It marks change from childhood to adulthood. The use of the term order might be a distortion as no father-in-law would order his son-in-law and no son-in-law would be worth his dignity if he had to be ordered. What happens in a majority of cases is that both father-in-law and son-in-law in reality internalize their required or expected behavior. 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. 3. - Also include the dead and those yet to be born and the departed relatives. Introduction. A clan is made up of a family who either are related by blood and marriage. Even traditionally, ordinary citizens could not achieve marrying more than one wife. Asante, Molefi Kete., Afrocentricity; The Theory of Social Change, Buffalo: Amulefi Publishing Company, 1980. Urbanization: Where people of different cultures interact with one another. They include;- 1. The study of African societies has become an established area of scholarship, with sophisticated analyses that are far from earlier works . - Patriotism. - They would stay overnight and the following day they would go to bathe in the river with cold water. - This special treatment starts before and continues after childbirth. Marriage has been commercialized - many people demand higher payment for their daughter. 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. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS - A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. The degree of which witchcraft as a cause of death is emphasized varies from one community to another. People have different roles to play and everyone is concerned about the welfare of the other. Culture and values are adaptive .. Some communities such as the Maasai still maintain their traditional way of dressing. 7. Kinship ties definition: Kinship is the relationship between members of the same family. There is a lot of secrecy surrounding the knowledge of herbs. The descriptions implicitly portray (to the African and Westerner) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable. For example honesty is expected in marriage. 48 R. A. LeVine, Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Socety, Culture and Personality. 6. There are basically eight primary kinswife father son, father daughter mother son, wife; father son, father daughter, mother son, mother daughter; brother sister; and younger brother/sister older brother/sister. iii. 11. - Marriage ensures that children are not born outside wedlock. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS IN THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY -They are those who are believed to be endowed with special powers. b) Explain the purpose of bride wealth in the traditional African community. Before initiation one is not fully considered belonging to the community. 4. Women were not allowed to own property. The blood the binds the initiates and ancestors. Their roles include the following:- i. There are two main types of leisure: (1) Passive leisure: This is where there is minimal use of physical energy. - Some pieces of land are being regarded as public land. iv. - Widows and orphans feel dehumanized. ii. The new hair that grows shows the beginning of new life. - They counsel and guide the youth on matters of sex and marriage Why guiding and counseling was done by elders 1. - They could also feel their body senses to predict rain. However the mode of dressing has seriously changed due to western influence. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. They act as intermediaries between God and human beings. 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. They advise the expectant mother on how to take care of herself. TOPIC 9:AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES MEANING AND WHOLENESS OF LIFE- In the African traditional society, life is believed to originate from God. viii. If there is agreement, this marks the beginning of courtship period. They are given time to heal. Edited by Arthur Phillips, (London: Oxford University Press, 1953) p.1, 10 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. Some of the celebrations like beer drinking are slowly dying out. Phone: (540) 828-5351 Some of the issues that were the products of the Eurocentrically biased judgements include the following two. Yet others could also die due to old age. Where as chiefs have a number of wives, it is very rare to find ordinary men who have more than one wife. Types of Kinship. - An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead. Significance of dowry payment The custom of paying personal gifts to the brides people is practiced all over Africa sometimes referred to as Bride wealth or Bride price. Girls brought wealth in form of cattle to marriage. It is also a sign of acceptance of the children into the new family. Herbalists find it difficult to carry out research due to financial constraints. 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. The community disciplined those who showed traits of greed over ownership of property. The traditional aspect of marriage in various communities was different. To give the mother time to heal. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. 3. Young initiates are trained to be responsible husbands and wives in future. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. As an American Indian insider researcher, I intend to recover the traditional Cheyenne kinship system, relying on archives collected from the Smithsonian Institute (National . in women. Rethinking the Family: Some Feminist Questions, New York: Longman, 1982. The youth are ritually introduced to the communal living. In difficult times such as during famine, those who have share what they have with their relatives. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. Traditionally no parent fixes a price for his daughter (a bride). These rules would differ from one community to another. Introduction The primary objective of this paper is to define the African traditional religious system as the basis of understanding Christian spiritual warfare within an African context. People learn to be thankful to God, parents, relatives and one another AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY AND KINSHIP African community is used to refer to a group of people occupying a particular geographical area, share common interest and practices a sense of togetherness. 4. to find out if they are related. But typically news, information, and gossip flow readily through the network, with some individuals acting as "kin . Property could be owned by community, individuals or families. vii. Caution should be applied when sweeping generalizations are made which make the traditional African family is made to appear static, rigid, and lacking in vitality. Many communities made clothes from animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves. c. The corpse is washed using water. 26 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. vii. ii. The midwife advises on post-natal care of the mother and the baby. Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. 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. The gift replaces her reminding the family that she has left her people yet she is not dead. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. Almost 30% of all single-parent families headed by women are officially poor. This is because; 1 It is unavoidable. Same ancestry: People of a particular community believe that they have the same origin e.g. 1. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. - With the introduction of money economy it is possible to sell land. During this period, the couples are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. 5. It is also a way of remembering important events in the society. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. 2003). Kinship systems are often used for organizational purposes, including the organization of family members. First, two animal totems from one of which the clan derives its name. ix. Modern education and western culture has affected dowry payment in that many educated attach little value to dowry payment. 2. 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. Certain countries have also adopted national dress code Revision question Discus certain aspects of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian. Christianity and Islam were able to absorb many African religions because of each religion believed in a single supreme being that was the creator and ruler of the universe. Schooling where children spend most of their time with teachers depriving them the time to be with elders. They would also announce the sex of the child. During initiation the initiates are given special instructions that prepare them for future life. Ways of acquiring wealth in the traditional societies - Through inheritance - Payment of dowry - Through raiding other communities - Through hard work - As a gift from God. OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY AND WEALTH In the traditional African community anything that was owned is referred to as part of property or wealth. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). the outcome of a war 5. false T/F: Female slaves generally worked outdoors while male slaves did domestic work. Kinship is the relationship, including social relationship, that exists between two or more individuals, and kinship has a major influence on political, and economic systems in many different regions from around the world. - Life is also seen as communal. v. The land was believed to belong to the ancestors and nobody was allowed to sell or lease it out without the consent of the other members of the family. People in the traditional African communities were afraid of acquiring property unlawfully for fear of curse. Download Now. 2. Today many people do not believe in rainmakers. 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. .The eldest son cannot inherit.15, The Baganda practice the levirate custom. x. These include birth, initiation, marriage and death. Naming gives identity to a person before a child is given a name she or he is not considered as having full identity. After initiation one is now free to marry and has a right to inherit his fathers property. - They ensure the values and culture of the community is observed. A curse by the community. - In some communities it would last for several days. - Different communities have different rules on where the delivery should take place. The clan chooses the heir. Matrilineality is the major influence in what children learn and come to accept about their society. Laziness was condemned or punished to ensure that people owned what they had actually worked for. Barnes, J.A., 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. In the western culture, marriage results in permanent bonds between the couple, with centrally assigned sexual rights among the couple and parenthood responsibility. The basic family unit among the Bemba was not the nuclear family. drought, famine etc. Stern norms/ values which promote individualism. - Rainmakers observe the behavior of insects, birds and animals to predict the nature of rain. The Baganda use classificatory system of kinship terminology which seems common to virtually all the Bantu peoples of Central and Southern Africa. IV, pp.66-87. 9 J.A. The purpose of sex is purely for procreation hence this discouraged sex before marriage. 11 This study was conducted in the late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the wars was still very common. Land was also the habitat of people, animals and plants. Today marriage is for companionship and it is considered to be complete even if there are no children. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. Kinship is a social relationship based on real consanguinity. They also have the ability to stop rain. 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. 2 Traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care. Many wives 3. - Presents are given to the baby and mother as a sign of good will. Rain makers ii. Twins are also given special names e.g. 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. MEDIUMS AND DIVINERS - Mediums are people through which ancestors and spirits communicate with the living. After initiation, one has the right to marry. The histories and cultures of Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia and North Africa are covered . The major reason cited is that with increasing modern influences, marrying more than one wife became an economic burden. There are also cases of inter-tribal marriages. Still, traditional families such as those in Family Ties and The Cosby Show dominated the ratings. A Modern Introduction to The Family, Glencoe: The Free Press, 1960. 2. Through the kinship system, people learn the importance of sharing what they have with others. vi. Establishing that traditional Kenyan culture and custom was supportive of high fertility in no way establishes how strongly held are these practices today or how quickly they may change as the socioeconomic basis of the real day-to-day society changes. 5. 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. Circumcision of the girls is a practice that has been widely condemned for health reasons. LEISURE Leisure is the free time that an individual has at his disposal when he is not bound by duty. People could also die due to shortage of food. These are many. Because of this, extended families among the Bemba are not really as large as those found, especially among patriarchal polygynous traditional families in other tribes be it in Southern, Eastern, or West Africa.28 Polygamy is relatively speaking uncommon in this area and the institution is not an essential part of the Bemba family and economic life as it is among so many Bantu peoples.29, The Bembas kinship is based on descent in the matrilineal line. ii. - In most communities the child and the mother are kept in seclusion for a number of days, depending on the sex of the baby. 3. D. at Michigan State University in Sociology in 1987. Hotel Hope Ministries is a fully registered South African non-profit organisation established with aim of ensuring that each and every child is brought up in a safe, happy and healthy home so that they can grow up and develop into responsible and positive adults. Boys herd goats, cows, and livestock. Wedding ceremony - After the negotiation the wedding ceremonies are arranged. - Playing football - Wresting - Beer drinking - Wedding ceremonies - Riddles - Folktales - Tongue twisters Today several changes have affected leisure activities. - A white bed sheet is spread this is to collect blood during the breaking of virginity. 7. 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. This manuscript was written for a book, which was never published, which was to be edited by Dr. Elizabeth Brooks who was a lecturer at the University of Zambia. The author obtained his B.A in Sociology and Psychology at University of Zambia in 1976, M.A, Ph. Some names are given according to the time one was born. In rural areas, the family typically . CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING Today many people talk of the way things were sometimes back many factors have affected the African culture. Importance of seclusion period 1. 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. Other names may also refer to the characteristics of the mothers pregnancy or the nature of delivery e.g. One could also die due to breaking a taboo in such instances elders would identify the offender and perform an act of cleansing. - The placenta is disposed of ceremoniously e.g. Adams, Bert N., The Family: A Sociological Interpretation, 4th Edition, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1986. iii. Some people also consult them before making important decisions e.g. 7. 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. Bridgewater College Those related by blood have common ancestors. vi. Children are expected to help in minor household tasks. Majority of women today give birth in hospitals. 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. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. (New York: The Free Press, 1963.) - The bathing symbolizes the beginning of a new state in life. Second Edition, London: The Macmillan Press, Ltd., 1974. The naming of a child is therefore an important occasion, which is often marked with ceremonies. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. Marriage ceremonies brought people together as they came together to rejoice. Kinship is reckoned through blood and betrothal (engagement and marriage). 2) Some students also consult them to succeed in exams and career. It could also help in paying of the dowry. politicians. Religion, in the African indigenous context, permeates all departments of life. 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. society irrespective of their origins, background, class, ethnicity, race, gender and other markers of identity. Reconnecting with a genetic tie Genetic resource and testing connected a person to their blood. Goode, William J. Communal activities: People participate in communal activities e.g. 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. Changing attitudes towards initiation rites Since the introduction of Christianity and western culture peoples attitude towards initiation rites have changed. - Kinship helps to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases. - Life also continues after death, death does not mark the end of life but is just a change of state. 5. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971. But rather as curiosities that were to succumb to the superior European monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity. The dramatic social changes in Africa during the last three decades of political independence from European colonialism have obviously affected the traditional family. 4. 3. Actual birth - During birth there are certain rituals that are performed to introduce the chills to the immediate and extended members of the family. 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. The midwives perform the following:- 1. Bride wealth has lost its original meaning and has been commercialized. iv. Factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in African communities. Initiation 3. This may be due to urbanization and economic constraints. - Can interfere with an individuals reproductive system. In the traditional African Community, marriage was considered incomplete without children. 6. Defines kinship and explains its importance. 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