Book

Bridewealth, women, and land: social change among the Gusii of Kenya

[Uppsala University] ; Distributed by Almqvist & Wiksell InternationalUppsala • Published In 1988 • Pages: 237

By: Håkansson, Thomas.

Abstract
This document examines the persistence of bridewealth among the Gusii people of southwestern Kenya. The focus of the work is on the various factors which have affected the norms and actions connected with bridewealth transactions. This entails a study of the integration of bridewealth into: 1. The market economy; 2. The new, altered aspects of social organization; and 3. The legal and administrative apparatus of colonial and modern Kenya. The role of bridewealth vis-a-vis change is examined with respect to family organization, property relations and social interaction between people connected through such transactions. In contrast to the usually male-centered studies of bridewealth exchanges, the relationship between bridewealth and women's statuses and role, especially pertaining to property, is explored (p. 13).
Subjects
Sociocultural trends
Real property
Labor supply and employment
Gender status
Mode of marriage
Arranging a marriage
Nuptials
Household
Family relationships
Polygamy
Lineages
Clans
Judicial authority
culture
Gusii
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Eastern Africa
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 2005
Field Date
1982-1983, 1985
Coverage Date
1900-1985
Coverage Place
Kisi District, southwestern Kenya
Notes
Thomas Håkansson
'Printed editon of a doctoral dissertation presented to the faculty of arts, Uppsala University, 1987'--Verso of t.p.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 228-233) and index
LCCN
91140502
LCSH
Gusii (African people)