The Role of Spousal Separation on Norms Related to Gender and Sexuality among Himba Pastoralists

Brooke Scelza, Sean Prall and Kathrine Starkweather
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Brooke Scelza: Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Sean Prall: Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Kathrine Starkweather: Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-22

Abstract: The gender-specific labor demands of arid pastoralism often lead to spousal separation. Men typically respond in one of two ways: engage in mate guarding tactics, or loosen restrictions on female sexuality. Among Himba pastoralists in northwest Namibia, the latter strategy is dominant. Rooted in a history of matriliny, Himba have strong norms promoting female sexual autonomy. We propose that these conditions, combined with a stochastic resource base, have led to women utilizing a combination of formal and informal partnerships to meet their needs and the needs of their children. Aspects of Himba socioecology also increase the costs of mate guarding for men and lower the costs of extra-pair paternity, further bolstering a concurrency strategy. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, we show how spousal separation, female autonomy, and concurrency are linked, and suggest that in this harsh environment having a mix of formal and informal romantic partners may be less costly and more beneficial than a system of monogamous marriage.

Keywords: spousal separation; female autonomy; multiple mating (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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