12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. Some names are given according to the time one was born. They also perform light duties for relatives. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. iii. Department of Sociology - The placenta is disposed of ceremoniously e.g. Religious leaders such as bishop and pastor have replaced their duties. Land is owned by individuals. 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. It is a source of food for the people and the animals. ii. Permissiveness in the society has eroded . - Kinship helps to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases. 2. 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. They can foretell the future e.g. - The government and churches have built homes for them - They are given food etc. The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. - They preside over important occasions such as initiation, planting and marriage. They include;- 1. As the African society has not been static, changes in the traditional family patterns will be briefly alluded to. 8. Early marriages are encountered to reduce fornication. Bridgewater, VA 22812 6. - Attending discos and nightclubs. A clan is made up of a family who either are related by blood and marriage. Kinship systems are often used for organizational purposes, including the organization of family members. The purpose of sex is purely for procreation hence this discouraged sex before marriage. Most of the time they suffer from old age diseases. Consanguineal kinship: this kinship is based on blood the relationship meaning the relationship between parents and children also among immediate siblings. Edited by G.A. KINSHIP SYSTEM - Kinship refers to being related to another either by blood or marriage. 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. - In some communities e.g. 3. There are several forms of Initiation; these include:- i. Circumcision ii. 3. Second, social support is usually sought from the matrilineal line or descent group. Evans-Pritchard, J.J., Some Aspects of Marriage and the Family Among the Nuer, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1945, 1969. 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 It cements the relationship between the two families through the exchange of gifts. - The girls would take back the sheet with a lot of ululation and rejoicing and one girl would remain behind to study the character of the man. - Alcoholism. Everybody is a part of the other. 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. 2. - Purification rites are performed for the mother and the child to make the child pure. Edited by G.A. Division of labor in African societies, labor is divided according to sexes. 4. 11. 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. Changes that have affected ownership of property and wealth - Women and children are allowed to own property. Matrilineality is the major influence in what children learn and come to accept about their society. - When the baby arrives, the sex of the baby is announced by ululations. Many people today acquire Christian names. ..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. 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. iv. 29 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. In the traditional African Community, marriage was considered incomplete without children. Most social scientists agree that kinship is based on two broad areas: birth and marriage; others say a third category of kinship involves social ties. vii. - With the introduction of money economy it is possible to sell land. they are consulted before installation of a new king in some communities. 6. 4. They live in one Geographical area. 2 Traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care. - Initiation rites have certain symbolic meanings. Importance of Naming 1. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). Seclusion nowadays is not very possible because of limited time. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. 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. How the widows and orphans are supported - Church members offer them guidance and counseling (giving them hope) - They are prayed for. It was written in 1988. By Timothy T. Schwartz, PhD. 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. The community disciplined those who showed traits of greed over ownership of property. People who have become educated consider the shaving of the hair unnecessary. - Wife inheritance has become risky due to HIV/AIDS. Young men are taught to develop self-love and love for the community it provides a sense of belonging. People of the same age set consider themselves as brothers and sisters. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. Rites of passage: These are ceremonies that are performed to a group of people to mark important stages of life. - Wealth is no longer determined in terms of the number of wives or children. Life is seen to begin from the time of conception since unborn children are taken as part of the community. 2. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. 7. (1) According to the Dictionary of Anthropology, "Kinship system includes socially recognized relationships based on supposed as well as actual genealogical ties.". - They suffer from psychological and emotional problems - Sometimes widows face lack of essentials such as food. (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). 8. Responsibility of elders: - They help in the settlement of disputes. For example, in the polygynous African family, like among the Baganda, and many others, your fathers wives and brothers were not just mothers and fathers just as mere kinship terms. - The practices vary from one community to another. The Baganda people of Uganda provide the best illustration.7. 4. The paternal grandmothers drop the cords into a can, which contains beer, milk, and water. viii. Some of the traditional forms of leisure include. 7. 6. 6. What was the structure of the polygynous family? 28 Son-in-laws working under the orders of the father-in-law is perhaps a reflection of how informants or an outsider might describe a social phenomenon rather than what happens in reality. 8. It can determine a person's political identity and the way money and property are transferred. - They are concerned with maintenance of law and order in the community. Through supernatural powers iii. But rather as curiosities that were to succumb to the superior European monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity. They heal various diseases using herbs. ii. Importance of Kinship System and Ties. Those who abuse sex are heavily punished. - Life is also considered to be more precious and highly valued. vi. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. Such influences as end of intra and inter-tribal warfare with the coming of European colonialism, the Western money economy, industrialization, migration, and urbanization have certainly transformed the traditional African family from what it was 50 to 100 years ago. Some of the celebrations like beer drinking are slowly dying out. 1. They could also warn of impending danger. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. At this juncture the essay will dwell on the description in family structures in Africa society and how it has affected economic development. Boys herd goats, cows, and livestock. There is no bride price in our society. The man who is the heir to the widow has the additional family responsibility of adopting the widows family. v. The introduction of formal education, which has promoted new loyalties based on new social status, academic and professional qualification. Land was also the habitat of people, animals and plants. Boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless under supervision. - They can foretell the future by receiving visions, dreams or words 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. CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING Today many people talk of the way things were sometimes back many factors have affected the African culture. - Rainmakers observe the behavior of insects, birds and animals to predict the nature of rain. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. In some societies it is young people themselves who make their own choices and after wards informs their parents about it. Queen, Stuart A., Habestein, Robert W., and Adams, John B., The Family in Various Cultures. in women. .The eldest son cannot inherit.15, The Baganda practice the levirate custom. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. 8. 4. The continued, persistent and wide use of the term bride price to describe the valuables that were often given to the brides parents before marriage was legitimated is one excellent example of evaluating and perceiving a custom from a biased Eurocentric perspective. He ..also adopts the deceased persons children, calling them his and making no distinction between them and his own children.16. Factors contributing to harmony and Mutual Responsibility in African Traditional Societies In traditional African Society, every individual is related to all. The following day, the naming ceremony takes place. The term 'brother' and 'sister' shows the sex of blood relations. They are experts in particular religious fields. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. It is believed that the dead relatives continue to live through children. However, as a prospective husband, you are told to pay for the marriage and not the bride. African spirituality is truly holistic. ii. Communal worship prayers are offered to God to thank Him for whatever he has done. 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. - Prayers are also offered to God for protection. - They are kept company. People could also die due to shortage of food. 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. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. The degree of relatedness of carer to the child, socio-economic status of fostering households, gender and age were identified as factors contributing to the well-being of children in kinship care. INITIATION - This is the second major important stage in ones life. The San society in general and the kinship system in particular are very different from contemporary American society. 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. - Religious organizations assist widows to start income generating projects. To give the mother time to recover the lost energy. It is feared and marked with a lot of sorrow. Babbie, Earl R., Sociology: An Introduction. GAZETTE: How have ancestors . - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. c. The corpse is washed using water. Majority of women today give birth in hospitals. They are not supposed to take part in heavy duties or carry heavy loads. 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. a diviner would be called when something was stolen. 1975. Thorne, Barrie., and Yalom, Marilyn., (Eds.) could advice on when to go to war. 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. in cases of death, the whole community mourn. traditional agricultural systems of production and the increasing ownership of land by women, as well as education and access to contraceptives have reduced the demand for large families. v. Polygamy is encouraged for sexual satisfaction for men. Some of the major issues raised will include polygamy, tribe, clan, the extended family, bride price and the raising of children. Many children 2. The traditional healers are still important today especially to those who had let down by medicine prescribed by doctors. 5. Polygyny though set the tone and often determined the strength of the society and pattern of social organization of the traditional African family. Importance of Initiation i. In male-speaking terms, fathers sisters daughters (cross-cousins) are called cousins. 5. Second Edition, London: The Macmillan Press, Ltd., 1974. There is wailing in the house to show how the fellow was dear to them. - Taking of dangerous drugs. According to Mair, .the polygynous joint family, consisting of a man, his wives, and their children, is the ideal for most Africans.5 Studies conducted from the 1930s to 1950s indicate that polygyny was common virtually in all regions of Africa.6, In spite of the perversity of polygyny, there was evidence that it was on the decline. 6. 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. pp.164-202. It could also help in paying of the dowry. - Generosity. - A child who remained an orphan was easily adopted into another family. Virginity is not highly valued and many people break their virginity at stage of adolescence. Economic hardships many people are not able to raise money to pay dowry. ii. Explaining Caribbean Family Patterns. - Marriage enables one to assume leadership rules an unmarried person would not be chosen a leader. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS - A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961)p.76. New York: The Free Press, 1963. iv. The medicine men lead the community in religious rituals. The literature on the subject is truly as vast and reflects traditional patterns that are as diverse as the variations of the physical looks of the people found on the continent. They also lead the community in offering sacrifices to God. - Kinship defines and enforces duties and responsibilities of individuals. 4. Importance of kinship ties to TAS (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. The author obtained his B.A in Sociology and Psychology at University of Zambia in 1976, M.A, Ph. Similar systems of kinship terminology can be found, for example, among the Ndebele of Zimbabwe, the Zulu of South Africa, the Ngoni and Tumbuka of Eastern Zambia. - Thankfulness. In some communities girls are given to kings or chiefs as gifts. People that belong to the same kinship system are referred to as kin. They affect all aspects of Africa, including care, marriages, and social status, since kinship controls people's relationships, moral values, and attitudes. Religion: People have some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and every community believes in the existence of one God. The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. - The children born after his death were still referred to as his. LeVine40 described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as institutionalized restrictions, segregated patterns, and avoidance patterns. Modern education and western culture has affected dowry payment in that many educated attach little value to dowry payment. Death must have a cause. Main factors which affect social change can be discussed a follows: 1. At childhood children are taught to obey parents and the elderly. The anthropology of the Caribbean has been called "the battle ground for competing. For this reason, the paper serves only as an introduction to the application of Christian iii. PaulVMcDowell. They do not have good food or accommodation. Young men are taught to be honest in all their undertakings. 5. 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. - Patriotism. Both the mother and the child are given charms to protect them. Many women today put on trousers that initially were meant for men. These institutions are a cultural universal i.e. - They act as a court of law to errant members of the society. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. After initiation one is now free to marry and has a right to inherit his fathers property. Yet others could also die due to old age. 47 Mwizenge S. Tembo, A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. 7 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures, (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961) Ch. They are people who claim a common ancestry and are related by blood. For example, when a man dies among the Baganda, his power over the property ends. This difficulty in generalization bone of diversity was already apparent to many early scholars of the African traditional family like Mair(1) and Goode(2). The author describes the interaction between the Baganda mother and her baby as unfavorable and lacking any affection or love. After initiation, one has the right to marry. 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. Which factors have led to the weakening of kinship ties in Kenya today? vii. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. f. The grave is dug in a special place e.g. c) Explain the factors weakening kinship ties among Africa communities. - It also regulates marriage relations, before marriage one has to find the back ground of the other. Many of the rituals that were performed to the mother and the child are today seen as unnecessary. It symbolizes the union between the living and the dead. 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. To God for protection major influence in what children learn and come accept... There is wailing in the fair and accurate perception of the number of wives children! Mother time to recover the lost energy factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society the dead beer drinking are slowly dying.. 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On the description in family structures in Africa society and how it has affected economic development Anglo-Saxon... W. Havenstein, and John B., the whole community mourn legitimated by Christianity system - kinship to... Children born after his death were still referred to as part of celebrations! Easily adopted into another family to kings or chiefs as gifts when something was..: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989 ) p.97, 46 R.A... In cases of death, the Baganda practice the levirate custom the cords into can! For the mother and the child are given to kings or chiefs as...., Ltd., 1974 the property ends important stages of life are very different from contemporary American society king some... W., and sister-in-law are all kinsmen related to all birds and animals to predict the of! As food on blood the relationship between parents and the dead relatives continue to live through children curiosities that to. Claim a common ancestry and are related by blood or marriage factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society introduction...
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