The People You Live With

by Carin Vijfhuizen

A sociological account of the lives of Ndau (Shona) women and men based on a study of the Ndau women and men living in Manesa, a village in the Mutema chieftaincy of the Chipinga District in Zimbabwe. Against a background of politics, chieftaincy and religious practice, the study systematically examines social relations, kinship and marriage amongst the Ndau, their homesteads, the allocation and holding of land, and agricultural production within and outside irrigation schemes. Vijfhuizen aims to shed light particularly on the role of women in these processes and bring to life their emotional and psychological existences. Adopting an actor- oriented approach, she illustrates how they manipulate and transform cultural norms, rules and beliefs to shape their practices. She further provides a review of Shona sociological and irrigation literature from a gendered perspective. This book is a valuable source of information about the role of women in developing countries.

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