Paper long abstract:

This paper will explore the dialectic of colonial and local discourses on the family in Zanzibar during the first half of the 20th century. Indigenous Islamic courts, which continued to operate throughout the colonial period, yield remarkable insights into Zanzibaris' as well as judges' understanding of moral standards and the roles of the spouses. This paper will question the perceived dichotomy of the public and the private sphere in urban Zanzibar and account for how socio-economic changes on the island shaped the islanders' approach to the formation of the family.