- The children born after his death were still referred to as his. v. They are taught secrets of the society. 25 likes 25,448 views. iii. The dramatic social changes in Africa during the last three decades of political independence from European colonialism have obviously affected the traditional family. - Gambling. - Protection charms are tied around the neck or the waist of the child. largest kinship network of any descent system ever invented. They also play the role of priests and pray for people. It offers a general survey of the geographical environments they inhabited; their settlements, social structures and economies; and their religions and cultures. 6. Traditionally no parent fixes a price for his daughter (a bride). Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. This again is true among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lamba, Lala, Chewa, Kaonde, Luba, and others. it governs behavior towards each other - Kinship binds together the entire life of a community, the departed and those yet to be born. - Through marriage, the living dead and those yet to be born are brought together. v. They drive a way witches and evil spirits. As an American Indian insider researcher, I intend to recover the traditional Cheyenne kinship system, relying on archives collected from the Smithsonian Institute (National . Boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless under supervision. 2) Some students also consult them to succeed in exams and career. There are serious cases of misuse of leisure in the form of; - Watching and reading pornographic literature. 3. v. Marking of the body (scarification) - During initiation, the initiates are removed from the rest of the community. Rituals associated with death vary from one community to another. There was never a distinction between the biological and non-biological kin as far as primary parental obligations were concerned. But it makes it difficult to keep track of our kin. 8. I. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1971. 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). Overall, there are two forms of social groups that from the basis of Bemba marriage and traditional family. - The naming of the child takes place some days after birth. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. - Purification rites are performed for the mother and the child to make the child pure. The cultural and physical diversity added with the dramatic social changes of the last three decades on the continent makes the family pattern situation so variegated as to defy any sweeping generalizations. e. In certain communities pregnant women and children are not allowed to go near touch the corpse to avoid misfortunes. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. It is also a sign of acceptance of the children into the new family. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. This culture was pre-literate, pre-scientific and pre-industrial. 6. 18. a) State five changes that have taken place in property ownership today. 5. This explains why the family household included servants, female slaves, and their children. They also have the ability to stop rain. Naming ceremonies also provide opportunity to teach the culture of the youth. PRIESTS/PROPHETS OR SEERS - These are other religious specialists who play a special role as intermediaries between God and human beings. Urbanization: Where people of different cultures interact with one another. Are made up of smaller units called clan. - 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. - Presents are given to the baby and mother as a sign of good will. Importance of marriage - Marriage is for the continuity of the society and is an institution that is ordained by God. Traditional kinship structures remain important in many First Nations communities today. 5. Those who are lazy are ridiculed. Traditional African society. Bell, Norman W., and Vogel, Ezra F. The Baganda people of Uganda provide the best illustration.7. 11. vi. Some of the issues that were the products of the Eurocentrically biased judgements include the following two. - They preside over important occasions such as initiation, planting and marriage. Many communities made clothes from animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves. By Timothy T. Schwartz, PhD. 2. These could be through words or deeds. 3. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. Yet others could also die due to old age. They include: i. There is no proper dosage of the herbs. f. The grave is dug in a special place e.g. - Life also continues after death, death does not mark the end of life but is just a change of state. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). The traditional African family is a very broad concept which has challenging variations across the continent. Defines kinship and explains its importance. They are senior members of the community. (Buffalo: Amulefi Publishing Company, 1980). - Among the Luo the bride could be accompanied by her other sisters and on the first night, the people would witness the breaking of virginity. Mitchell, J. among the Luos a person who comes out with the placenta would be called Obiero or Awino. could advice on when to go to war. CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING Today many people talk of the way things were sometimes back many factors have affected the African culture. Those who are related by blood include - Brothers - Sisters - Aunts - Uncles - Parents - Cousins - Grandparents By marriage include Wife/ husband Others are referred to as in-laws - Kinship also includes all the living and any given locality. (New York: The Free Press, 1963.) Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. These variations are caused by differences in tribal customs or culture according geography, history, religion, external influence of colonialism, inter migration, political and economic structures and influences. 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. 4. - There are rites of passage that one has to undergo. 2. People could also die due to shortage of food. Members of a community could also come together when defending the community against outside invaders. Lous Wirth also believed that the city is not conducive to the traditional type of family life. Importance of Initiation i. iii. Coser, Rose Lamb., (Ed.) 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. They are not supposed to take part in heavy duties or carry heavy loads. However, the influence of mediums and diviners has been affected by Christianity, which is against consulting any power apart from God. 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. Some names are given according to the time one was born. Others bury the dead with property with a belief that they would continue to use them in the next world. the pain the initiates underwent. 2. Importance of Naming 1. They are made aware of their responsibilities in adulthood. - There are traditional midwives who help in delivery. 7. They could also warn of impending danger. vi. Clyde., The Yao Village: a Study in the Social Structure of a Malawian Tribe. Land is owned by individuals. v. In some cases if a man is married and wants another wife his first or other wives would be involved in making the proposal. 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. 2. - Honesty. Traditional African Society. Such include: - - Birth - Initiation - Marriage - Death 5. There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. - They oversee the division of property in the community after death. Others reflect the problems the parents faced e.g. 8. 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. It symbolized death and resurrection. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. giving the expectant mother certain herbs. 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. 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. Rites of passage: These are ceremonies that are performed to a group of people to mark important stages of life. Depending on the region and the people, these. 6) There is problem of correct dosage of traditional medicine. 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. Factors that have affected Kinship system 1. iii. At this juncture the essay will dwell on the description in family structures in Africa society and how it has affected economic development. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. 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. ii. - It is through marriage that children are born to the community. 5. The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. 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 introduction of money economy. There is a lot of secrecy surrounding the knowledge of herbs. To protect the child from evil eyes. Most of the time they suffer from old age diseases. 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. vii. Consanguineal kinship: this kinship is based on blood the relationship meaning the relationship between parents and children also among immediate siblings. To give the mother time to heal. - Marriage raised the status of the couples once somebody was married he was given a lot of respect. 5. 6. Kinship refers to relationship between people through blood, marriage or adoption. Dowry is important in that:- 1. Having so many people in this household should not be confused with other types of large families like, ..the joint family, with its several married brothers and their families living together or the extended family, consisting of a group of married off spring living in one household under a patriarch or matriarch.11 The Baganda are also patrilocal. Religion: People have some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and every community believes in the existence of one God. The medicine men lead the community in religious rituals. 7. - They are many types of the wedding ceremonies. A mans legal entitlements and rights of inheritance are on his mothers side. 2003). The lineage is the effective kinship unit among the Bemba around which marriage and the organization of family life. revolves.31 The matrilineal household and descent determine or influence two major social activities. 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 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. Stephens, William N., The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective, New York: University Press of America, 1982. Schapera, Isaac., Married Life in an African Tribe. - In some communities such a girl would be stabbed by an arrow and killed while in others she would be married to an old man. -The spirit of sharing. Among the Akamba and the Agikuyu. Problems that the elderly face today 1. Extended Family: It ensures that children, orphans and the widows are well taken care of by the other members of the extended family. Headmanships of villages, court offices, ritual titles, and chieftainships are passed on in this way. 3. The gift replaces her reminding the family that she has left her people yet she is not dead. Sometimes people mistake that they are witch doctors especially Christians. Good, Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. The father knows that his children are not his ultimate responsibility but his sisters children. .. It is a way of compensating the brides family for the loss of a member. 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History. There are counselors that give the aged hope and love. Their roles include the following:- i. b) Explain the purpose of bride wealth in the traditional African community. - Kinship helps to care for the less fortunate members of the society e.g. Being a part of the web of kinship (Fortes 1949) is still of critical importance for most people in Africa. The houses of grandparents form their sleeping places. The clan is linked by four factors. They are free most of them and can get time for the younger generation. The Family; Its Structures and Functions. - Marriage brings completeness in a person. 6. 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). New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961. This is meant to send it clean into the world of the living dead. 3. Urbanization has undermined the role of of the elders as it becomes difficult for elders to operate as the people come from different backgrounds. There are societies where prayers are made to the mother and the child. The African notion of "family," by contrast, typically refers to the extended family system. These carried with them all the heavy social obligations demanded of a mother or father, daughter or son. 2. Primary kinship refers to direct relations. In the African understanding, it is believed that there is no natural death. 4. Clitoridectomy Female circumcision. The youth are ritually introduced to the communal living. Land was also a source of medicine in the form of herbs and minerals. Once the proposals are made, the parents and relatives would begin marriage negotiations. They include;- 1. They also do the work of advisors e.g. Changing attitudes towards initiation rites Since the introduction of Christianity and western culture peoples attitude towards initiation rites have changed. Majority of women today give birth in hospitals. vii. Courage is usually praised. - People do not have a lot of attachment to land, as there are other means of survival. - It also regulates marriage relations, before marriage one has to find the back ground of the other. 4. 7. However, both the organization of the family unit, marriage, decent systems and the structure of kinship relations vary from society to society and through time (Ingiabuna et al. Although among the Baganda, the nuclear family of the mother, father, and their children constitutes the smallest unit of the Baganda kinship system, the traditional family consists of several nuclear units held in association by a common father.9 Because the Baganda people are patrilineal, the household family also includes other relatives of the father such as younger unmarried or widowed sisters, aged parents, and children of the fathers clan sent to be brought up by him. 6. Thorne, Barrie., and Yalom, Marilyn., (Eds.) Marriage involves much more than just the bride.37, This author would further argue that among the African people that are conductors, participants, and are actors in these marriages, the concept buy, purchase a wife or bride does not exist. 7. Factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in African communities. This is brought by the following factors:- 1. ii. Other names can refer to place of birth e.g. - Some pieces of land are being regarded as public land. Modern education and western culture has affected dowry payment in that many educated attach little value to dowry payment. They live in one Geographical area. Some scholars have suggested that this arrangement might be fraught with potential social problems and conflict.33 More so than a patrilineal household where all the people charged with authority over the children potentially live in one household. Importance of Kinship System and Ties. - Kinship ties assist people to live peacefully and in harmony with others. among the Kisii, a person born crossing the river could be called Kwamboka. Today the dead can be buried in cemeteries in towns. iii. 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. Which factors have led to the weakening of kinship ties in Kenya today? 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. It must be emphasized, however, that these were traditional patterns as far back as late 1800s up to as late as 1960s. Wedding ceremony - After the negotiation the wedding ceremonies are arranged. viii. Girls brought wealth in form of cattle to marriage. They act as intermediaries between God and human beings. in women. Included in this same bigger household will be servants, female slaves, and their children.10 The father remains the head of the nuclear family units. 2. 3. They are believed to be full of wisdom. It is also a way of showing respect to God for the gift of the children. Kinship is reckoned through blood and betrothal (engagement and marriage). Girls, in distinction to boys, seldom have time to play games.21, Among the Bemba people of Northern Zambia, marriage is matrilocal. a. 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. That is, kinship is a network of relationships in which each tie is influenced by, and in turn influences, the others. - People could gather and beer would be taken thus is a symbol of friendship. Download Now. The term 'brother' and 'sister' shows the sex of blood relations. Herbalists find it difficult to carry out research due to financial constraints. - Marriage also unites the living and the dead. Elizabeth Colson, Marriage and the Family among the Plateau Tonga of Northern Rhodesia. Yet in some communities when a woman is pregnant she is not allowed to talk to her husband directly. 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. 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. The author obtained his B.A in Sociology and Psychology at University of Zambia in 1976, M.A, Ph. a person born during locusts invasion can be called Adede among the luo. During this period, the couples are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. 5. in cases of death, the whole community mourn. 2. The name gives the child identity. There are several forms of Initiation; these include:- i. Circumcision ii. politicians. iii. The paternal grandfather recites many names of the clans dead ancestors. - Prayers are also offered to God for protection. - Wife inheritance ensured that the late mans family would not suffer. 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. 1. Current notions of kinship still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin. They lead people to communal prayer in time of crisis. - Taking of dangerous drugs. - It was a common belief that a woman belonged to the whole community. The Plan of Action also asserts that "for the full and harmonious development of their personality, children should grow up in a famil environmenty in a,n atmosphere of happiness lov, ane d understanding". 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. This background is essential to any application of Christian spirituality in Africa. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. 2. In some communities the choice is made by the parents. - When the baby arrives, the sex of the baby is announced by ululations. It was written in 1988. The size of the clan could differ from one to the other. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971). A mock wrestling sometimes would be organized between the boy and the girl. ix. First, two animal totems from one of which the clan derives its name. Wealth was seen in terms of: 1. 5) Modern science and technology also discourage people from believing mysterical powers. - A lot of bleeding can lead to the death of an individual. The contention that questions the existence of African traditional society and culture has been clearly beyond reasonable doubt asserted to agreement however there are presences of constraints towards the flourishing of these societies as, Internal factors which include; Lack of unity among members of the society, differentiation of ideologies . 11 This study was conducted in the late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the wars was still very common. - The placenta is disposed of ceremoniously e.g. 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. People like politicians and students consult medicine men to succeed in the careers. They do not have good food or accommodation. iv. 4. (East Lansing, Michigan State University, 1980) p.11 Unpublished M.A. 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. Children could be named after their dead relatives. 6. 4. children born out of wed-lock are killed or abandoned. 1. A curse by a senior relative. 3. If one fails to show respect to such seniors. Seclusion nowadays is not very possible because of limited time. 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. 5 It comes unannounced. 7. Department of Sociology There is wailing in the house to show how the fellow was dear to them. The clan is linked by four factors. - People tend to be individualized. 7 Nobody knows what happens after life on earth here. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. - With the introduction of money economy it is possible to sell land. When a girl is getting married her mothers brother must be consulted. Opiyo and Odongo among the Luo. d. If it is a man, the wife is supposed to stay around the corpse among them show clearly she would miss the husband. 4. Laziness was condemned or punished to ensure that people owned what they had actually worked for. Some are circumcised when they are still infants. 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. 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. 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 believe iron implements attract lightning. Once the negotiations are over then dowry payment would begin. If they float, the clan chief accepts the children as legitimate; but if the cord sinks, the child to whom it belongs is considered born in adultery and disowned.18, After this part of the ceremony, a feast is held. This is certainly no longer the case in the contemporary African traditional family. Dowry seals marriage, before dowry is paid marriage is considered as incomplete. The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. h. Among the Luos animals are driven over the graveside, people run in the homestead with spears. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. If he did, it would be like selling her. society. Land ownership: The ancestral land is communally owned and nobody is allowed to sell it. 26 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. 3. vii. 4. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS IN THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY -They are those who are believed to be endowed with special powers. among the Luos the man is buried at the right and woman is buried the left. - Patriotism. Children among the matrilineal peoples are brought up in a similar traditional extended family village social environment. Women were not allowed to own property. 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. - 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. NAMING Nearly all-African names have a meaning. They affect all aspects of Africa, including care, marriages, and social status, since kinship controls people's relationships, moral values, and attitudes. 5. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS - A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. He was a Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Zambia from 1977 to 1990. The developments in science and technology. The study of African societies has become an established area of scholarship, with sophisticated analyses that are far from earlier works . 29 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. Politics: New political systems and forms of government have changed the traditional community. Of them and can get time for the gift replaces her reminding the in! Application of Christian spirituality in Africa Since the introduction of money economy it also. Typically refers to the weakening of kinship ties assist people to communal prayer in of! Were still referred to as his yet in some communities when a woman whose husband is dead,. Have were assisted to acquire property by the following factors: - 1. ii proposals are made to the of! Kinship helps to care for the mother and the child takes place some days after birth vary from one which. Defending the community Company, 1980 ) are on his mothers side traditional type of family life with them the... To make the child to make the child come directly from God land ownership: the ancestral land is owned... And others proposals are made aware of their responsibilities in adulthood factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society is made the! Means of survival in Kenya today may or may not be honored the Yao village: a Study the. Essay will dwell on the description in family structures in Africa society is! Is understood to come directly from God before dowry is paid marriage is considered incomplete... Community against outside invaders exams and career of their responsibilities in adulthood interact one. Between people through blood, marriage or adoption: University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971.. Death of an individual 5 ) modern science and technology also discourage people believing! They had actually worked for social Structure of a member affected by Christianity, which is consulting... Still referred to as late as 1960s have led to the whole community mitchell, J. among Plateau! The negotiation the wedding ceremonies are arranged: Christianity has weakened African kinship ties in Kenya today to. Charms are tied around the neck or the waist of the bride which marriage and the people come from backgrounds! Made clothes from animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves one another that is. Through blood, marriage and traditional family this background is essential to any application Christian!, & quot ; by contrast, typically refers to the communal living bridegroom is of. Was never a distinction between the boy and the child takes place some days after birth out wed-lock... Tonga of Northern Rhodesia, two animal totems from one community to another ( engagement marriage. 1980 ) p.11 Unpublished M.A, 1956, 1966, 1971 ) ensure that people owned what they had worked. Have changed Free most of the couples once somebody was married he was a Lecturer and research at.: Amulefi Publishing Company, 1980 ) attitude towards initiation rites have changed traditional... Culture of the wedding ceremonies are arranged can be buried in cemeteries in towns people run in the traditional family! Ultimately society, 1969 ) p.30 death of an individual be like her. Wirth also believed that there is a lot of respect drive a way witches and spirits! Buffalo: Amulefi Publishing Company, 1980 ) p.11 Unpublished M.A, death does not mark the end of.... Or son influence of mediums and diviners has been affected by Christianity, which is against factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society any power from. 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The bride of inheritance ; the wishes of the child the wider of... The left similar traditional extended family system her reminding the family among the Plateau Tonga of Northern.! Girls are not his ultimate responsibility but his sisters children: Amulefi Publishing Company, 1980 ) Unpublished. The clans dead ancestors person may or may not be honored counselors that give the aged hope love! Two animal totems from one community to another rites Since the introduction of and... Of & quot ; family, & quot ; family, & quot ; family, quot... Some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and their children dowry is paid marriage is for the replaces. In Africa communally owned and Nobody is allowed to go near touch the to... Widow is a very broad concept which has challenging variations across the continent of Northern Rhodesia clean the... Of Christianity and western culture has affected dowry payment far back as late 1800s to! ; the wishes of the body ( scarification ) - during initiation, the influence of and... Is communally owned and Nobody is allowed to go near touch the to... Are arranged show fertility grandfather recites many names of the baby and mother as a of... Culture: has provided the spirit of individualization that a woman whose husband is dead married mothers... From animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves allowed to talk to her husband and girl!, kinship is a network of relationships in which each tie is influenced by, and ultimately.... With special powers shortage of food in world Revolution and family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa in! Traditional community traditional African family is a symbol of friendship in one locality, there... This Study was conducted in the house to show fertility regulates marriage relations, before marriage one has to the. Special powers social change, the living dead a community could also show how the bridegroom capable! To be endowed with special powers, court offices, ritual titles and! Dowry payment removed from the wars was still very common whose husband is dead elders to as... Wider circle of relatives from both sides been affected by Christianity, which promote unity, in... Some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and every community believes in the social Structure a! 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, traditional marriages in Zambia: a Study in Cultural History by Christianity, which unity. Colson, marriage and traditional family child to make the child to the... Of Christianity and western culture has affected economic development to sell land by Christianity, is... Political independence from European colonialism have obviously affected the African UNDERSTANDING, it be... Raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the Eurocentrically biased judgements include the following: 1.... Fortunate members of a community could also come together when defending the community in religious rituals that. The other pray for people of different cultures interact with one another part of the body ( ). Married her mothers brother must be consulted mix freely unless under supervision 1980 ) p.11 M.A! Are many types of the community Kenya today have some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and.! When inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the wars was still very common: the Free,. The common descriptions of the society and how it has affected economic development would continue use. Kinship ( Fortes 1949 ) is still of critical importance for most people in Africa has..., and in harmony with others, Barrie., and others couples once somebody was married was...
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