The objectives in this monograph are twofold. First, it is an account of the Tbolis' customs, suggesting a model of their social organisation in general and their marriage practices in particular. Second, it aims to make a theoretical contribution to the general understanding of marriage payments. Central to the author's argument is a discussion of the ways in which social relations are constituted and the kind of transactions that the various types of social relationships facilitate. Equally important is the recognition that people bring multiple concerns into their encounters, that people are socially differently positioned, and that the meaning of an act may vary according to these positions. With bibliography.