It loss in the bridewealth diverges regarding really commercialised payments claimed in towns from inside the Ghana and someplace else (Shope, 2006; Posel & Rudwick, 2013)
The fee away from bridewealth occupies a significant updates on the marriage procedure round the ethnicities during the north Ghana, together with Dagaaba, Frafra and you will Builsa places. Among the many Dagaaba, the latest bridewealth, kyeuri, generally constitutes including things because libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, see Contour step 1 ), fowls, cigarette and you can cola insane. In many cases, the degree of cowrie shells need to be commensurate with whatever are taken care of the brand new bride’s mom. In other hours, bonds off solidarity involving the group or agreements of your bride-to-be and you will groom lead to a decrease in this new percentage, while the fresh new bride’s agnatic kin influence one to previously the latest groom’s nearest and dearest charged a premier brideprice having a wedding, he’s gonna and additionally require an excessive percentage. However, there are even standardized relationships money along side Dagaaba setup. At present, on average 2000 cowries, or bucks equivalent, are approved just like the bridewealth during the Serekpere as well as environments. It matter represents an effective grave cures out of an amount of 20,000 and you can above cowries which had been approved in identical city in the 1990s. For the perspective off neoliberal economic formula, and you will diminishing agricultural production accounts within sensitive environmental zone, our telecommunications having gatekeepers revealed that brand new cutback towards matter out of cowries is meant to make marriage affordable. Importantly, the brand new payment isn’t contingent on the things of your own bride-to-be, which is, if the bride-to-be is extremely educated, separated, has given beginning or otherwise not since claimed elsewhere (Borgerhoff Mulder, 1989, 1995; Anderson, 2007). This new conventional norms governing the technique of bridewealth are ready aside in the event the flexible despite the brand new bride’s slovakisk bruder for ekte socio-economic standing or even the level of rights transported.
Anderson (2007: 159) account one to in configurations across the Africa, the wedding percentage is normatively elevated from the groom’s ‘father, father and dad’s brothers, in accordance with mom’s brothers and work out short contributions’
The fresh new bridewealth one of many Dagaaba, while the all over communities inside the rural northern Ghana, try a complicated procedure for negotiations between the agnatic kin from the newest wedding couple and you may, generally speaking, an authorized, called good dendeo, a marriage liaison. Normally, a wedding liaison are men about groom’s village just who has some relations on the bride’s settlement. The brand new dendeo guides this new groom’s members of the family on bride’s agnatic kin, basic to officially ask for their unique submit relationship and to pay the brideprice. The latest affairs of the dendeo into the bride’s family relations indicate that the latter try considerate to the groom and his kin. The previous in addition to begs on the part of the newest groom’s kinsmen if the fresh bride’s nearest and dearest require to charges an exorbitant brideprice. Just like the bridewealth has been gone to live in and you can approved from the bride’s kin, the wedding relationship is created and you will legitimated.
Normatively, the fresh yirdandoo, your face of your nearest and dearest, rather than the dad of fiance, is the custodian of cowries lead because the marriage payments. From the a group dialogue inside Nator, close Serekpere, showing the newest role of one’s head of clan, Mwinyella, research fellow member, told me, leading so you’re able to his paternal uncle who’s your head off their clan, that: ‘so it guy is dad and therefore while i marry it will be their duty so you can [afford the bridewealth] having me’. Yet, having family in the place of info appointed given that bridewealth, the newest groom along with his agnatic kin are responsible for increasing they. Which differs, to some degree, on Dagaaba account demonstrated right here. But really it resonates which have bridewealth strategies certainly specific Frafra congeries, where normatively brand new groom’s dad and you can father’s brothers have the effect of make payment on bridewealth and where he could be struggling to improve it the fresh bridegroom turns so you’re able to his father’s otherwise mom’s brothers for assistance.
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