'I Only Relax with my Friend and my Wife': Between Friends and Family in Swakopmund, Namibia

In Swakopmund – a small coastal city in the west of Namibia – friendships between men were certainly close relationships involving trust, reciprocity, and sometimes sex. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Swakopmund and focussing on men, this article explores the connections between friendships and conjugal relationships. Marriage is shown to be a struggle for many; not simply the ceremony itself but the commitments and responsibilities associated with starting and maintaining a family. Yet friendships between men, although frowned upon by some and therefore kept hidden from most others, are shown to intersect with family in several ways. Firstly, male friends are part of the family, sharing responsibility for a kinship network that stretches beyond the immediate dyad of friendship. Secondly, the equality and egalitarian nature of friendship offered men an escape from sometimes highly gendered roles within male-female relationships. In conclusion I suggest that friendships are similar to desire paths, facilitating movement along a more apparent and visible route.

Jaar van publicatie:2019