A Botswana Case Study November 2013
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Making Social Relations and Identities through Consumption: A Botswana case study by Juliet Colman A Thesis submitted to the University of East Anglia, School of International Development, in part-fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy November 2013 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author and that use of any information derived there from must be in accordance with current UK Copyright Law. In addition, any quotation or extract must include full attribution. a Abstract This research utilises the concepts in Miller’s anthropology of consumption (1987; 1988; 1994; 1995a; 1998a; 1998b) to enable an analysis of social relations, including gender, through looking at what and how people consume. Goods not only express individual identity and status, but are used as a means of objectifying personal and social systems of value, which, in the lives of people living in a central ward in the village of Mochudi, Botswana, signify the importance of social relationships. An analysis of social change since the 1920s and 1930s when Isaac Schapera (1940, 1971) spent a period of fieldwork in the same location and wrote extensively on married life here, is undertaken through familial and life-course events. Informants took photographs of objects, the significance of which is explored through one- to-one enquiry. Generational and gendered differences in consumption choices point to the stage in life reached and lifestyle. An older woman is found to gain pleasure from the purchase of plastic chairs, ensuring she has enough for family or communal events, where all who turn up may expect to partake of a feast; it is through these chairs that social relations are objectified and her wish to be identified as a ‘good’ woman is fulfilled. Similar projections can be made with older men and desire for livestock – the ultimate signifier of masculinity and role of ‘provider’ - which are considered ‘useful’ as a means to sustain the social importance and inclusivity of communal gatherings. Young, single men and women are found to conform more to the stereotypical view of consumption as the development of individual identity (Miller 1998b:35). Yet here, within courtship relationships, material things are utilised as a means of expressing and assessing love. This may have become out-of-kilter, with young men under pressure to compete with gifts for the affections of women who ultimately can decide to walk away. Marriage is constructed around consumption. Time slips the distinction between courtship and engagement, co-habitation and marriage, or even leads to indefinite delay. Marital relations replace courtship gifts with ‘material acts of caring’ (Miller 1998b) such as provisioning on behalf of husbands, and washing of clothes by wives. The family home in the village draws people back for kinship events, such as weddings and funerals, which act to connect people together. White weddings, driven by the fantasy of the bride, are big consumptive events, and yet may be read as being less about conspicuous consumption than an objectification of love which carefully interweaves kinship, tradition and modernity. Through the crisis of AIDS, funerals have altered to reflect a sensitivity which places importance on sober and modest approaches, yet also combines this with a need to ensure the many people who attend are well fed. Large social gatherings reflect the Tswana value system in which consumption acts to reinforce social structure, gender identities and family and tribal belonging, and yet, over time, also acts to bring about change. i CONTENTS Page number Abstract i List of Figures showing Maps and Photographs iv Glossary vi Acknowledgements viii Chapter 1 – Introduction 1 Chapter 2 – Concepts and Contexts 8 Chapter 3 – Methods 3.1 – Location and Timing 20 3.2 – Data collection 21 Section One – Consumption of Events 27 Chapter 4 – The rite of babies and materiality of growing up 28 Chapter 5 – Courting with gifts 40 Chapter 6 – Processing tradition in marriage negotiations 53 Chapter 7 – The social mix of nuptial celebrations 77 Chapter 8 – Obligations and communality in funerals 90 Section Two – Portraits of Consumption 102 Chapter 9 – Home and the bare swept yard 103 Chapter 10 – Pots, plastic chairs and cattle 111 Chapter 11 – Smart suits and beautiful things 128 Chapter 12 – Working, loving and more cattle 144 ii Chapter 13 – Cars, camping and sociability 157 Chapter 14 – Conclusions 166 Bibliography 169 Appendices 1 Map of Botswana 188 2 Background information to Botswana 189 3 Consent form – for interviews and focus groups 192 4 Briefing for use of camera 194 5 Consent form – second stage interviewing and film use 195 6 Briefing for focus group participants 197 7 Focus group themes 198 8 Public health HIV and AIDS campaign advertisements 200 9 Numbers of marriages recorded 202 10 A funeral programme 203 iii List of Figures showing Maps and Photographs Cover page: Sculpture outside Library of the University of Botswana Figure Page 1 View of Mochudi from Phutatikobo Hill 2 2 Map of Rampedi Ward 21 3 The Kgotla at centre of ‘Old’ Rampedi 23 4 A baby shower 33 5 Celebration of Nursery School progression 34 6 Birthday cake for Rampedi resident 36 7 Boys on their way to bogwera on a cold morning in June 2011 38 8 A gathering for patlo 62 9 The final stage of patlo 63 10 ‘The Judgement’ 64 11 Typical gift of German print material for the bride-to-be 65 12 Further pictures of patlo 66 13 The arrival of the bogadi 69 14 Beer brewed for guests gathered for patlo 72 15 Marriage of Chief Khama III, Old Palapye in 1896 77 16 Changes of wedding outfit 79 17 The Praise Poet 81 18 The choirs 82 19 Dancing: an important component of the wedding 83 20 Inside the marquee: the top table and decorated place settings 84 21 Preparing the feast 85 22 A traditional bridal cake 85 23 Traditional seswaa with salad; bridal cake at Rampedi wedding 86 24 Keeping a record of wedding presents given 87 25 ‘Traditional’ wedding photographs 87 26 Group wedding photographs 88 27 People gathered in a lapa in the early morning of a winter funeral 91 28 Food being prepared in large pots; men and women separately waiting for a meal 94 29 Cemetery in Mochudi 96 30 Rampedi graves 97 31 Different styles of grave 99 32 Further graves in Mochudi cemetery 100 33 The new business in Tombstones and marketing leaflet 101 34 Houses with all doors opening to the yard 105 35 Sweeping the yard 106 iv 36 Examples of well swept yards 107 37 Newly renovated house and roof; Building materials 108 38 Rondavel in Rampedi Ward 109 39 Traditional cooking pots 113 40 Resident of Rampedi wearing the uniform of St John’s Apostolic Church of Prophecy; Church outfits hanging on outside of wardrobe 114 41 Lebang and Margaret’s bedroom 115 42 Selection of photographs taken by Kabo Sakeng 119 43 Kabo’s computer work 119 44 Boitumelo’s garden, and her baking products 120 45 Boitumelo’s field of maize, and with her cattle; list of snacks for sale at house, and her son’s Toyota 121 46 Advertising board, Gaborone 123 47 Boitumelo’s photographs: wedding picture and grandson’s clock, her bed, washing machine, chairs, firewood and cooking pots 124 48 Yolenda’s perfumes, shoes, spice rack and wedding rings 130 49 Philip’s CDs, computer and office equipment; picture in living room 132 50 Yolenda and Philip’s house: porch and yard taken from their ‘wing’ 133 51 Wedding clothing: the white dress, smart suit with label on sleeve, traditional outfit with blanket and matching headscarf 135 52 Modise’s house 137 53 Agnes’ house with satellite dish and air conditioning unit, and her garden 139 54 Outer and inner lapa 139 55 Inside Agnes’ house 140 56 Agnes’ garden and pots 141 57 Agnes Bogatsu 142 58 Public sector housing 144 59 Television within wall cabinet, containing DVD and music system; Pitse’s vehicle 145 60 The Morole retirement house 146 61 Mosire’s perfumes, sandals, clutch bag and wedding ring 149 62 Farming equipment – SUV vehicle, tractor and trailer for transporting livestock; Mpho’s car 152 63 The Gabane house 154 64 Inside Tumelo’s small dwelling 159 65 Local bar and jazz club 160 66 Liquor Association hoarding promoting responsible drinking 161 67 Moses’ van; view of kitchen 164 v Glossary Badimo ancestors Bakgatla One of the main Tswana tribes, often shortened to Kgatla Basarwa Khoisan-speaking peoples of Botswana, the San Batswana People of Botswana Bogadi bride price or bride wealth – cows or money offered to bride’s family on marriage of their daughter Bogosi a kingdom, chieftainship Bogwera traditional initiation school for boys Bojale traditional initiation school for girls Botho a recognised character trait meaning ‘graciousness’ Chibuku commercially produced, traditional beer brewed from sorghum Dikgaba malevolent thoughts, usually caused by envy, inflicting injury on someone Kgatla shortened version of Bakgatla – see above Kgosi Tswana chief (Dikgosi - plural) Kgotla meeting place in wards, villages and towns; tribal court Kraal central animal corral Lapa shortened from lelapa meaning courtyard containing one or more residential buildings (also known as lelwapa and lolwapa); plural is malapa Lobola South African word for brideprice Malapa plural of lapa – see above Masimo lands, primarily for growing crops Mateitshe traditional women’s clothes – a uniform of German print cloth including a small shawl-like blanket and a head scarf in matching print Mephato age sets