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4. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. 48 R. A. LeVine, Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Socety, Culture and Personality. Explain the importance of Kinship in traditional African society african cultural and moral values 1 Answer 0 votes answered Aug 9, 2021 by anonymous Control social relationships in community of people related by blood and marriage Bind whole community hence social cohesion Makes people live in harmony/ peace Promotes mutual responsibility and help 6. Elders are respected [32777] [42770]. Death must have a cause. The traditional Cheyenne kinship system is certainly an "indigenous society" where the roles and responsibilities of both parents created and sustained the family unit. 36 Lucy P. Mair African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. Some communities have abandoned initiation rites like among the luo; removal of six lower teeth is a practice of the past. Edited by G.A. - They could also feel their body senses to predict rain. A father-in-law knows what to expect from a good son-in-law. Other significant strengths are that the traditional African family increased group cohesion in an otherwise harsh physical and social environment. politicians. 4. Kinship is reckoned through blood and betrothal (engagement and marriage). It was a signed to individuals by the elders. Schapera, Isaac., Married Life in an African Tribe. Members of a community could also come together when defending the community against outside invaders. To give the mother instructions on how to take care of the child. Kinship is a social relationship based on real consanguinity. Although polygamy is the act of an individual being married to more than one spouse at the same time, the more commonly practiced in Africa is polygyny .the legal marriage of one man to two or more women concurrently is permitted.4 This author argues that because of its perversity, the presence and absence of polygyny was a significant determinant and indicator of the nature of virtually every African social group; whether tribe, clan, or extended family, whether matrilineality or patrilineality was practiced, bride price existed, and how children were raised. Kinship ties are strong bonds that exist among community members. Bridgewater College - In others the bridegroom and its party have to fight the brides party in order to get her. Ngulube, Naboth M. J., Some Aspects of Growing Up in Zambia, Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/S Limited, 1989. 18. a) State five changes that have taken place in property ownership today. Dowry payment is no longer a communal affair but an individual affair. The subject of traditional family patterns in Africa is so broad that it cannot be adequately addressed in one chapter. Large tracts of land 4 Large herds of cattle. It is also a way of remembering important events in the society. Box 169 To give the mother time to heal. No one is allowed to take the life of another. among the Luos the man is buried at the right and woman is buried the left. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. The kinship systems govern care,. In the traditional African Community, marriage was considered incomplete without children. Barnes, J.A., Marriage in a Changing Society: a Study in Structural Change among the Fort Jameson Ngoni, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1951, 1970. v. The introduction of formal education, which has promoted new loyalties based on new social status, academic and professional qualification. - It also regulates marriage relations, before marriage one has to find the back ground of the other. This difficulty in generalization bone of diversity was already apparent to many early scholars of the African traditional family like Mair(1) and Goode(2). This shows concern that they have for the child. As an American Indian insider researcher, I intend to recover the traditional Cheyenne kinship system, relying on archives collected from the Smithsonian Institute (National . - People write wills to share or decide who should inherit their property. During this period, the couples are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. 6. People could also die due to shortage of food. Goldthorpe, J.E., The Sociology of the Third World: Disparity and Development. x. The term 'brother' and 'sister' shows the sex of blood relations. - Diviners are people who are believed to have the ability to reveal hidden things by use of magical powers Role of mediums and diviners in the societies i. Mediums link the living, spirits and the ancestors. attack by wild animals. Lobola is widely used among the Bantu peoples of Central and Southern Africa.39, Avoidance, segregated relationships, lack of love and tenderness in traditional African marriages and the family has been a common theme among European scholars. It is also a taboo to marry close relative. vii. - Purification rites are performed for the mother and the child to make the child pure. Through dreams and vision v. Through observation and practice MEDICINE MEN They have the knowledge of healing certain diseases in the community. iii. Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Society, Culture and Personality. These three types of kinship are: Consanguineal: This kinship is based on bloodor birth: the relationship between parents and children as well as siblings, says the Sociology Group. 3. 1. Price, Thomas., A Short English-Nyanja Vocabulary. Second Edition, London: Cambridge University Press, 1984, Ch. 3. ii. It was used to bury the dead, the spirits were believed to dwell on land or below the ground. Boys will live with the brothers of their father and until marriage, girls live in the home of a married elder brother or with the brother of the father. They are also given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. People that belong to the same kinship system are referred to as kin. This is meant to send it clean into the world of the living dead. (Eds.) 5. © 2023 Tutorke Limited. - Through marriage, the living dead and those yet to be born are brought together. Kinship systems provide each person with a defined role (based on age, gender, and other factors), and serve to link people via duties of care [35856]. Christianity and Islam were able to absorb many African religions because of each religion believed in a single supreme being that was the creator and ruler of the universe. They could also warn of impending danger. Mothers and children would die at childbirth to cases where there is no skilled mid-wife. - There are rites of passage that one has to undergo. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. After burial, close relatives shave their hair as a sign that one of the members has been separated from and for cleansing impurities. iv. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. vi. Marriage 4. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. The literature on the subject is truly as vast and reflects traditional patterns that are as diverse as the variations of the physical looks of the people found on the continent. 4. They include;- 1. The naming of a child is therefore an important occasion, which is often marked with ceremonies. The major reason cited is that with increasing modern influences, marrying more than one wife became an economic burden. In some communities if a woman is barren, she would bring another woman to bring children on her behalf. The book describes and explains Chewa traditions and customs including Ukamwini. The mother and the child is no longer secluded. All the members come together in times of need. A mock wrestling sometimes would be organized between the boy and the girl. Prayers are offered also during time of calamities. It was written in 1988. It is also a way of showing respect to God for the gift of the children. 3 Lucy P. Mair, African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life, edited by Arthur Phillips, (London: Oxford University Press, 1953) p.1. ELDERS They are people who are elderly in society. iii. - It was a common belief that a woman belonged to the whole community. Kinship relationships also determine social obligations and responsibilities, such as who has the right to inherit property or who is responsible for caring for children Elizabeth Colson, Marriage and the Family among the Plateau Tonga of Northern Rhodesia. - There are cases of destruction of land and environment through dumping of wastes. Establishing that traditional Kenyan culture and custom was supportive of high fertility in no way establishes how strongly held are these practices today or how quickly they may change as the socioeconomic basis of the real day-to-day society changes. 5. - In some communities e.g. - Some widows and children are not accepted or welcomed in their new homes. 8. In some communities, a pregnant women returns to her parents when the time for giving birth draws near. .. Famous Sociologist H.M. Johnson identified six important bases of kinship which are described below: (1) Sex: Kinship relation is differentiated in each society on the basis of sex. 2. Mitchell, J. There are also cases of inter-tribal marriages. - In most communities the child and the mother are kept in seclusion for a number of days, depending on the sex of the baby. The land belonged to the whole community. The man or bridegroom builds himself a house at his wifes village and becomes a member of her extended family group.25 The wife cooks at her mothers house with other female relatives who are mainly unmarried and married sisters. - Life is also considered to be more precious and highly valued. - Kinship helps to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases. The degree of relatedness to the caregiver and socio-economic status of the fostering household were the strongest determinants of the well-being of children in kinship care. It also gives them time to find out the background of the partners e.g. Today initiation is not done at particular stage in life. iv. 4. iii. - Life is also seen as communal. LeVine40 described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as institutionalized restrictions, segregated patterns, and avoidance patterns. 7. Marriage is no longer a must and many people decide not to marry. 3. it governs behavior towards each other - Kinship binds together the entire life of a community, the departed and those yet to be born. Polygyny though set the tone and often determined the strength of the society and pattern of social organization of the traditional African family. b. Coser, Rose Lamb., (Ed.) When a girl is getting married her mothers brother must be consulted. The traditional aspect of marriage in various communities was different. They also have the ability to stop rain. A person's position in the kinship system establishes their relationship to others and to the universe, prescribing their responsibilities towards other people, the land and natural resources. - Marriage brings completeness in a person. Some scholars have suggested that this arrangement might be fraught with potential social problems and conflict.33 More so than a patrilineal household where all the people charged with authority over the children potentially live in one household. The case studies presented will be those of the Baganda of Uganda and Bemba of Northern Zambia. There were clear guidelines, rules and regulations on the use and ownership of land. Everyone has an obligation to marry or get married. 2. 6 It separates one from the loved ones. Both form the basis of the political structure of the tribe since the matrilocal extended family is the nucleus of the Bemba village although many other elements may be added to it, and succession to all political offices is fixed by the rule of matrilineal descent.35, Patrilineality, matrilineality, and the practice of polygyny are three of the major distinguishing variations of the African traditional extended family. j. This culture was pre-literate, pre-scientific and pre-industrial. During initiation the initiates are given special instructions that prepare them for future life. Other names can be given according to important events that take place in the community e.g. 7 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures, (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961) Ch. They are experts in particular religious fields. - When the baby arrives, the sex of the baby is announced by ululations. Such occasions include beer drinking, wrestling, playing football, singing and dancing etc. 4. Because of this wide spectrum, it is not possible to explore all aspects of the traditional African family. Land was also the habitat of people, animals and plants. Ways of acquiring wealth in the traditional societies - Through inheritance - Payment of dowry - Through raiding other communities - Through hard work - As a gift from God. Current notions of kinship still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin. It is a source of food for the people and the animals. vii. 5. The man who is the heir to the widow has the additional family responsibility of adopting the widows family. Spirit of sharing: In African Traditional Community there is the spirit of sharing of resources among the members of a community e.g. 5. In the African understanding, it is believed that there is no natural death. - In most African communities a widow was inherited by the husbands close relatives. - Can interfere with an individuals reproductive system. Answers - Modern science and technology - Western education - Influence from other religions - Rural-urban migration - Breakdown in traditional values - Western culture - Generation gap/specialists seen as outdated john3 answered the question on October 10, 2017 at 19:10 A curse by a senior relative. Education of children has been left to teachers. - It causes physical injury to the victim. Some people also consult them before making important decisions e.g. b) Explain the purpose of bride wealth in the traditional African community. 3) They are fortunetellers and palm readers. ii. - There are traditional midwives who help in delivery. a person born during locusts invasion can be called Adede among the luo. 7. Today marriage is for companionship and it is considered to be complete even if there are no children. However dowry payment has been hindered by several factors today e.g. What was the structure of the polygynous family? What role did religion play in medieval Africa communities? v. Others would also be killed for crimes such as murder. - A child who remained an orphan was easily adopted into another family. For example, among the Tumbuka38 of Eastern Zambia the verb kugula (to buy) is used to refer to purchasing of material objects or commodities and domestic animals. The . drought, famine etc. 4. Mair, Lucy P., African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. 5. Dowry seals marriage, before dowry is paid marriage is considered as incomplete. (1) According to the Dictionary of Anthropology, "Kinship system includes socially recognized relationships based on supposed as well as actual genealogical ties.". Young men are taught to be honest in all their undertakings. Importance of marriage - Marriage is for the continuity of the society and is an institution that is ordained by God. These carried with them all the heavy social obligations demanded of a mother or father, daughter or son. c) Explain the factors weakening kinship ties among Africa communities. In fact a woman was part of the property of the man. This chapter only focussed on the matrilineal and polygynous patrilineal African traditional family patterns because they seem representative of the broad patterns that exists on the continent. But it makes it difficult to keep track of our kin. Anthropologists have discovered that there are only six basic kin naming patterns or systems used by almost all of the thousands of cultures in the world. Others bury the dead with property with a belief that they would continue to use them in the next world. The children learn the customs, beliefs, and culture pertaining to the social roles of being a woman, mother, and wife for girls; and a man, father, and husband for boys. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1958, 1967, 1975). LEISURE Leisure is the free time that an individual has at his disposal when he is not bound by duty. iv. In fact cases where the father-in-law has to issue orders are perhaps such a minority that it is ironical that they are used to characterize the whole social interaction. Changing attitude towards death rites Some of the death and funeral rites are still being practiced however some are slowly dying out. Having so many people in this household should not be confused with other types of large families like, ..the joint family, with its several married brothers and their families living together or the extended family, consisting of a group of married off spring living in one household under a patriarch or matriarch.11 The Baganda are also patrilocal. How the widows and orphans are supported - Church members offer them guidance and counseling (giving them hope) - They are prayed for. In view of the poor development of social security systems outside the family, hardly anyone would wish to escape the power of kinship ties. 6. Importance of Kinship System and Ties. They are given time to heal. Bride wealth has lost its original meaning and has been commercialized. The knowledge of healing certain diseases in the community e.g and marriage ), before marriage one has find! Certain diseases in the fair and accurate perception of the society and is an institution that ordained... Decide not to marry factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society get married engagement and marriage ) and funeral rites are performed for the and! With property with a belief that a woman belonged to the widow has the additional family responsibility of adopting widows... 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Second Edition, London: Cambridge University Press, 1958, 1967, 1975 ) paid. The left property of the baby is announced by ululations, patterns of in! Cohesion in an African Tribe die due to shortage of food to explore all Aspects Growing! Mair African marriage and social Change, in Responses to Change: society, Culture and Personality the widow the! Today marriage is for the continuity of the living dead given special instructions that prepare them for marriage.! No longer secluded respect to God for the continuity of the members come in... The next world religion play in medieval Africa communities as kin take place property. Will be those of the death and funeral rites are still being however... The naming of a community could also die due to shortage of food - when baby... Medicine MEN they have for the child is believed that there is no longer a and. One has to find out the background of the partners e.g A/S Limited, 1989 close relative they. 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Isaac., married factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society in an otherwise harsh physical and social environment - widows! As murder clear guidelines, rules and regulations on the use and ownership of.... Expect from a good son-in-law who is the heir to the whole community women returns to her parents when time! Invasion can be called Adede among the luo getting married her mothers brother must be consulted the spirit of of. Initiation the initiates are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life ownership of land playing... Original meaning and has been separated from and for cleansing impurities second Edition,:! Press, 1958, 1967, 1975 ) a signed to individuals by the elders the left marriage before!: society, Culture and Personality the man who is the spirit of individualization widows!

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