Dispensing with marriage: Marital and partnership trends in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2000-2006

Abstract

This paper describes marriage and partnership patterns and trends in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from 2000-2006. The study is based on longitudinal, population-based data collected by the Africa Centre demographic surveillance system. We consider whether the high rates of non-marriage among Africans in South Africa reported in the 1980s were reversed following the political transformation underway by the 1990s. Our findings show that marriage has continued to decline with a small increase in cohabitation among unmarried couples, particularly in more urbanised areas. Comparing surveillance and census data, we highlight problems with the use of the ‘living together’ marital status category in a highly mobile population.

Forms of Femininity at the End of a Customary Marriage

“…In presenting this argument, based on spurious grounds, the authors cite the lack of divorce amongst African women as a sign of dominant forms of emphasised femininities. While there is a low rate of divorce amongst black South Africans, this phenomena has other possible explanations (Hosegood et al, 2009). The low rate of divorce should not be viewed solely as women's failure to leave marriages or their compliance with subordinated practices within marriages.…”

How Reliable Are Reports of Early Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Events in Demographic and Health Surveys?

“…8,9 Marriage and union formation may be fluid and, in many countries, are processes rather than single events, often spread out over many years. [10][11][12][13] Responses to questions on the occurrence and timing of marriage or union formation will reflect the current perceptions of respondents when thinking back over the course of their lives, and these perceptions may change as women get older. Survey completion issues may be a source of intentional bias.…”

Moving the Goalpost: “Come-We-Stay” Practice in Menchum Division (MD), Cameroon

“…Although marriage remains a priority among young Cameroonians (Johnson-Hanks 2007;Calves 2010), there has been a change in marriage and family formation patterns in Africa (Moore and Govender 2013). Marriage rates are generally plummeting among women while cohabitation is increasing (Hosegood, McGrath, and Moutltrie 2009). According to Hosegood et al (2009), one of the main reasons for the changes in the rate and patterns of marriage in South African is cohabitation, undertaken as "part of the process of postponing marriage or as an alternative to coupling or both" (Moore and Govender 2013: 624).…”

“…Marriage rates are generally plummeting among women while cohabitation is increasing (Hosegood, McGrath, and Moutltrie 2009). According to Hosegood et al (2009), one of the main reasons for the changes in the rate and patterns of marriage in South African is cohabitation, undertaken as "part of the process of postponing marriage or as an alternative to coupling or both" (Moore and Govender 2013: 624). Even though most agreed cohabitation as a precursor to getting married materialises making CWS a valuable mechanism for resolving issues or sharing resources through planning together and joint space sharing, there are potentials for danger when this backfires (Moore and Govender 2013).…”