Abstract
The role of women in Bujuur social identity is often overlooked by emphasizing the general patrilocal and patrilineal customs. Traditional Bujuur society was characterized by ambilineage as well as matrilocality whereby women contributed to the making and remaking of Bujuur identity. This paper explores two spaces within the theme of marriage: i) Imah-Itu (the residence of a husband at his wife’s house) and ii) children of mixed marriages identifying with the mother’s Bujuur ethnicity. The objective is to critique the everyday emphasis on patriarchy, patrilineality and patrilocalism among the Bujuur, all of which are in contrast to historical traditions. A further aim is to discuss women’s historical role in the making of the Bujuur identity through their rejuvenation of extinct clans and the sustenance of Bujuur demography. The article’s emphasis on Bujuur women stems from the contemporary Bujuur’s emphasis on purity of identity and ethnicity based on the male progeny; this not only distorts traditions but also misrepresents the community to the younger generations.
Key words: Bujuur, Matrilocality, Imah-Itu, Ambilineage, Identity-ethnicity.
Recommended Citation
Chara, Elija
(2022)
"Women in Bujuur Society: Marriage, Imah-Itu and Ethnic Lineage,"
Journal of Gender, Ethnic, and Cross-Cultural Studies: Vol. 1:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://epublications.marquette.edu/jgecp/vol1/iss1/3
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