essay

Gender and life-course strategies among the Gusii

african families and the crisis of social changeWestport, Conn. • Published In 1997 • Pages: 253-267

By: Håkansson, Thomas, LeVine, Robert Alan.

Abstract
In Gusii society not only is the road toward an ideal old age different for men and women, but the ways in which each gender achieves the ideal are mutually contradictory. As in many other African societies, the family provides security and comfort in old age. However, principles of separation and authority based on gender, generation, kinship, and affinity, which define relationships between Gusii family members, differentially affect the life course goals of men and women. These principles are expressed in the division of labor, resource control, and rules of avoidance (CHINSONI). The authors' objective in this article is to explore the material and social consequences for the elderly of the structurally opposed life-course strategies that result from intrafamily dynamics in 1940-1989 Gusii society (p. 3).
Subjects
Sociocultural trends
Real property
Saving and investment
Labor supply and employment
Mode of marriage
Family relationships
Polygamy
Education system
Senescence
Status and treatment of the aged
Gender roles and issues
culture
Gusii
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Eastern Africa
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 2005
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
1940-1989
Coverage Place
Kisi District, western Kenya
Notes
N. Thomas Håkansson and Robert LeVine
Includes bibliographical references (p. 266-267)
LCCN
96045346
LCSH
Gusii (African people)