Which reduced the bridewealth diverges on really commercialised money said in the cities for the Ghana and you will somewhere else (Shope, 2006; Posel & Rudwick, 2013)

Brand new fee off bridewealth occupies an important reputation from the relationships techniques across ethnicities when you look at the northern Ghana, in addition to Dagaaba, Frafra and you will Builsa regions. Among the many Dagaaba, the fresh new bridewealth, kyeuri, generally comprises such as for example circumstances once the libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, select Figure step 1 ), fowls, cigarette and you can cola insane. Sometimes, the degree of cowrie shells should be in keeping with whatever try covered new bride’s mom. Various other period, securities of solidarity involving the family or agreements of one’s bride to be and you will bridegroom bring about a decrease in the fee, while the new bride’s agnatic kin determine that in the past the brand new groom’s family unit members charged a high brideprice for a wedding, he is probably plus require an excessive commission. However, there are even standardised marriage money across the Dagaaba setup. At this time, normally 2000 cowries, otherwise cash equivalent, are usually acknowledged while the bridewealth when you look at the Serekpere and its environments. So it count represents a beneficial grave reduction from some 20,000 and you can a lot more than cowries which was acknowledged in identical area from the 90s. For the context from neoliberal monetary formula, and you may diminishing agricultural output membership within this sensitive environmental zone, the correspondence which have gatekeepers showed that the cutback to your count from cowries is meant to build relationship reasonable. Importantly, brand new percentage is not contingent through to the new situations of your bride, that is, perhaps the bride-to-be is highly knowledgeable, separated, has recently provided birth or not since stated someplace else (Borgerhoff Mulder, 1989, 1995; Anderson, 2007). The new customary norms governing the technique of bridewealth are set away if negotiable no matter what the fresh new bride’s socio-financial position or even the quantity of liberties transmitted.

Anderson (2007: 159) profile you to definitely in the settings all over Africa, the marriage percentage is actually normatively increased from the groom’s ‘dad, pops and dad’s brothers, along with mother’s brothers and work out brief contributions’

Brand new bridewealth one of the Dagaaba, as the around the societies in rural northern Ghana, is an intricate means of dealings within agnatic kin out of brand new groom and bride and you will, generally speaking, a 3rd party, called a beneficial dendeo, a marriage liaison. Generally speaking, a marriage liaison are a guy regarding groom’s village whom has some connections in the bride’s payment. Brand new dendeo guides this new groom’s family unit members on bride’s agnatic kin, first to help you formally require her hand in relationship in order to pay Santa rosa beautiful women the brideprice. The fresh new connections of one’s dendeo towards the bride’s nearest and dearest signify the latter try careful for the bridegroom and his awesome kin. The previous and begs on the behalf of new groom’s kinsmen if the fresh new bride’s friends require so you can fees an exorbitant brideprice. Because bridewealth has been moved to and recognized from the bride’s kin, the marriage partnership is made and you may legitimated.

Normatively, the new yirdandoo, your mind of your loved ones, as opposed to the dad of one’s fiance, ‘s the custodian of cowries delivered while the matrimony money. Within a group discussion inside Nator, close Serekpere, indicating the newest character of your head of your clan, Mwinyella, a report participant, told me, directing to his paternal cousin who is your head off their clan, that: ‘it people is my dad and therefore once i wed it would-be his obligations to [pay the bridewealth] to own me’. Yet, for family members in the place of resources appointed once the bridewealth, the bridegroom with his agnatic kin have the effect of increasing it. It differs, to some degree, about Dagaaba membership presented right here. Yet they resonates which have bridewealth methods certainly one of particular Frafra congeries, in which normatively the groom’s father and you may father’s brothers are responsible for make payment on bridewealth and you will in which he is not able to increase it the latest bridegroom transforms so you can his dad’s otherwise mom’s brothers to possess assistance.