Intricate Marital Partnerships: Elopement and Concubinage Among the Kuria in North-Eastern Tanzania

Abstract

Using participant observation and in-depth interview data in semi-urban and ruralNorth-eastern Tanzania, this article demonstrates that the freedom to marry ischaracterized by restrictive rules. It specifically highlights that agencies are used byindividuals to enforce marital relationships through elopement and concubinageunions, practices that are incompatible with Kuria ' s widely valued expectations. Suitorscontinue to be constrained by wider society expectations despite social and economicchanges that reduce parents ' authority and decline the significance of bridewealthcattle. Changes are happening as Kuria marriage values are enacted and renegotiated byindividuals opting for different and even divergent meanings amid social and economictransformations. These options lead to pestering, having lower status, isolation incertain rituals, moving far away from family, ending unions, lacking certaincustomary rights, delaying to enter into marriage, and escaping marital violenceand forced marriages. Therefore, this article explores the dimensions of marriage,both at intra- and extra-familial realms. Keywords: elopement, concubinage, marriage, participant observation, Kuria, Tanzania.