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This thesis examines how curatorial approaches to the display and interpretation of artworks and cultural objects from the African continent, as well as works by diasporan artists of African descent, have changed over time in Western museums and galleries – focusing on histories and geographies of acquisition, collection development, exhibition assemblage, narrative interpretation and other curatorial practices. With particular reference to the culture sectors in Britain and France it investigates how and why exhibits with African provenance have been ‘othered’ in both ethnographic and fine art contexts, drawing on fieldwork undertaken at four case study institutions: the British Museum, Tate, the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Through the application of qualitative research methods – including walk-through reviews of permanent holdings on display, archive-based surveys of past exhibitions, visual analysis of selected exhibits, and semi-structured interviews with curators and other creative professionals – questions are addressed in relation to the nature and extent of othering, the impacts of Self/Other binarism, and amelioration strategies to improve museum and gallery experiences for more diverse audiences. As prior scholarship in this field has tended to concentrate on colonial-era constructions of selfhood and otherness, primarily articulated and exhibited via ethnographic collections, this discursive investigation also examines postcolonial manifestations and legacies of othering observed in 21st century, post-modern displays of fine art. The theoretical perspectives of selected black feminist scholars provide the framework for adopting a non-adjunctive position of resistance from which to read ‘against (as well as along) the grain’ of established Western canons of knowledge and prevailing curatorial orthodoxy. By tracing the historical palimpsests and contemporary networks that connect artists, curators, objects and audiences over time and space, the inherent tensions, instabilities paradoxes and limitations of Self/Other binarism are exposed – opening up opportunities to consider alternative, more conceptually nuanced, inclusive and internationally dialogical museum practices in the West informed by the dynamics of transnationalism, diaspora formation and globalisation.

Globally, contraceptive technologies have been critical to improving the reproductive lives of women. This thesis examined the decision-making processes among couples in Kwara State, Nigeria. It began with the premise that contraceptive decision-making is a complex process that involves an array of actors and structural forces that operate and intersect at different levels to influence decision-making. Using a mixed method qualitative approach, this thesis used interviews (semi-structured and Key informant), Focus Group Discussions and participant observation as research tools to provide a nuanced exploration of contraceptive decision-making. The promotion of smaller families by the State served as a precondition for contraceptive discussions collectively within the population and individually within the household. Contraceptive knowledge proved insufficient in guaranteeing use, as the decision to use contraception is not a rational process. Decision-making is gendered and this thesis argued that spousal communication is critical to the use of contraception and involved a series of non-linear conversations that occur at different stages in the reproductive life course of a couple. These conversations stressed the role of external influences and highlights the effect friends and family have on the decision making process. Economic and sexual triggers were identified as life events necessary to move spousal communication from the household to the public domain of service provision. Making informed choices on the method of contraception used highlighted some of the challenges faced in providing quality contraceptive services and how women’s bodies are differentiated and ‘modernised’ based on location. This thesis suggests that in order to make improvements to women’s reproductive lives, bodies need to be understood more broadly in relation to the gender dynamics between couples, the community (family/friends and service providers) and service provision (the State, service providers and the international community).