The book provides a social analysis of marriage in contemporary Zimbabwe, highlighting how the institution is changing and evolving in the face of societal factors such as globalisation, technology, increased migration, religious plurality and shifting cultural systems.
Marriage has always occupied a profound cultural and social significance in Zimbabwean society, but the forms and meanings attached to marriage have changed in recent decades. This book traces the evolution of Zimbabwean marriages from traditional pre-colonial customs into the diverse modern practices seen today. Drawing on rich qualitative insights from across urban, rural, and diaspora communities, the book explores the shift in traditional ascribed gender roles, and the complex negotiations between persisting tradition and emerging modern influences like women’s empowerment, partner choice, and divorce. It explores changes in childrearing and the dissolution of the extended family networks that once governed marriages and provided mutual support. The book also explores broader societal transformations such as urban migration and westernisation, and the impact of socioeconomic challenges such as HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, poverty, and economic hardship.
Students and scholars of Zimbabwean history, culture, gender, and the family will find this book essential for understanding the continuities and evolutions of the marriage institution in Zimbabwe.
The book provides a social analysis of marriage in contemporary Zimbabwe, highlighting how it is evolving in the face of societal factors such as globalisation, technology, increased migration, religious plurality and shifting cultural systems. Essential reading for students and scholars of Zimbabwean history, culture, gender, and family.
1: Introduction to Marriage in Contemporary Zimbabwe 2: Continuances and
Discontinuances: An Analysis of Marriages in Colonial and post-colonial urban
space in Zimbabwe 3: The vagina doesnt get angry: An analysis of the role
of contemporary bridal showers in reconstructing and reinforcing traditional
gender roles. 4: Impact of child marriages in Zimbabwe: Perspectives from
adolescent street girls of the Harare Central Business District 5: Unlocking
the Potential of Traditional Chiefs as Catalysts for Ending Child Marriages
in Zimbabwe 6: The marriage institution and child delinquency in Zimbabwe 7:
Domestic Violence Against Men in Zimbabwe: Experiences from Budiriro 5B,
Harare 8: Gender-based violence among married couples in a mainstream church
in Harare, Zimbabwe 9: The good, the bad and ugly: Exploring the impact of
social media on Zimbabwean marriages 10: Controversies surrounding Small
houses in contemporary Zimbabwe. 11: Dissolution of Marriages during Crises:
Lessons from the COVID-19 Era in Harare, Zimbabwe. A Case of Harare 12:
Multiple Jeopardies at the Interstices of Marriages and Inheritance Issues in
Zimbabwe 13: Changing Trends in Marriages and Marriage Life Influenced by
Climate Change in post-Fast Track Farms in Zvimba East District 14: Migration
and Marriage Dynamics among Zimbabwean Couples: A Study of Migrant Couples
and Separated Spouses
Manase Kudzai Chiweshe is a senior lecturer in the Department of Community and Social Development, University of Zimbabwe, and a research associate in the Department of Sociology, Rhodes University, South Africa. His work revolves around the sociology of everyday life in African spaces, specifically promoting African ways of knowing and specific interest in gender, identity, land, and livelihoods.
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