Cohabitation in Botswana : challenging methodological nuptialism in anthropology

Methodological nuptialism in the study of relationships has contributed to an academic hiatus of studies on non-marital relationships and the sustenance of negative attitudes towards such relationships. Approaches that most scholars have adopted in the study of marital relationships have hardly been problematised. Through a 14-month (in total) ethnographic fieldwork using focus group discussions (FGD), in-depth interviews, participant observations and snowballing in two wards in Molepolole this studies has demonstrated that by avoiding methodological nuptialism cohabitation can be understood better. The major finding of the study is that cohabiting unions are not homogenous. There are different types of cohabiation, namely, Go adima mosadi (wife-borrowing); Go inyadisa (non-consensual cohabiation) and Go bulela ntlu (Visiting rights). The different types of cohabitation generally denote those types that carry the consent of parents and therefore signal social, cultural and moral level of justification as compared to those that fall outside the consent of parents. Contrary to some literature, the formation of cohabiting relationships does not always exclude parents. Reasons for cohabitation vary; however, the desire to raise children together cuts across all cohabiting relationships in the study. Other reasons include low socio-economic status, negative HIV status, death of parents and love and commitment to each other.ASC – Publicaties niet-programma gebonde