Happy Ever After? The Marriage Market as a Source of Societal Instability
| Autor: | Hartwig, Renate |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) - Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien, Institut für Afrika-Studien |
| Rok vydání: | 2022 |
| Předmět: |
Soziologie
Anthropologie Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie Sociology & anthropology Social sciences sociology anthropology Familiensoziologie Sexualsoziologie Ethnologie Kulturanthropologie Ethnosoziologie Family Sociology Sociology of Sexual Behavior Ethnology Cultural Anthropology Ethnosociology Afrika südlich der Sahara Geschlechterverhältnis Lebensgemeinschaft Partnerbeziehung Ehe Ehefrau Ehemann Ehepartner Ehepaar Heirat Bedeutung Geschlechtsrolle Männerbild Alleinstehender sozialer Status soziales Verhalten Aggressivität Gewaltkriminalität Kriminalität traditionelle Kultur Familie soziale Beziehungen Äthiopien Kenia Nigeria Simbabwe Burkina Faso Elfenbeinküste Senegal Brasilien China Bundesrepublik Deutschland Africa South of the Sahara gender relations cohabitation partner relationship marriage wife husband spouse married couple wedding meaning gender role image of men single social status social behavior aggressiveness violent crime criminality traditional culture family social relations Ethiopia Kenya Zimbabwe Ivory Coast Brazil Federal Republic of Germany 10500 |
| Zdroj: | 4, GIGA Focus Afrika, 9 |
| Druh dokumentu: | Arbeitspapier<br />working paper |
| ISSN: | 1862-3603 |
| DOI: | 10.57671/gfaf-22042 |
| Popis: | There is a long-standing idea that societies with too many men, particularly young and single men - the so-called "bare branches" - have a tendency for vice, risk-taking and violence, ultimately threatening social order and stability. Marriage is an important marker for adulthood across the globe. Yet, participation in the marriage market - looking for a spouse and forming a union - in sub-Saharan Africa is constrained, and the marriage market is an important institution shaping and maintaining inequality in income and opportunities. Traditional marriage practices, such as that of polygyny, where one man is married to more than one woman at the same time, are still prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and lead to a situation where some men, particularly the young, struggle to find a wife and start a family. Having more men than women in the marriage market gives rise to competition amongst men, spurring frustration and anger among those that struggle to find a bride. The imbalance between men and women in the marriage market has been associated with increasing rebel attacks and intergroup conflict in the region. Hence, there is a palpable need to pay more attention to the marriage market, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries, many of which are already struggling with political and societal instability. A more complete characterisation of the marriage market and its actors is necessary to better understand the underlying forces that cause young and unmarried men to gravitate towards violence. Governments must begin to recognise the importance of the marriage market as an institution perpetrating injustices and economic grievances. At the same time, targeted strategies need to be developed that recognise and address perceived inequalities and thus pre-empt promises by extremist groups, who exploit the relative dearth of brides as a recruitment strategy. Targeted information campaigns and appeals are only short-term solutions. Direct interventions in the marriage market might encounter pushback. New ways of thinking based on deeper research may be required. |
| Databáze: | SSOAR – Social Science Open Access Repository |
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