Abstract
This chapter explores and describes the characteristics of marital life in customary Rwandan society. Focus group discussions with Rwandan elders, males and females, were conducted in Kigali city, in the Western and Southern provinces of Rwanda. A detailed methodological approach is described in Chapter 2. Marital life was characterized by societal pressure and awareness, which could lead to building stable households. This can be achieved if household members comply with a number of values within the household. Spouses were taught to see each other as equals, also as being different relative to male and female, and as complementary human beings. The daily lifestyle of the spouses laid the ground for preparing their children for marriage, and the parents would play a crucial role in preparing their children for marriage.
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This research was conducted through the financial support of the University of Rwanda-Sweden Program.
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Mukashema, I., Gumira Hahirwa, J., Hakizamungu, A., Havugintwari, L. (2021). An Overview of the Characteristics of Marital Life in Traditional Rwandan Society. In: Mukashema, I. (eds) Psychosocial Well-Being and Mental Health of Individuals in Marital and in Family Relationships in Pre- and Post-Genocide Rwanda. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74560-8_3
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