OF CHICKENS AND GUINEA-FOWL - LIVING MATRILINY IN NORTH-WESTERN ZAMBIA IN THE 1980S

The old structural-functionalist obsession with comparisons between pa trilineal and matrilineal systems and their respective functionality i n a modernizing world, has been extensively and justifiably criticized . One thing this literature did do, however, was to recognize the cent rality of kinship to political and economic life in much of rural Afri ca. In the postcolonial world kinship continues to play a central role , and understanding this role is crucial if we want to understand the complex and dynamic realities of contemporary Africa. This article tra ces out some of the practical realities into which 'matriliny' transla ted in the lives of those living in the Kaonde-speaking communities of Zambia's North-Western Province in the 1980s. One of the questions it addresses is that perennial one in the context of discussions of matr iliny and matrilineal kinship systems: to what extent is matriliny, as opposed to patriliny, associated with greater power and authority for women? In particular I explore the implications of the structural ten sion between men's authority vis-a-vis women as husbands and as matril ineal kinsmen.