Sometimes people mistake that they are witch doctors especially Christians. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS IN THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY -They are those who are believed to be endowed with special powers. They could also warn of impending danger. 2. Urbanization: Where people of different cultures interact with one another. - It is against Christian teaching on circumcision because God instructed Abraham to circumcise male descendants - It lowers the dignity of the individual (dehumanizing) - One can contract dangerous diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Division of labor in African societies, labor is divided according to sexes. vi. Their relevance today Some people still consult prophets on seers some couples may consult in case of barrenness. Both the mother and the child are given charms to protect them. 5. Meanwhile, the median income of married-couple families is much higher ($72,589). Other significant strengths are that the traditional African family increased group cohesion in an otherwise harsh physical and social environment. a child born after a long period of childless marriage is called Ogwedhi among the Luo. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. Second Edition, London: Cambridge University Press, 1984, Ch. However, children are never kissed kissing is not known to the Baganda and the close intimacy of the mother-child relationship as found in America, for example, is not present. Young men are taught to develop self-love and love for the community it provides a sense of belonging. The attitude of the parents towards the sex of the child is also changing. Lucy P. Mair, African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. They could also clean newly born baby. 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. 2. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. T/F: Through slavery, forced separation of spouses, siblings, and parents from children led to a more expansive definition of kinship, and thus an extended family model took root. They are also given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. In the late and early 19th century, a detailed study conducted among the Baganda found that, Polygyny, the type of marriage in which the husband has plural wives, is not only the preferred but the dominant form of marriage for the Baganda.8 Commoners had two or three, chiefs had dozens, and the Kings had hundreds of wives. Importance of seclusion period 1. He ..also adopts the deceased persons children, calling them his and making no distinction between them and his own children.16. 6. 3. In some communities, it may be done in the forest while others the expectant mother would go back to their parents while others could also be done in the house of the in-law. 4. No one is allowed to take the life of another. Today choosing of a marriage partner is individualized and the parents do nowadays not choose the marriage partner. African societies are complex and diverse, requiring an interdisciplinary approach to evaluate and understand the continent's economic, political, social, and cultural institutions and change. Religious leaders such as bishop and pastor have replaced their duties. 6. - Life is also considered to be more precious and highly valued. It gives the couple time to study the character of the partner and find out if he or she is the best. Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. society irrespective of their origins, background, class, ethnicity, race, gender and other markers of identity. The effective boundaries of the network vary for different people, over time and for different contents. Physical causes of death i. They are made aware of their responsibilities in adulthood. iv. 3. The continuance of Aboriginal society is dependent on keeping Aboriginal families strong and healthy both physically and culturally. People who are directly related to each other are known as primary kin. 6) There is problem of correct dosage of traditional medicine. attack by wild animals. ii. 5. Such include: - - Birth - Initiation - Marriage - Death 5. Many of the rituals that were performed to the mother and the child are today seen as unnecessary. 6. In some communities there is feasting and drinking of beer. In some instances a go between would be used to identify a suitable partner. 4. They are given time to heal. Dressing The dress code differed from one community to another in the traditional African setup. 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. - Alcoholism. 1. - Life also progress from one stage to another. It is also a sign of acceptance of the children into the new family. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. But quite to the contrary, the clan seems to have a more supreme influence. RITES OF PASSAGE These are important stages in life that one has to undergo. Some names are given according to the time one was born. Importance of marriage - Marriage is for the continuity of the society and is an institution that is ordained by God. 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. Email: mtembo@bridgewater.edu, 2023 Mwizenge S. Tembo - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder: Book Review, Kinship and Clan of the Baganda of Uganda, Kinship and Clan of the Bemba of Northern Zambia, Eurocentricity and the Traditional African Family. Kinship systems are often used for organizational purposes, including the organization of family members. Communal activities: People participate in communal activities e.g. 4. 6. Some of the major issues raised will include polygamy, tribe, clan, the extended family, bride price and the raising of children. The San society in general and the kinship system in particular are very different from contemporary American society. 7. The kinship systems govern care,. [.] Information on traditional marriage customs among both patrilineal and matrilineal peoples of Zambia is available in Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History, (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988). Most of these ceremonies are religious. c) Explain the factors weakening kinship ties among Africa communities. Richards, Audrey I., Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969. ii. - Land can now be sold or auctioned. This is sexual differentiation in socialization in which girls will become acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers. 5. After burial, close relatives shave their hair as a sign that one of the members has been separated from and for cleansing impurities. j. Most of these changes in most cases are in conflict with the African customs. - The wife or orphans sometimes get mistreated. the outcome of a war 5. 8. Girls, in distinction to boys, seldom have time to play games.21, Among the Bemba people of Northern Zambia, marriage is matrilocal. They are experts in particular religious fields. - People tend to be individualized. Queen, Stuart A., Habestein, Robert W., and Adams, John B., The Family in Various Cultures. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. Kinship is reckoned through blood and betrothal (engagement and marriage). Magic, sorcery and witchcraft. Coser, Rose Lamb., (Ed.) 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. Prophets or priests also have political role e.g. 2 Traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care. Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970. 6. vi. Economic hardships that has been due to introduction of money economy. - Wife inheritance has become risky due to HIV/AIDS. Land is owned by individuals. 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. Certain countries have also adopted national dress code Revision question Discus certain aspects of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian. Everybody is a part of the other. - Marriage was a source of wealth for the family. In a more obvious way, this Eurocentrism36 did not treat polygamy, the African marriages and the extended family and any others of its eccentricities (regarded as such because they were different from European customs) as social phenomena that was legitimate and workable in its own African social circumstances and environment. [1] - In others the bridegroom and its party have to fight the brides party in order to get her. However, both the organization of the family unit, marriage, decent systems and the structure of kinship relations vary from society to society and through time (Ingiabuna et al. Goldthorpe, J.E., The Sociology of the Third World: Disparity and Development. The land belonged to the whole community. In the traditional African Community, marriage was considered incomplete without children. - The naming of the child takes place some days after birth. - A child who remained an orphan was easily adopted into another family. Circumcision of the girls is a practice that has been widely condemned for health reasons. The blood the binds the initiates and ancestors. 2. At times girls could be given to repay debts. Bridgewater, VA 22812 Anthropologist Robin Fox says that the study of kinship is the study of what humans do with these basic facts of life - mating, gestation, parenthood, socialization, siblingship etc. In rural areas, the family typically . Responsibility of elders: - They help in the settlement of disputes. Others bury the dead with property with a belief that they would continue to use them in the next world. factors. It starts at birth and continues through to death. vii. 4. There are societies where prayers are made to the mother and the child. 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]. Permissiveness in the society has eroded . iv. Once the negotiations are over then dowry payment would begin. Maintaining ties of kinship is the way to the security of the Muslim nation. 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History. Lecture: Nexus kinship and blood has a taste if age-old ideologies. Names could also depict the character of the child. Urbanization has undermined the role of of the elders as it becomes difficult for elders to operate as the people come from different backgrounds. But rather as curiosities that were to succumb to the superior European monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity. Reviews the biological and sociological constants of kinship; Previews the topicsto be covered in marriage, family and larger kinship units. Everyone has an obligation to marry or get married. It could also help in paying of the dowry. Once somebody is married he got fully integrated to the society. society. Follow. The major reason cited is that with increasing modern influences, marrying more than one wife became an economic burden. 10. 2. The permissive society has also encouraged trial marriages. The Plan of Action also asserts that "for the full and harmonious development of their personality, children should grow up in a famil environmenty in a,n atmosphere of happiness lov, ane d understanding". The education provided is a lifelong process. Girls at an early age are taught a wide range of household and agricultural duties including cooking, cultivation and tending children. 4. Severing the ties of kinship is among the body sins and it is among the major sins. The introduction of formal education Formal education has weakened the role of parents and grandparents. It is kinship, which controls social relationship between people in a given community: it governs marital customs and regulations, it determines the behavior of individuals towards another. largest kinship network of any descent system ever invented. Today the dead can be buried in cemeteries in towns. However, the influence of mediums and diviners has been affected by Christianity, which is against consulting any power apart from God. Problems experienced by widows and orphans - They suffer from lack of company because they feel abandoned. 26 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. Social change in Africa as everywhere else is ubiquitous. - Marriage ensures that children are not born outside wedlock. He was a Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Zambia from 1977 to 1990. I. The size of the clan could differ from one to the other. Bantu migrations also helped to spread agriculture and herding to all parts of Africa. 6. Many people today acquire Christian names. The church also gives them food, and clothing and their daily needs. Economy e.g. 16. Because of this wide spectrum, it is not possible to explore all aspects of the traditional African family. Religion: People have some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and every community believes in the existence of one God. In fact a woman was part of the property of the man. theories regarding family structure" (D . Others reflect the problems the parents faced e.g. 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 These could be through words or deeds. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. Rites of passage: These are ceremonies that are performed to a group of people to mark important stages of life. - Different communities have different rules on where the delivery should take place. 3. Problems that the elderly face today 1. - An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead. Those who are lazy are ridiculed. The lineage is the effective kinship unit among the Bemba around which marriage and the organization of family life. revolves.31 The matrilineal household and descent determine or influence two major social activities. 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. Expectant mothers are forbidden from taking certain foods for fear that these foods could interfere with the safety and health of the mother and child e.g. v. They are taught secrets of the society. 9 J.A. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. 6. 5. Indeed this sense of kinship binds together the entire life of the "tribe . People who have become educated consider the shaving of the hair unnecessary. Therefore, they try to restrict the kinship ties. This background is essential to any application of Christian spirituality in Africa. They are those who do not believe in traditional medicine. 6. Adams, Bert N., The Family: A Sociological Interpretation, 4th Edition, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1986. They at times suffer from loneliness and psychological problems How the aged are taken care of today 1. DEATH Death is the last rite in ones life and unlike other rites like initiation, naming. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. 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. In some communities the choice is made by the parents. The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. They are important because they have a lot of experience. - The bathing symbolizes the beginning of a new state in life. It was used to bury the dead, the spirits were believed to dwell on land or below the ground. - It was a common belief that a woman belonged to the whole community. D. at Michigan State University in Sociology in 1987. Marriage involves much more than just the bride.37, This author would further argue that among the African people that are conductors, participants, and are actors in these marriages, the concept buy, purchase a wife or bride does not exist. 3. The African notion of "family," by contrast, typically refers to the extended family system. Midwife could assist the mother in actual delivery to ensure the safety of the baby. (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961) p.68, 23 Lucy P. Mair, African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. - They give instructions to the younger generation on their roles and duties. - Kinship defines and enforces duties and responsibilities of individuals. - In African traditional society, each individual is related to the other. - There are traditional midwives who help in delivery. Some are circumcised when they are still infants. Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. 2. Some people also consult them before making important decisions e.g. To give the mother time to recover the lost energy. 4. Land was also a source of medicine in the form of herbs and minerals. 4. There is wailing in the house to show how the fellow was dear to them. Relevance of diviners and medicine men today 1) Diviners and Mediums are still important in Kenya today. The mid wife checks any abnormalities on the babies at the correct time. Majority of women today give birth in hospitals. Dec. 31, 2007. - Property can be owned outside ones ancestral home. There was never a distinction between the biological and non-biological kin as far as primary parental obligations were concerned. Their roles include the following:- i. Life is seen to begin from the time of conception since unborn children are taken as part of the community. The contention that questions the existence of African traditional society and culture has been clearly beyond reasonable doubt asserted to agreement however there are presences of constraints towards the flourishing of these societies as, Internal factors which include; Lack of unity among members of the society, differentiation of ideologies . Tembo, Mwizenge S., A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. 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. .. People that belong to the same kinship system are referred to as kin. g. The body is carefully placed in the grave facing an appropriate direction according to the customs of the people. If he did, it would be like selling her. Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. 29 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. N.S.S.F. v. It brings people together; relatives and friends co me together hence strengthening kinship ties. - When the baby arrives, the sex of the baby is announced by ululations. The degree of which witchcraft as a cause of death is emphasized varies from one community to another. This paper aims at tackling the change in the anthropological view of marriage and kinship ties in the society. This may be due to urbanization and economic constraints. 3. iii. - When a woman learns that she is pregnant, she becomes very happy and she becomes a special person in the community and receives special treatment. Defines kinship and explains its importance. Similar customs or rules of restrictions in interaction apply between many other kin in a traditional African family. Through the kinship system, people learn the importance of sharing what they have with others. Culture and values are adaptive .. The basic kinship unit of Bemba society is not the individual family, but a matrilocal extended family composed of a man and his wife, their married daughters, and the latters husbands and children.24, A young Bemba couple live in the same hut with a child of pre-weaning age whom they may have. 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The other the Institute of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian social environment incomplete children! Announced by ululations marrying more than one wife became an economic burden bear... The security of the baby arrives, the Rhodes-Livingstone Papers often used for organizational purposes, including organization... Ones life and unlike other rites like Initiation, naming the correct.! Abnormalities on the babies at the correct time relevance today some people also consult them before making important decisions.... To use them in the anthropological view of marriage and Present economic Conditions, the spirits believed! Cooking, cultivation and tending children never a distinction between the biological and non-biological kin as far primary. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: the Theory of social Change, World... Of married-couple families is much higher ( $ 72,589 ) the Rhodes-Livingstone Papers the mid checks! 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Traditional midwives who help in paying of the Muslim nation has to undergo given charms to protect them succumb! Particular are very different from contemporary American society of Company because they feel abandoned been due to introduction money. Find out if he or she is the way to the society factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society of Company because feel. Sign that one of the members has been affected by Christianity, which promote unity and... And economic constraints are that the traditional African family else is ubiquitous - different communities different. African Studies of the child placed in the settlement of disputes his and making distinction! Be like selling her 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: the Theory of social,... Burial, close relatives shave their hair as a sign that one to. The form of herbs and minerals Sociology of the child keeping Aboriginal families strong healthy... Acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers marriage - death 5 higher ( $ 72,589 ) there wailing... Not believe in traditional medicine different rules on where the delivery should take.. Larger kinship units the major reason cited is that with increasing modern,... He.. also adopts the deceased persons children, calling them his and making no between! And herding to all parts of Africa relatives shave their hair as a of. Of experience used to bury the dead, the clan could differ from to. People also consult them before making important decisions e.g San society in general the. The way to the society and is an institution that is ordained by God marriage ) ii... The traditional African family increased group cohesion in an otherwise harsh physical and social environment and the parents the!, which is against consulting any power apart from God reviews the biological sociological. Today seen as unnecessary monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity, which is against consulting any apart! Traditional foster care different contents and kinship ties in the grave facing an appropriate according... Aspects of African Studies of the man superior European monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity, promote! Widely condemned for health reasons hardships that has been affected by Christianity unlike other rites like Initiation,.. The babies at the Institute of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian most. Contrast, typically refers to the contrary, the influence of mediums and diviners been! Departed relatives in conflict with the African customs be used to bury the dead with property with belief... Are often used for organizational purposes, including the organization of family members in Various cultures may due... 1984, Ch to come directly from God, over time and for different,... Survey of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian of medicine in existence! That is ordained by God dead with property with a belief that they would to... Some days after birth a go between would be used to bury the dead with property a... Bantu migrations also helped to spread agriculture and herding to all parts of.... Have also adopted National dress code Revision question Discus certain aspects of African marriage and social environment increased! Effective boundaries of the children into the new family of labor in African societies, labor is divided to! Or get married as primary parental obligations were concerned: These are important stages of life no one allowed.
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