Extramarital paternity. There are cultures that accept it and get along well with it.
For many, especially those who adhere to Christian, Islamic, or Jewish religions, extramarital fatherhood is synonymous with infidelity. For other cultures, however, it is a well-regarded practice. Among them are the Himba people of Namibia, who practice it regularly and routinely, sparking the curiosity of anthropologists and other scholars of social behavior sciences.
By: Luis Pellegrini
When we think about the concept of fatherhood, we generally refer to a biological or adoptive father: we rarely think about families in which the father raises and educates several children born from the woman's extramarital relationships.
Himba woman
The director of a research published in Science AdvancesAnthropologist Brooke Scelza (UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles) explains how, for the Ovahimba nomadic pastoralist tribes of Namibia, the birth of children outside of marriage is perfectly normal, to the point that there is an entire system of social norms that regulate its functioning.
To refer to this African people consisting of nomadic herders, the correct term is Ovahimba; a single member of the tribe is called omuhimba. This people is more commonly called simply himba.
Relative morality
For Western society (and not only), this custom is difficult to accept: children born out of wedlock have always been considered the result of hidden infidelities, and the father is seen as the wounded and betrayed subject. But “when researchers study human behavior, they shouldn't think about what is 'right' or 'moral.' They should only approach that habit or custom without prejudice, simply as a cultural phenomenon,” says Scelza. For the Ovahimba, for example, sexual activity outside of marriage is a common practice, not stigmatized. The rate of extra-pair paternity (EPP), that is, the percentage of children born out of wedlock in the families of these nomadic tribes, is about 48%, decidedly higher than the 1% to 10% range that anthropology considers the standard for the human race.
The Himba chief is the "social" father of the children pictured. The three may or may not be his biological children.
Freedom to "betray"
“The Ovahimba people strongly believe in the importance of social fatherhood,” explains anthropologist Scelza: “For them, a child is yours when born from your wife’s womb, regardless of who the father is.” The Himba believe that the real father is the one who raises and educates the child, taking responsibility for their nutrition, instruction, and protection. And it is this social father whom the children should love and respect as their “real father.” This view is diametrically opposed to what happens, for example, in Islamic societies, where adultery by a woman is severely punished (including the death of the adulteress). In Himba society, it is well regarded, even by the husband.
Young man from the Himba tribe. This people is considered one of the most beautiful in Africa.
This research highlights the importance of including diverse ethnic and cultural groups in anthropological studies, as demonstrated by the case of extramarital paternity. Because, for example, "rates of extramarital paternity can vary greatly from one population to another," explains Brenna Henn, a population genetics scholar and co-author of the research: "In the Netherlands and other European communities, for example, the rate of extramarital paternity is actually very low, ranging from 1% and not exceeding 6%."
Video: The Himba people – Interesting video narrated in Portuguese (from Portugal) about the Himba people.