Theorizing cost of marriage and mutual combat/partner violence: Meta-ethnographic synthesis of findings on types of marriage praxis, associated cost and partners’ value amongst the Tiv People of Central Nigeria

Godwin G. A. Timiun, University of the Witwatersrand

Despite the growing awareness of mutual partner violence in intimate relationship (Straus et al 1980;Straus 1993; Cleary 2002),theories providing explanation to this phenomenon are dearth. This does not only hamper research endeavor in examining mutual intimate partner violence but also forestall holistic understanding of the issue. Meta-ethnographic analysis ( Atkin et al.2008; Barnett-Page and Thomas 2009; Britten et al.2002; Campbell 2003; Noblit &Hare 1988)was used to synthesize findings on types of marriage praxis among the Tiv People into a holistic understanding of marriage arrangements, associated cost and partner violence. There are clues that the cost of marriage influences intimate partner violence. It depends on whether it is the man or the women that bears the burden or is mutually shared between them; it is likely that the type of violence experienced by either partner may differ. Demographers can use meta-ethnography to synthesize the vast related literature on demographic events from anthropological studies to obtain powerful explanatory theories.