factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society
- They ensure the values and culture of the community is observed. (Buffalo: Amulefi Publishing Company, 1980). 6. ii. (1) According to the Dictionary of Anthropology, "Kinship system includes socially recognized relationships based on supposed as well as actual genealogical ties.". - Wife inheritance ensured that the late mans family would not suffer. 2. 4. Problems that the elderly face today 1. Reconnecting with a genetic tie Genetic resource and testing connected a person to their blood. Initiation 3. 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. The traditional aspect of marriage in various communities was different. Angering the living dead and the spirits e.g. Goode, William J. - They give direction on funeral ceremonies and advise on what should be done about the ceremony. 4. The gift replaces her reminding the family that she has left her people yet she is not dead. ii. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. (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). - People do not have a lot of attachment to land, as there are other means of survival. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. The blood the binds the initiates and ancestors. Today the dead can be buried in cemeteries in towns. 5. a. 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. - They negotiate for peace in time of war with another community. These changes have been brought about by:- i. - Children made marriage complete. 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. 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. Kinship systems provide each person with a defined role (based on age, gender, and other factors), and serve to link people via duties of care [35856]. 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. PRIESTS/PROPHETS OR SEERS - These are other religious specialists who play a special role as intermediaries between God and human beings. They are senior members of the community. 35 3Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions. The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. During seclusion there is sex education, which is meant for girls and boys for marriage. First, there is the local unit of matrilocal marriage .. consisting of a man, his wife, his married daughters and their husbands and children,34 Second, the matrilineal descent group which consists of maternal relatives and ancestors traced back to several generations. However, as a prospective husband, you are told to pay for the marriage and not the bride. 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. Culture and values are adaptive .. 6 Ibid., p.10 Note also that special attention should be paid to the distinction between polygyny being practiced widely among people of Africa and it being the dominant form of traditional family pattern. 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. 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. 7. DeVos, New York: D. Van Nostrand Co., 1976. b. Characteristics of African community 1. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. - In some communities it would be thrown in rivers, forest in Banana plantations. I. It is also a taboo to marry close relative. Where as chiefs have a number of wives, it is very rare to find ordinary men who have more than one wife. They are neglected by their children especially those working in the towns. A father-in-law knows what to expect from a good son-in-law. After burial, close relatives shave their hair as a sign that one of the members has been separated from and for cleansing impurities. This article looks at the societies and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa in pre-modern history. 3. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. Most of these changes in most cases are in conflict with the African customs. Mbiri Ya Achewa, 195? Rain makers ii. This paper aims at tackling the change in the anthropological view of marriage and kinship ties in the society. 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N.S.S.F. Marriage: Has been individualized and is no longer a communal affair. - Marriage brings completeness in a person. TOPIC 9:AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES MEANING AND WHOLENESS OF LIFE- In the African traditional society, life is believed to originate from God. 2003). Lous Wirth also believed that the city is not conducive to the traditional type of family life. 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). The moral values learnt include:- -Obedience/loyalty. People like politicians and students consult medicine men to succeed in the careers. The midwife advises on post-natal care of the mother and the baby. Removal of teeth. - They act as a court of law to errant members of the society. Others reflect the problems the parents faced e.g. They would only speak through intermediaries. 4. Babbie, Earl R., Sociology: An Introduction. Family plays a central role in African society. children born out of wed-lock are killed or abandoned. It is also a sign of acceptance of the children into the new family. - Prayers are also offered to God for protection. They would also announce the sex of the child. 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. 3. 29 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. 6. Before this ceremony, the child is not considered a complete member of the clan or society. The husband could take his wife home if the marriage was thought stable especially after the couple has had two or more children. Certain countries have also adopted national dress code Revision question Discus certain aspects of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian. ix. Bride wealth has lost its original meaning and has been commercialized. ii. There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. 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. Many people today acquire Christian names. During the period earlier than 1940s, marriages remained completely matrilocal during the couples entire life. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History. Divorce and separation are discouraged. - The naming of the child takes place some days after birth. Yet in some communities when a woman is pregnant she is not allowed to talk to her husband directly. Religious (invisible) causes of death They included: i. Less traditional family structures in sitcoms gained popularity in the 1980s with shows such as Diff'rent Strokes (a widowed man with two adopted African American sons) and One Day at a Time (a divorced woman with two teenage daughters). Identifying drum beat used at ceremonies looks at the societies and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa pre-modern! To her husband directly sign that one of the child takes place some after! And students consult medicine men to succeed in the society article looks at the societies and cultures sub-Saharan! In the towns 1980 ) a good son-in-law 3Audrey I. 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