The Noble Custom of Roora

The Marriage Practices of the Shona of Zimbabwe

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2736630
AutoresDominique Meekers (0000-0002-7281-3217, autor de correspondencia)
Año1993
Volumen32
Número1
Páginas35
Fecha de publicación1993-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEthnology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0014-1828 • E-ISSN: 2160-3510
EditorialJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/3773544
OpenAlexW1615615593
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas16
Referencias citadas4

The findings of the marriage survey among the Shona in Harare Zimbabwe in 1986 indicate that changes in Shona marriage practices are occurring; these changes appear in ethnographic studies but not in large scale surveys. There is an increased prevalence of irregular forms of unions; these patterns are related to the erosion of social control of the lineage which is associated with socioeconomic development. There is evidence that one of the consequences not recognized in large surveys is the problem of fathers responsibility for their children. Ethnographic studies were able to describe the alternative types of unions but were not able to provide prevalence estimates. Survey research has captured results generalizable to the larger population but has provided limited perspectives on the complexities of the African marriage process. Bridewealth payments cover a large span of time among the Shona; payment completion indicates completion of the marriage process. Definitions of marriage can omit unions that are in process or those that deviate from the norm. Shona marriage customs are summarized with an emphasis on marriage payments (roora) and the forms of Shona marriage (elopement elopement marriage mapoto unions (cohabitation without roora payment) consensual unions without roora and roora marriage). There are civil marriage ceremonies religious marriage ceremonies and District Court registration of marriages. In 1982 a law was passed to prevent fathers from preventing the registration of a marriage but in practice it still remains difficult for a girl to register a marriage. The survey sample was drawn from women patients at Harare Maternity Hospital and 4 other maternity clinics who were at least 7 months pregnant with their first child or had recently delivered their first birth. 14 specific events were examined for incidence and sequencing including the following: meeting the babys father discussing family introductions discussions with aunts or other relatives family introduction negotiation of payments first payment District Court Registration church ceremony civil ceremony first intercourse with babys father first living arrangement with babys father pregnancy exchanged gifts and kutizira (marriage elopement). Discussion focuses on the stages in the union formation the types of marriage payments and unions and implications of payments

Arranged Marriage · Business · Cohabitation · Demographic economics · Kinship · Payment · Political science · Population · Shona · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Gender Studies · Law · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare