would rely too heavily on Islam and those which
consider it too lightly. It is noted that much of the recent literature on the role of
Islam in politics has sought an explanation in Muslim theology.
More specifically this book develops an analysis which specifies the process
and examines the institutions through which the "people's voice" is expressed and
heard, and places this discussion in the context of current debates about state and
society in Africa.
Although this book was built on an empirical case study, the author hopes that
it will ultimately be read as a statement about the conditions shaping the exercise
of state power in Africa: a growing number of political systems in Africa must be
understood in terms of variations in the specifics of societal structures and in the
capabi Iities of those structures to effectively organise and transm it social concerns.
Politics in Africa are largely shaped and conditioned by the evolving fortunes of
the continent's still-fragile civil societies. This is the perspective that Villalon uses
to analyse the political impact of Senegal's Sufi orders.
Reviewed by Thomas Deve, Assistant Editor, Sapes Trust, Harare, Zimbabwe.