Domesticity as Socio-Cultural Construction. Domestic Slavery, Home and the Quintal in Cabo Delgado (Mozambique)

Hierarchy, power and domination permeate relationships of domestic servitude as well as other intra-household relationships; power lies in the hands of those who control the resources and can choose how to distribute them.8 Caregivers may accept domination in exchange for protection, either needed or presumed. All individuals have periods of vulnerability during their life cycle, when they need support. Furthermore, women, wives, servants and slaves often find themselves in varying degrees of interdependence when they do not control the resources that they need to live. The inequality that underlies these relationships is often based on, or legitimised by, the role different individuals play in procreation. This perspective is well illustrated by historical evidence from the Querimbas Islands in northern Mozambique (Cabo Delgado) the hinterland of the present Cabo Delgado and the Niassa region. At the turn of the twentieth century, domestic slavery was common and domestic activities were carried out by both men and women.9 In addition, domestic work did not particularly pertain to the feminine gender until forced labour was imposed in the colony. Previously, men were active in the domestic context and women’s roles were defined by their ability to procreate and provide sexual services. Relationships developed in the context of domestic slavery resulted in strong long-term ties that persisted across generations; this may explain why domestic slaves were rarely sold on the market. These strong bonds constitute a certain culture of relatedness, characterised by domination and inequality but also protection in times of famine and warfare.