Customer Reviews

Culture and Customs of Zimbabwe:

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I'm always astounded at the prices for books in this series, they seems excessive and inexplicable.

The issues I had with this particular book were as follows:

1) There is repetitious text - identical info repeated

2) The section on gender seems to want to argue from the start that women are equal. They cite the Mugabe divorce law as evidence - clearly they haven't read the law. It has severe limitations, ie allowing traditional custom to override this statute in regards to women's rights to inherit property on divorce. And having just spent 10 days in rural Eastern Zimbabwe, it's clear that rural women don't have equal rights. The urban situation is much more equal.

3) The book doesn't provide any info on cultural or behavorial taboos or positive behaviors to recognize/emulate, ieg clapping in a certain manner (different for men and women) to show respect. One is left with no info on appropriate or inappropriate behaviors.

4) In discussing music in Zimbabwe, the book makes no mention of the HIV/AIDS awareness songs one hears so prevalently in schools and military marches.

5) Finally, the book relies heavily on literature to draw societal conclusions, rather than direct observation.

So it's worth reading, but a very incomplete and insufficiently researched text and way overpriced.

Paul