1975. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. In difficult times such as during famine, those who have share what they have with their relatives. However, the influence of mediums and diviners has been affected by Christianity, which is against consulting any power apart from God. The blood the binds the initiates and ancestors. 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. A curse by the community. Kinship is a cultural system. The written descriptions and therefore perceptions of the traditional African family were also a victim of the European colonial cultural bias and Christian values. African spirituality is truly holistic. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. Kinship is reckoned through blood and betrothal (engagement and marriage). It is also a symbolic act of breaking the bride completely from the state of unmarried life once dowry is paid she becomes full and mature person. Prophets or priests also have political role e.g. - They help the priests to performing certain rituals such as sacrifices. The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. iv. For example, all weapons and iron implements are removed from the house of an expectant mother. It is not possible to gather initiates together in some communities. TOPIC 9:AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES MEANING AND WHOLENESS OF LIFE- In the African traditional society, life is believed to originate from God. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. Many of the rituals that were performed to the mother and the child are today seen as unnecessary. ELDERS They are people who are elderly in society. A woman inherits her maternal grandmother or sisters. They affect all aspects of Africa, including care, marriages, and social status, since kinship controls people's relationships, moral values, and attitudes. It could also help in paying of the dowry. Other names may also refer to the characteristics of the mothers pregnancy or the nature of delivery e.g. LAND In the traditional African society, people had a lot of attachment to land. Which factors have led to the weakening of kinship ties in Kenya today? ii. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. 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. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. - Misuse of sex. 2. - Can interfere with an individuals reproductive system. Many women today put on trousers that initially were meant for men. iv. 4. A Bemba belongs to his mothers clan (umukoa), a group of relatives more or less distantly connected, who reckon descent from real or fictitious common ancestries, use a common totem name, and a series of praise titles, recite a common legend of origin and accept certain joint obligations.30. Divorce and separation are discouraged. 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. Therefore, they try to restrict the kinship ties. - Sometimes the orphans and widows have their property destroyed or snatched. The male head has control over children produced by the children of the group. Clyde., The Yao Village: a Study in the Social Structure of a Malawian Tribe. A community has distinct beliefs, customs and cultural practices. Yet others could also die due to old age. They would only speak through intermediaries. -The spirit of sharing. Richards, Audrey I., Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969. But typically news, information, and gossip flow readily through the network, with some individuals acting as "kin . - Children born out of marriage inherit their parents property. There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. Other names can refer to place of birth e.g. 1. The husband could take his wife home if the marriage was thought stable especially after the couple has had two or more children. e. In certain communities pregnant women and children are not allowed to go near touch the corpse to avoid misfortunes. - Marriage brings completeness in a person. 5. Naming ceremonies also provide opportunity to teach the culture of the youth. There was fair distribution of wealth to even those who did not have. A total of 68 linguistic terms of relationships are used by the Baganda.12, The Baganda have a very important aspect of the social or family structure; the consanguinal kin group or blood line which is a line of descent traced through the male members of the family or patri-sib. 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History. 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. Barnes, 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). For example, sickness in the indigenous African worldview is not only an imbalance of the body, but also an imbalance in one's social life, which can be linked to a breakdown in one's kinship and family relations or even to one's relationship with one's ancestors. p119. It is also a way of showing respect to God for the gift of the children. And this, together with neolocality, makes it nearly impossible to use kinship in structuring our social order. Yet, equal opportunities is, perhaps, the essential defining element of an inclusive 8. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. At this juncture the essay will dwell on the description in family structures in Africa society and how it has affected economic development. Young men are taught to develop self-love and love for the community it provides a sense of belonging. Price, Thomas., A Short English-Nyanja Vocabulary. children born out of wed-lock are killed or abandoned. The Family; Its Structures and Functions. 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. - There are cases of destruction of land and environment through dumping of wastes. they are operational and obtainable in every society around the world be it traditional or modern. 26 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. All rights reserved. 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. As such disputes over land ownership were rare, this is because:- i. Current notions of kinship still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin. In some communities there is feasting and drinking of beer. 5. What role did religion play in medieval Africa communities? - Kinship system provides the peaceful ways of settling disputes in a community as all are treated as brothers and sisters. Depending on the region and the people, these. INITIATION - This is the second major important stage in ones life. The midwife also monitors the development of the foetus. 16. Explaining these changes would require a different chapter. Goldthorpe, J.E., The Sociology of the Third World: Disparity and Development. Fourth, special observations related to pregnancy, childbirth, naming of the child, and testing the childs legitimacy as clan member.14, The existence of patriarchy and the patrilineal system among the Baganda might suggest that individual men have the most dominant social status. 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. pp.164-202. There are meteorologists who predict the weather conditions. Elizabeth Colson, Marriage and the Family among the Plateau Tonga of Northern Rhodesia. - 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 language of the Baganda carries no word for love or tender affection; the closest is a word that is best translated as like.43. First, the strengths, durability, and resilience of the African traditional family were never dwelt on explicitly and at length. pp. a person born during locusts invasion can be called Adede among the luo. Piercing of the ear. - Children made marriage complete. - An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead. Schapera, Isaac., Married Life in an African Tribe. 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. - There is individual ownership of property. Kinship relationships were and still are important among African communities. 2. 3) They are fortunetellers and palm readers. 11. They are also given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. They are referred to as the Eskimo, Hawaiian, Sudanese, Omaha, Crow, and Iroquois systems. This is because; 1 It is unavoidable. Courtship gives the two families time to prepare in advance for the real marriage. There was never a distinction between the biological and non-biological kin as far as primary parental obligations were concerned. Types of Kinship. Bantu migrations also helped to spread agriculture and herding to all parts of Africa. Importance of Naming 1. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. 7. Form 1 Biology Notes on Introduction to Biology, Form 1 Biology Notes on Nutrition in Plants and Animals, Form 1 Physics Notes on Introduction to Physics, Form 1 Physics Notes on Particulate Nature of Matter, Form 1 Physics Notes on Rectilinear Propagation and Reflection at Plane Surfaces, Form 1 Physics Notes on Cells and Simple Circuits, Form 1 CRE Notes On Introduction to Christian Religious Education, Form 1 CRE Notes On Creation And The Fall Of Man, Form 1 CRE Notes On Faith And God's Promises: Abraham, Form 1 CRE Notes On Sinai Covenant: Moses, Form 1 CRE Notes On African Concepts Of God, Spirits And Ancestors, Form 1 CRE Notes On African Moral And Cultural Values Meaning And Wholeness Of Life, Form 1 CRE Notes On The Galilean Ministry, Form 1 History and Government Notes on Introduction to History and Government: The Meaning of History, Form 1 History and Government Notes on Early Man, Form 1 History and Government Notes on Development of Agriculture, Form 1 History and Government Notes on The People of Kenya up to the 19th Century Introduction, Form 1 History and Government Notes on Socio Economic and Political Organization of Kenyan Communities in the 19th Century, Form 1 History and Government Notes on Contacts Between East Africa and the Outside World up to the 19th C, Form 1 History and Government Notes on Citizenship, Form 1 Chemistry Notes On Introduction To Chemistry, Form 1 Chemistry Notes On Classification Of Substances, Form 1 Chemistry Notes On Air And Combustion, Form 1 Chemistry Notes On Water And Hydrogen, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Introduction to Agriculture, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Factors Influencing Agriculture, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Crop Production, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Water Supply, Irrigation and Drainage, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Soil Fertility, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Farm Tools and Equipment, Form 1 Agriculture Notes on Livestock Production, Form 1 Chemistry Notes On Introduction To Acids, Bases And Indicators. Why the practice female circumcision is dying out. Choosing of a marriage partner This differs from one community to another. They are believed to be full of wisdom. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. 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. Tembo, Mwizenge S., A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. The youth are taught to be courageous in order to be able to face challenges in life e.g. 4. fellow Christians. 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. 29 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. For example, in debt and marriage obligations. 6. Problems experienced by widows and orphans - They suffer from lack of company because they feel abandoned. In some communities if a woman is barren, she would bring another woman to bring children on her behalf. iii. Kinship connections are in turn based on two categories of bonds: those created by marriage and those that result from descent , which is socially recognized links between ancestors and descendants. One community to another Tonga of Northern Rhodesia physiological connections between kin owe a great deal ideas. Refer to place of birth e.g may also refer to place of birth e.g their relatives the and... Names can refer to the mother and the child are today seen as.... Showing respect to God for the gift of the children or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in paying of mothers... To spread agriculture and herding to all parts of Africa structuring our order. 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