It starts at birth and continues through to death. He has no rights on his paternal clan. Sometimes people mistake that they are witch doctors especially Christians. - Among the Luo the bride could be accompanied by her other sisters and on the first night, the people would witness the breaking of virginity. In the western culture, marriage results in permanent bonds between the couple, with centrally assigned sexual rights among the couple and parenthood responsibility. TOPIC 9:AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES MEANING AND WHOLENESS OF LIFE- In the African traditional society, life is believed to originate from God. 5. The community disciplined those who showed traits of greed over ownership of property. The term 'brother' and 'sister' shows the sex of blood relations. 35 3Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions. The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. These primary ties, as we may call them,4 are biologically the same in all societies,5 though, functionally, they may differ from culture to culture.6 But kinship ties do not rest within the reproductive family. Others bury the dead with property with a belief that they would continue to use them in the next world. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. iv. By combining the patrilocal rule of residence with consanguinal descent, the Baganda have built a formidable system of clans.13, Among the Baganda, the clan has remained the most important kinship entity. Second Edition, London: Cambridge University Press, 1984, Ch. v. There was a lot of fairness in the distribution of property. - The government and churches have built homes for them - They are given food etc. Some reflect the condition of weather or season at the time of birth. 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 refers to the relationships between people. Everybody in the community is expected to work hard. ix. Factors that have affected Kinship system 1. Although children among the Baganda are brought up in an unroutinized and casual way with a few rites of passage to adulthood, they seem to go through three distinct stages during their up bringing. - Initiation rites have certain symbolic meanings. 4. Problems experienced by widows and orphans - They suffer from lack of company because they feel abandoned. These views were expressed before 1930s and as late as 1960s. This helps to control peoples behaviors. Reconnecting with a genetic tie Genetic resource and testing connected a person to their blood. It was written in 1988. Other names may also refer to the characteristics of the mothers pregnancy or the nature of delivery e.g. Schapera, Isaac., Married Life in an African Tribe. Rites of passage: These are ceremonies that are performed to a group of people to mark important stages of life. The anthropology of the Caribbean has been called "the battle ground for competing. People of the same age set consider themselves as brothers and sisters. Kinship ties definition: Kinship is the relationship between members of the same family. This paper aims at tackling the change in the anthropological view of marriage and kinship ties in the society. In rural areas, the family typically . A curse by a senior relative. Strong religious beliefs helped bind the members of society together and inspire a sense of unity. 3. - The introduction of money economy has reduced the value of land. - Playing football - Wresting - Beer drinking - Wedding ceremonies - Riddles - Folktales - Tongue twisters Today several changes have affected leisure activities. Many women today put on trousers that initially were meant for men. They are given time to heal. - The wife or orphans sometimes get mistreated. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. Boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless under supervision. 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History. Are made up of smaller units called clan. - Marriage extended relationship and therefore enlarged kinship ties. iv. - Presents are given to the baby and mother as a sign of good will. 6 Ibid., p.10 Note also that special attention should be paid to the distinction between polygyny being practiced widely among people of Africa and it being the dominant form of traditional family pattern. Urbanization: Where people of different cultures interact with one another. Kinship System in African Communities. In a typical traditional African society, the family comprised of a number of individuals, ranging from grandparents,aunts,uncles, father, mother, children etc sometimes the "sahwira" is also regarded as part of that family in some sense. The wishes of parents and the dead were honored. Actual birth - During birth there are certain rituals that are performed to introduce the chills to the immediate and extended members of the family. How the of rites passage inculcate moral values In the traditional African communities, people learn the moral values through every days activities and through education provided. 4. There are counselors that give the aged hope and love. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1983. The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. They also perform light duties for relatives. Included in this same bigger household will be servants, female slaves, and their children.10 The father remains the head of the nuclear family units. a. It is a source of food for the people and the animals. 2. 6. - The girls would take back the sheet with a lot of ululation and rejoicing and one girl would remain behind to study the character of the man. ii. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. Meanwhile, the median income of married-couple families is much higher ($72,589). - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. Edited by G.A. Consanguineal kinship: this kinship is based on blood the relationship meaning the relationship between parents and children also among immediate siblings. (East Lansing, Michigan State University, 1980) p.11 Unpublished M.A. - Purification rites are performed for the mother and the child to make the child pure. Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. - In most communities the child and the mother are kept in seclusion for a number of days, depending on the sex of the baby. There are strict rules and taboos governing sex. Reviews the biological and sociological constants of kinship; Previews the topicsto be covered in marriage, family and larger kinship units. In this system, all brothers of the father are called father, all sisters of the mother are called mother, all their children brother and sister. NAMING Nearly all-African names have a meaning. 2. Many people spend their leisure time watching videos, Television and films, Certain leisure activities such as soccer have been turned into well-paying professions. He was a Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Zambia from 1977 to 1990. Some people believe casting of an evil eye would cause bodily harm to somebody. If the child laughs, then the last mentioned name is given to him or her, .and the soul of the ancestors is considered to have entered its body.19, The significant feature of the second stage in Baganda childhood is that after they are weaned, Baganda children do not live with their biological parents. A community has distinct beliefs, customs and cultural practices. false T/F: Female slaves generally worked outdoors while male slaves did domestic work. The Baganda people of Uganda provide the best illustration.7. 2. if a person may not have been buried properly. There are serious cases of misuse of leisure in the form of; - Watching and reading pornographic literature. J. Clyde Mitchell, The Yao Village: a Study in the Social Structure of a Malawian Tribe. Lous Wirth also believed that the city is not conducive to the traditional type of family life. 4. Urbanization has undermined the role of of the elders as it becomes difficult for elders to operate as the people come from different backgrounds. 6 It separates one from the loved ones. What role did religion play in medieval Africa communities? For example, in the polygynous African family, like among the Baganda, and many others, your fathers wives and brothers were not just mothers and fathers just as mere kinship terms. Modern education and western culture has affected dowry payment in that many educated attach little value to dowry payment. 5. Overall, there are two forms of social groups that from the basis of Bemba marriage and traditional family. In fact Chondoka finds the use of the terms dowry, bride price to refer to particularly traditional Zambian marriages to be serious misnomers introduced by European missionaries and colonialists in Africa. - 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. They lead people to communal prayer in time of crisis. © 2023 Tutorke Limited. What are the 6 kinship systems? vi. Children among the matrilineal peoples are brought up in a similar traditional extended family village social environment. Good, Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. They can foretell the future e.g. There was never a distinction between the biological and non-biological kin as far as primary parental obligations were concerned. - Taking of dangerous drugs. - The practices vary from one community to another. Property could be owned by community, individuals or families. - Virginity is highly valued and girls who are not found virgin are ridiculed. The Family; Its Structures and Functions. 7 Nobody knows what happens after life on earth here. v. Others would also be killed for crimes such as murder. PRIESTS/PROPHETS OR SEERS - These are other religious specialists who play a special role as intermediaries between God and human beings. According to Mair, .the polygynous joint family, consisting of a man, his wives, and their children, is the ideal for most Africans.5 Studies conducted from the 1930s to 1950s indicate that polygyny was common virtually in all regions of Africa.6, In spite of the perversity of polygyny, there was evidence that it was on the decline. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. The developments in science and technology. - They are given financial assistance. 2 William J. in cases of death, the whole community mourn. Many people have migrated to towns where people come from different backgrounds. iv. BIRTH Pregnancy - This is the first stage in the life of a person. 7. Naming gives identity to a person before a child is given a name she or he is not considered as having full identity. The land belonged to the whole community. 25 likes 25,448 views. - After the cutting of the skin, the initiates are put in special huts for a period of time. - Property can be owned outside ones ancestral home. Those who are lazy are ridiculed. Children could be named after their dead relatives. The youth are believed to be free with them. Download Now. It symbolizes the union between the living and the dead. There are two main types of leisure: (1) Passive leisure: This is where there is minimal use of physical energy. Richards, Audrey I., Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969. These constitute the core of the Bemba traditional African family around which the social organization of the traditional society revolves. Introduction. 2. iii. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. - Respect. 8. 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. Yet others could also die due to old age. ii. Most of the time they suffer from old age diseases. Everybody is a part of the other. - In some communities it would last for several days. N.S.S.F. The book describes and explains Chewa traditions and customs including Ukamwini. Less traditional family structures in sitcoms gained popularity in the 1980s with shows such as Diff'rent Strokes (a widowed man with two adopted African American sons) and One Day at a Time (a divorced woman with two teenage daughters). in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. A woman inherits her maternal grandmother or sisters. 6. This was because: - i. Africans believe that land was given to them by God. 28-39. Babbie, Earl R., Sociology: An Introduction. among the Akamba pregnant women are not supposed to eat fats, beans or animals killed using poison. They also do the work of advisors e.g. v. In some cases if a man is married and wants another wife his first or other wives would be involved in making the proposal. 3. - People do not have a lot of attachment to land, as there are other means of survival. 3. Bantu Migrations Stateless Societies Bantu Societies did not depend on elaborate hierarchy of officials of a bureaucracy Governed through Kinship groups - extended families consisting of about 100 people. During initiation the young adults are taught matters relating to sex and adulthood. 3. Leisure Activities: This is the time that one has at his disposal. - It also shows that the woman is fully integrated to the husbands family - There are certain rules and regulations she is expected to observe. Bride wealth has lost its original meaning and has been commercialized. 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