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Marriage‐Related Exchanges and the Agency of Women among the Langalanga, Solomon Islands
Author(s) -
Guo Peiyi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
oceania
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1834-4461
pISSN - 0029-8077
DOI - 10.1002/ocea.5281
Subject(s) - autonomy , agency (philosophy) , possession (linguistics) , independence (probability theory) , gender studies , sociology , perspective (graphical) , political science , law , social science , statistics , mathematics , artificial intelligence , computer science , linguistics , philosophy
This article examines the transformation of marriage‐related exchanges and the agency of women among the Langalanga people in the Solomon Islands. The Langalanga perspective is distinctive because they have been the main producers of shell money in the region, and the persistence of bridewealth is important for their economic and cultural lives. Looking into the three essential components: kwatena (bridewealth), duuna (micro exchange network among new affinal kins), and launia (bridal dress), I discuss the roles women play in the process of marriage‐related exchanges, with particular attention to the affective dimension. In recent years, it has become more popular to dress the bride in the expensive launia , and some Langalanga brides, who live in urban areas, have begun to take possession of the valuables, which contributes to their growing economic independence and autonomy. I argue that while marriage‐related exchanges sometimes constrain the autonomy of women in Melanesia, the Langalanga case provides an alternative view.

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