Les pérégrinations de la vie d’une femme blanche à travers l’Angola

Abstract

This article analyses the situation of settlers’ wives in Portuguese Angola between the Second World War and decolonization, through the life story of the wife of a senior administrative official. It seeks to give an account of the role attributed to the settler’s wife in the domestic sphere and of the importance of her political, social and cultural contribution to the Portugalization of the empire. It emphasizes the complexity of the relations between indigenous peoples and colonizers and the diverse situations of the latter. It invites reflection on the importance of personal attitudes and of certain strategies of reciprocity.

Keywords

• Settler’s Wife
• Portuguese Colonial Empire
• Cultural Otherness
• Intermediate Agents of Colonization