| This ethnographic study examines the social and economic survival strategies utilized by low-income African Caribbean women heads of household in Tobago. Worldwide, the number of women headed households is increasing and their numbers correspond with the global increase in female poverty. Literature on matrifocal Caribbean heads of household shows their dichotomous representation as either powerful matriarchs or poorest of the poor. This study demonstrates that the realities lie somewhere between these two extremes, for, although the participants exhibit strength in maintaining their households in often-desperate situations, considerable forces undermine them. These include a fragile economy vulnerable to world markets, unpredictable government support, and foreign and local interests eager to usurp small landholdings.; A feminist theoretical lens guided this study, drawn from Western and Developing World scholarship. Fieldwork for the study was conducted in two villages in Tobago over 51/2 months. Participants included 23 women heads of household who were selected through a snowball sampling process. Data was collected through archival review, participant observation, and unstructured and semi-structured interviews.; Traditional adaptive household strategies emerged, including child shifting, inherited homes, and fluid household configurations. The study contributes a new configuration to the matrifocal literature, that of household headship shared equally by two women. An examination of women alliances revealed significant gaps in the participants' female networks and kinship ties, resulting in a fragmented female culture. Further, the study reveals a third type of alliance, not found in extant literature, to be prevalent among participants. Defined as core female partnership, it is viewed as an adaptive substitute for the traditional marriage.; The study suggests that gendered expectations of women, coupled with a capitalist patriarchal structure, spawn conditions for women in Tobago that involve exploitation, inequality, and poverty. These conditions generate the paradox of the central role of matriarchy being conducted from the fringes of society. Simultaneously, participants reported a sense of freedom and independence in their lives and an overall perception of power. This study indicates that existing paradigms of matrifocality can be refined and amended with detailed information. It has implications for global, policy, and practice issues in social work. |
