The case studies presented will be those of the Baganda of Uganda and Bemba of Northern Zambia. 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. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. 5. But typically news, information, and gossip flow readily through the network, with some individuals acting as "kin . 9 J.A. e. In certain communities pregnant women and children are not allowed to go near touch the corpse to avoid misfortunes. viii. The issue to emphasize, is not so much that there are no weaknesses or shortcomings in the traditional African family, but that the Eurocentric Anglo-Saxon descriptions (that are believed to be objective and describe social phenomena as accurately as possible) eliminate, and over shadow the strengths and positive aspects that might have existed and may still exist in the African traditional family patterns. Some people believe casting of an evil eye would cause bodily harm to somebody. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. giving the expectant mother certain herbs. iv. Virginity is not highly valued and many people break their virginity at stage of adolescence. It is believed that after death one continues to live in the spirit world and therefore the dead relatives are to be given descent burial so that they cannot harm the living. Due to de-forestation, some herbs are becoming extinct. 4. Types of Kinship. - They ensure the values and culture of the community is observed. DeVos, (New York: D. Van Nostrand Co., 1976), 49 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. Importance of kinship ties to TAS Traditional African Society. They act as counselors and guide the people on all issues of life. 5. 3. Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. This paper aims at tackling the change in the anthropological view of marriage and kinship ties in the society. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.33 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). Primary kinship refers to direct relations. iv. (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. 2. The male head has control over children produced by the children of the group. In view of the poor development of social security systems outside the family, hardly anyone would wish to escape the power of kinship ties. The gift replaces her reminding the family that she has left her people yet she is not dead. - 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. - Religious organizations assist widows to start income generating projects. People have different roles to play and everyone is concerned about the welfare of the other. During this period, the couples are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. Through the kinship system, people learn the importance of sharing what they have with others. Elders are respected [32777] [42770]. 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. 25 This book is written in Chewa indigenous Central African language. 6. Kinship refers to relationship between people through blood, marriage or adoption. Twins are also given special names e.g. Although children are our main focus, we have a holistic approach to the problem . (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971). D. at Michigan State University in Sociology in 1987. 11. 2. Scholars of the African traditional family agree that the one widely known aspect that distinguishes the African traditional family, say from the European one, is the perversity of polygamy3. In some communities the choice is made by the parents. Importance of Initiation i. Social change in Africa as everywhere else is ubiquitous. 1975. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. fellow Christians. Polygyny was widely practiced in Africa and it often formed the backbone of the traditional African family patterns. - Virginity is highly valued and girls who are not found virgin are ridiculed. 3. [.] - However the practice of looking after widows and orphans is dying out. 4. ii. 2. Maintaining ties of kinship is the way to the security of the Muslim nation. - Life also progress from one stage to another. Their relevance today Some people still consult prophets on seers some couples may consult in case of barrenness. That is one cannot escape it 2 It brings impurity to the family and thus several rites are observed after death 3 It deprives the family and the community of the individual. These could be through words or deeds. - The hair of the mother and the child is shaved. It has been widely documented, particularly in Western cultural settings, that women prefer to compete less than men. Thesis. Mothers and children would die at childbirth to cases where there is no skilled mid-wife. - They give instructions to the younger generation on their roles and duties. Other significant strengths are that the traditional African family increased group cohesion in an otherwise harsh physical and social environment. 2. Opiyo and Odongo among the Luo. ii. Grandmothers teach girls their roles and grandfathers maintain law and order .Young unmarried men provide security in form of warriors while boys look after the animals. - There are cases of destruction of land and environment through dumping of wastes. 4. Young men are taught to develop self-love and love for the community it provides a sense of belonging. It offers a general survey of the geographical environments they inhabited; their settlements, social structures and economies; and their religions and cultures. It can determine a person's political identity and the way money and property are transferred. in women. The basic family unit among the Bemba was not the nuclear family. - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. There are serious cases of misuse of leisure in the form of; - Watching and reading pornographic literature. a person born during locusts invasion can be called Adede among the luo. Power and authority in matrilineal societies ultimately lies in the woman and her brother. - It was a common belief that a woman belonged to the whole community. As Eaton et al (2003) found in South Africa, for young people struggling for daily survival, protection from possible future illness may be a lower priority than meeting immediate economic needs. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. DEATH Death is the last rite in ones life and unlike other rites like initiation, naming. - 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. Because of this wide spectrum, it is not possible to explore all aspects of the traditional African family. - The wife or orphans sometimes get mistreated. 3. Other names can refer to place of birth e.g. if a person may not have been buried properly. Problems that the elderly face today 1. People that belong to the same kinship system are referred to as kin. A community has distinct beliefs, customs and cultural practices. The traditional Cheyenne kinship system is certainly an "indigenous society" where the roles and responsibilities of both parents created and sustained the family unit. The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. Ngulube, Naboth M. J., Some Aspects of Growing Up in Zambia, Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/S Limited, 1989. - Protection charms are tied around the neck or the waist of the child. Girls brought wealth in form of cattle to marriage. theories regarding family structure" (D . There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. GAZETTE: How have ancestors . 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. They are free most of them and can get time for the younger generation. 6. 36 Lucy P. Mair African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. In many traditional African societies, kinship ties are similarly expansive and can include a large and diverse range of relationships. This article looks at the societies and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa in pre-modern history. The gifts also act as security in case the marriage breaks then the gifts could be returned. Evans-Pritchard, J.J., Some Aspects of Marriage and the Family Among the Nuer, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1945, 1969. It symbolized death and resurrection. Natural Factors: ADVERTISEMENTS: Natural forces and factors play an important role in unifying or disintegrating the society. - Children born out of marriage also provide security to the homes. 4) Some people who falsely claim to be diviners today simply exploit the ignorance of the people. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. 5. Life is seen to begin from the time of conception since unborn children are taken as part of the community. Their roles include the following:- i. 3) They are fortunetellers and palm readers. Everybody in the community is expected to work hard. - Initiation rites have certain symbolic meanings. - Sometimes the orphans and widows have their property destroyed or snatched. - Through marriage, the living dead and those yet to be born are brought together. The youth are ritually introduced to the communal living. Spirit of sharing: In African Traditional Community there is the spirit of sharing of resources among the members of a community e.g. The clan chooses the heir. The mother and the child is no longer secluded. Explaining these changes would require a different chapter. Each stage has its own features, some of which are perhaps peculiar to the Baganda customs and system of socialization in their traditional family pattern. ..it is not until this ceremony is completed that the childs legitimacy is once and forever established.17, People gather at the clan chiefs house. Consanguineal kinship: this kinship is based on blood the relationship meaning the relationship between parents and children also among immediate siblings. 4. This explains why the family household included servants, female slaves, and their children. 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. ii. They believe iron implements attract lightning. Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. The language of the Baganda carries no word for love or tender affection; the closest is a word that is best translated as like.43. 1. 2. - Widows and orphans feel dehumanized. They also do the work of advisors e.g. The permissive society has also encouraged trial marriages. 2. They could also warn of impending danger. The written descriptions and therefore perceptions of the traditional African family were also a victim of the European colonial cultural bias and Christian values. 3. Others reflect the problems the parents faced e.g. - They would stay overnight and the following day they would go to bathe in the river with cold water. Courage is usually praised. - They suffer from psychological and emotional problems - Sometimes widows face lack of essentials such as food. There is a lot of secrecy surrounding the knowledge of herbs. 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. Babbie, Earl R., Sociology: An Introduction. (1) According to the Dictionary of Anthropology, "Kinship system includes socially recognized relationships based on supposed as well as actual genealogical ties.". They are those who do not believe in traditional medicine. - Some pieces of land are being regarded as public land. among the Akamba pregnant women are not supposed to eat fats, beans or animals killed using poison. Religious (invisible) causes of death They included: i. They are believed to be full of wisdom. 6. Naming ceremonies also bring unity among the people whenever a new child is born, members of extended family would come to celebrate together. Some people also consult them before making important decisions e.g. 3. - Marriage enables one to assume leadership rules an unmarried person would not be chosen a leader. Ch. The naming of a child is therefore an important occasion, which is often marked with ceremonies. One-parent families headed by a woman for any reason are much poorer ($30,296 in 2008 median annual income) than those headed by a man ($44,358). vi. b. Each community has a distinct political and social organization. 5. Would provide medical care e.g. v. They are taught secrets of the society. They give information concerning cause, nature and treatment of diseases. Land Ownership: It is no longer communal affair but a private affair. Elders iv. 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. Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. they are consulted before installation of a new king in some communities. Bridgewater, VA 22812 The verb kulobola is very specific meaning the valuables that are given partially or in full to the girls people to legitimate or seal the marriage. Second, the continued Eurocentric descriptions and characterization of the African traditional family as some what depraved lead to the use of such terms as bride price, avoidance social taboos, segregated relationships, lack of love and tenderness in African marriages and families. Many people spend their leisure time watching videos, Television and films, Certain leisure activities such as soccer have been turned into well-paying professions. Wealth was seen in terms of: 1. To protect the child from evil eyes. TOPIC 9:AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES MEANING AND WHOLENESS OF LIFE- In the African traditional society, life is believed to originate from God. 4. g. The body is carefully placed in the grave facing an appropriate direction according to the customs of the people. The kinships are based on two broad aspects 1) Birth (Blood relationships) 2) marriages. Kinship is a social relationship based on real consanguinity. 12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. Others bury the dead with property with a belief that they would continue to use them in the next world. Importance of seclusion period 1. The naming ceremony is very important early in the childs life. But rather the matrilocal extended family comprised of a man and his wife, their married daughters, son-in-laws, and their children. Today many people do not believe in rainmakers. 6. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. The anthropology of the Caribbean has been called "the battle ground for competing. 48 R. A. LeVine, Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Socety, Culture and Personality. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/S Limited, 1989), 38 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. 126. 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