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Seclusion, Protection and Avoidance: Exploring the Metida Complex among the Datoga of Northern Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Astrid Blystad ,
Ole Bjørn Rekdal  and
Herman Malleyeck
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Abstract

This article deals with metida avoidance practices as they emerge in daily and ritual practice among the agro-pastoral Datoga-speaking peoples of Tanzania. The elaboration of the avoidance practices varies starkly between and within Datoga segments, but these practices are commonly particularly elaborate in connection with death or death-like events, and with birth or birth-like events. In the study area women may spend years of their lives with severe restrictions on their conduct in terms of movement and socialization. We argue that in making sense of such avoidance phenomena the strong influence of Mary Douglas's ‘dirt’ and ‘pollution’ concepts has hindered an understanding of the fact that the metida seclusion does not only isolate substances perceived to be dangerously contaminating, but in similar ways secludes fertile and vulnerable elements in order to protect them. A Strathern-inspired transition to a focus on bodies as open and dynamic systems that mingle with other bodies in intimate flows or exchanges of bodily fluids may be fruitful in this context. We indicate, however, that incautious substitution of a ‘pollution’ concept with the concept of ‘flows’ may lead to challenges not entirely dissimilar to those that attended the employment of Douglas's concepts.

Résumé

Cet article traite des pratiques d'évitement metida dans le cadre des pratiques quotidiennes et rituelles des peuples agropastoraux de langue datoga de Tanzanie. L'élaboration des pratiques d'évitement varie considérablement selon les segments Datoga, mais ces pratiques sont souvent particulièrement élaborées en ce qui concerne la mort ou événements assimilables à la mort, et la naissance ou événements assimilables à la naissance. Dans la zone d'étude, il arrive que les femmes passent plusieurs années de leur vie assujetties à de lourdes contraintes de conduite en termes de mouvement et de socialisation. L'article soutient qu'en donnant un sens à ce phénomène d'évitement, la forte influence des notions de “souillure” et de “pollution” de Mary Douglas a empêché de comprendre que l'isolement metida ne fait pas qu'isoler les substances perçues comme dangereusement contaminantes, mais de façon similaire isole les éléments fertiles et vulnérables afin de les protéger. Une transition inspirée par Strathern vers une focalisation sur les corps en tant que systèmes ouverts et dynamiques qui se mêlent à d'autres corps, dans des écoulements intimes ou des échanges de liquides organiques, peut s'avérer féconde dans ce contexte. L'article indique cependant que la substitution imprudente d'une notion de “pollution” par la notion d'“écoulements” peut susciter des contestations peu dissimilaires de celles qui ont accompagné l'emploi desnotions de Douglas.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 77 , Issue 3 , August 2007 , pp. 331 - 350
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2007

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