Economic hardships that has been due to introduction of money economy. They are given time to heal. Bride wealth has lost its original meaning and has been commercialized. Dowry is important in that:- 1. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. This is certainly no longer the case in the contemporary African traditional family. By 1935, for example, anthropologists like Mair and Richards and no doubt many others were already noticing change in marriage and family patterns.36. 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. Lastly, this author will argue that the Eurocentric nature of the descriptions and characterization of the traditional African family patterns by earlier scholars has tended to distort and obscure many of the strengths of the African traditional family. g. The body is carefully placed in the grave facing an appropriate direction according to the customs of the people. Primary kinship refers to direct relations. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. 5. Kinship relationships were and still are important among 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 church also gives them food, and clothing and their daily needs. Therefore, the new families tend to generally live near or with the husbands parents. Your husband or wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law are all kinsmen related to you through marriage. Communal activities: People participate in communal activities e.g. Lucy P. Mair, African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. - Some widows and children are not accepted or welcomed in their new homes. 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. New York: The Free Press, 1963. 7) Many of the traditional medicine men are not willing to divulge information to others (a lot of secrecy surrounding traditional medicine) 8) Those who are educated also do not believe in the powers of diviners and mediums. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. iv. - Children born out of marriage also provide security to the homes. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. 7. Challenges facing herbalists 1. After initiation, one has the right to marry. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. 2. 28-39. DeVos, (New York: D. Van Nostrand Co., 1976). However dowry payment has been hindered by several factors today e.g. This explains why the family household included servants, female slaves, and their children. Dec. 31, 2007. - They would stay overnight and the following day they would go to bathe in the river with cold water. - Generosity. Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970. In some communities if a woman is barren, she would bring another woman to bring children on her behalf. -The spirit of sharing. 7 Nobody knows what happens after life on earth here. The moral values learnt include:- -Obedience/loyalty. In some societies it is young people themselves who make their own choices and after wards informs their parents about it. Although human beings have made tremendous progress during the last 150 years or so, yet they have not been able to wield full control over the nature. Department of Sociology But they are terminologically differentiated from parallel cousins and from sisters. - The wife or orphans sometimes get mistreated. The elderly are physically in active. Opiyo and Odongo among the Luo. How the widows and orphans are supported - Church members offer them guidance and counseling (giving them hope) - They are prayed for. It was a signed to individuals by the elders. 1. 4) Some people who falsely claim to be diviners today simply exploit the ignorance of the people. For example, all weapons and iron implements are removed from the house of an expectant mother. The term 'brother' and 'sister' shows the sex of blood relations. - The placenta is disposed of ceremoniously e.g. The husband could take his wife home if the marriage was thought stable especially after the couple has had two or more children. Thorne, Barrie., and Yalom, Marilyn., (Eds.) 7. According to Dziro and Mhlanga (2018), urbanization, HIV/AIDS, and poverty in Africa are all factors that stifle the effectiveness of informal kinship approaches to proper childcare and. c) Explain the factors weakening kinship ties among Africa communities. Consanguineal kinship: this kinship is based on blood the relationship meaning the relationship between parents and children also among immediate siblings. 7. - Virginity is highly valued and girls who are not found virgin are ridiculed. As an American Indian insider researcher, I intend to recover the traditional Cheyenne kinship system, relying on archives collected from the Smithsonian Institute (National . 12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. 5. - The practices vary from one community to another. While the basic functions of the family remain the same all over the world, traditional African families have undergone significant transformations attributed to an interplay of factors, including Christianity, industrialization, educational expansion, population growth, monetization of the economy, migration, civilization, and now globalization. There are three main types of kinship: lineal, collateral, and affinal. 4. 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. Religious (invisible) causes of death They included: i. 6. 6) There is problem of correct dosage of traditional medicine. 3. false T/F: Female slaves generally worked outdoors while male slaves did domestic work. 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. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. d. If it is a man, the wife is supposed to stay around the corpse among them show clearly she would miss the husband. 2. Polygyny though set the tone and often determined the strength of the society and pattern of social organization of the traditional African family. (Eds.) Some names are given according to the time one was born. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. - There are traditional midwives who help in delivery. The descriptions implicitly portray (to the African and Westerner) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable. Young initiates are trained to be responsible husbands and wives in future. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. Girls take care of the babies and fetch firewood. DEATH RITES When a person dies, members of the family gather at the home of the deceased and leave their everyday commitments for a while. The government, the church and non-governmental organizations have built homes for the aged. v. Taking oaths falsely. Depending on the region and the people, these. among the Akamba pregnant women are not supposed to eat fats, beans or animals killed using poison. Through supernatural powers iii. Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. (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. There are societies where prayers are made to the mother and the child. 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. The histories and cultures of Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia and North Africa are covered . vii. He has no rights on his paternal clan. Human society is unique, he argues, in that we are "working with the same raw material as exists in the animal world, but [we] can conceptualize and categorize it to In western European societies Jack Goode finds that world revolution has contributed for the transformation of . Follow. ii. Anything described in these terms must inherently be bad, primitive and, therefore, undesirable.41, Typical of this Eurocentric characterization of the traditional African family is often not only the contention that there cannot be genuine love in a polygamous marriages but that even monogamous ones lack genuine love. Rules and Regulations: People in the community are governed by rules and regulations, which are strictly followed. Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. It is the kinship ties which determine a person's rights, responsibilities and behaviour. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Society, Culture and Personality. 48 R. A. LeVine, Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Socety, Culture and Personality. ii. That is to say a man goes to live in his wifes village, at any rate for the first years of his married life.22 This is also true of marriage among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lala, Lamba, Chewa, Kaonde, and many others. the outcome of a war 5. 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. - Taking of dangerous drugs. 3. i. Meanwhile, the husband works under his father-in-laws orders with other young son-in-laws.26 A matrilocal family of this kind forms the nucleus of a village community (umushi) which other relatives of the head of the family afterwards join.27, Polygamy or polygyny, which is a distinguishing feature in many traditional African families especially is patrilineal and patriarchal societies, is uncommon among the matrilineal Bemba. .The eldest son cannot inherit.15, The Baganda practice the levirate custom. Strong religious beliefs helped bind the members of society together and inspire a sense of unity. - 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. FACTORS AFFECTING THE SYSTEM 173 THE SIB: DESCENT AND EXOGAMY Kinship ties necessarily begin within the family as a pro- creational unit. The traditional African family is a very broad concept which has challenging variations across the continent. In the African understanding, it is believed that there is no natural death. Clyde., The Yao Village: a Study in the Social Structure of a Malawian Tribe. - In some communities e.g. The purpose of sex is purely for procreation hence this discouraged sex before marriage. Everybody in the community is expected to work hard. - People do not have a lot of attachment to land, as there are other means of survival. 2. 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. Many people today acquire Christian names. - It is through marriage that children are born to the community. Stephens, William N., The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective, New York: University Press of America, 1982. 2. It was used to bury the dead, the spirits were believed to dwell on land or below the ground. - The departed relatives are kept alive through naming. This chapter will briefly explore traditional African family patterns describing the patrilineal and matrilineal families. the Agikuyu the ancestors are Mumbi and Gikuyu were created by Ngai. Due to de-forestation, some herbs are becoming extinct. Edited by G.A. The author describes the interaction between the Baganda mother and her baby as unfavorable and lacking any affection or love. Responsibility of elders: - They help in the settlement of disputes. the pain the initiates underwent. 3. The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. During initiation the initiates are given special instructions that prepare them for future life. Evans-Pritchard, J.J., Some Aspects of Marriage and the Family Among the Nuer, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1945, 1969. - Kinship helps to care for the less fortunate members of the society e.g. 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. Natural Factors: ADVERTISEMENTS: Natural forces and factors play an important role in unifying or disintegrating the society. v. Polygamy is encouraged for sexual satisfaction for men. The permissive society has also encouraged trial marriages. Yet others could also die due to old age. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. 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. Importance of kinship ties to TAS 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. 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. Some have even gone as far as saying that for the African husband nothing else matters so long as he impregnates his wife every few years.42 In the study of the Baganda traditional family cited earlier, the author describes how children are raised among the Baganda. Courtship gives the two families time to prepare in advance for the real marriage. Importance of Kinship - Kinship system defines how members relate to one another i.e. Headmanships of villages, court offices, ritual titles, and chieftainships are passed on in this way. - Sometimes the orphans and widows have their property destroyed or snatched. - In most communities the child and the mother are kept in seclusion for a number of days, depending on the sex of the baby. 2003). The government has also set up insurance and pension schemes to enable people who are employed continue to get a decent life after retirement e.g. Makini. - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. 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. They could also clean newly born baby. 4. Laziness was condemned or punished to ensure that people owned what they had actually worked for. 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. Problems that the elderly face today 1. But it makes it difficult to keep track of our kin. 8. Names could also depict the character of the child. Changes that have affected land ownership - Today its a requirement by the government that one must possess a land title deed. vi. They at times suffer from loneliness and psychological problems How the aged are taken care of today 1. - They counsel and guide the youth on matters of sex and marriage Why guiding and counseling was done by elders 1. Wedding ceremony - After the negotiation the wedding ceremonies are arranged. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. Would provide medical care e.g. iii. 4. 47 Mwizenge S. Tembo, A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. The clan is linked by four factors. - Some people acquire wealth through dishonest means e.g. iv. This was because: - i. Africans believe that land was given to them by God. Defines kinship and explains its importance. bribery, robbery and stealing. - During this period of seclusion:- i. h. Among the Luos animals are driven over the graveside, people run in the homestead with spears. - After the cutting of the skin, the initiates are put in special huts for a period of time. Land was also the habitat of people, animals and plants. 10. Dowry payment is no longer a communal affair but an individual affair. In view of the poor development of social security systems outside the family, hardly anyone would wish to escape the power of kinship ties. We do not sell brides in our society. - Marriage also unites the living and the dead. Angering the living dead and the spirits e.g. Are made up of smaller units called clan. Today marriage is for companionship and it is considered to be complete even if there are no children. among the Luos a person who comes out with the placenta would be called Obiero or Awino. Importance of courtship 1. But rather as curiosities that were to succumb to the superior European monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity. Edited by Arthur Phillips, (London: Oxford University Press, 1953) p.14, 37 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.51 Naboth M. J. Ngulube, Some Aspects of Growing Up in Zambia. 3. The birth of a child is no longer a communal affair but a family affair. First, two animal totems from one of which the clan derives its name. 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factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society