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The social structure of the Sotho-speaking peoples of Southern Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2012

Adam Kuper
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Extract

In the first part of this paper I discussed the Tswana, Southern Sotho, and Kgalagadi, and showed that among all these peoples a set of intertwined variables produces a consistent pattern of marriage choices and residential alignments. These peoples are organized in tribes, under chiefs who are linked in competition and through marriage with other close agnates. The chiefdom is divided into wards, ruled often by brothers, brothers' sons, or sons of the chief, and within each ward the dominance of the central core of competing and intermarrying agnates is duplicated. Men with patrilateral ties to those in power at each level are brought into alliance or competition with them, and their relationships may be transformed or reinforced by intermarriage. Outsiders are attached to these ruling agnatic cores at each level, and develop or reinforce matrilateral ties to them by contracting suitable marriages.

Résumé

LA STRUCTURE SOCIALE DES POPULATIONS DE LANGUE SOTHO D'AFRIQUE AUSTRALE

L'auteur dresse un bilan des travaux récents consacrés aux populations de langue sotho et traite des relations entre les mécanismes politiques internes à chaque ‘tribu’ et certains aspects de leurs systèmes sociaux, tout particulièrement les formes préférentielles de manage et les règies de résidence.

Dans la première partie de son article, il traite plus particulièrement des Tswana et montre que le système des Kgalagari et celui des Sotho du Sud (Basuto) sont à peu près de même nature. Dans la seconde partie de son article, il essaie de montrer qu'une structure similaire (ayant subi plusieurs ‘transformations’) est discernable dans les systèmes, différents en apparence, des Lovedu, Pedi, et même de quelques groupes dont la vie politique et sociale a été plus profondément bouleversée par l'intervention coloniale.

Le thème central de cet article est l'interprétation des modèles statistiques dont relève le mariage préférentiel, comme autant de ‘strategiés’ adaptées à des réalités politiques spécifiques. Il est possible que les manages avec de proches parents, non seulement renforcent, mais transforment réellement les relations de parenté préexistantes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , April 1975 , pp. 139 - 149
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1975

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