Freer Unions, More Complex Itineraries? Male Premarital Life In Rural Mali

Abstract

With the increase in female age at marriage and the relaxing of family controls over couple formation, the conditions of entry into union and transition to adulthood are undergoing radical transformation in sub-Saharan Africa. Is this nuptiality transition also leading to greater complexity and diversity of union formation trajectories? We examine this hypothesis by studying long-term trends in male first marriage and premarital life in a rural population of Mali. The data are drawn from a population surveillance project that has been running for 25 years and which provides unique biographical data on premarital dynamics thanks to the detailed recording of all matrimonial procedures, whether or not they actually culminate in marriage. Two main findings qualify the initial hypothesis. First, the fragility and complexity of matrimonial processes is by no means recent; these are habitual and traditional characteristics of the matrimonial institution. Second, the general trend is towards a simplification and a standardization of male union formation trajectories. In the light of these findings, it would be useful to examine the characteristics of preconjugal dynamics and their evolution in other contexts. These dynamics, not covered in major surveys, provide valuable new insight into youth, marriage and the transition to adulthood.