factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society

- Different communities have different rules on where the delivery should take place. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971. It can determine a person's political identity and the way money and property are transferred. In many traditional African societies, kinship ties are similarly expansive and can include a large and diverse range of relationships. These institutions are a cultural universal i.e. Elders iv. Some communities such as the Maasai still maintain their traditional way of dressing. Family plays a central role in African 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. 36 Lucy P. Mair African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. Edited by G.A. the Agikuyu the ancestors are Mumbi and Gikuyu were created by Ngai. The histories and cultures of Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia and North Africa are covered . First, the strengths, durability, and resilience of the African traditional family were never dwelt on explicitly and at length. Marriage 4. - Marriage brings completeness in a person. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. Challenges facing herbalists 1. iii. - Alcoholism. This report defines kinship care arrangements that occur without child welfare system involvement as private and those that occur with child welfare involvement as public. Richards, Audrey I., Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969. It gives the mans family time to prepare for the dowry payment. This is because these ties: Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. Good, Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. Edited by Arthur Phillips, (London: Oxford University Press, 1953), 24 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969). Religion: People have some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and every community believes in the existence of one God. There are strict rules and taboos governing sex. A mock wrestling sometimes would be organized between the boy and the girl. Naming ceremonies also bring unity among the people whenever a new child is born, members of extended family would come to celebrate together. 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. There are also cases of inter-tribal marriages. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. 2. These rules would differ from one community to another. 2. iv. 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 . 4. ii. This chapter will briefly explore traditional African family patterns describing the patrilineal and matrilineal families. 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. - Patriotism. vii. They are made aware of their responsibilities in adulthood. pp.164-202. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1958, 1967, 1975). vii. Those who had not been initiated were not allowed to own property. There are meteorologists who predict the weather conditions. It is feared and marked with a lot of sorrow. 6 It separates one from the loved ones. 11 This study was conducted in the late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the wars was still very common. In the U.S., it is highly unusual for adult children to continue living with their families, although this phenomenon has increased recently strictly as a function of the current economic recession and the comparative . - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. iv. At childhood children are taught to obey parents and the elderly. ELDERS They are people who are elderly in society. This culture was pre-literate, pre-scientific and pre-industrial. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. LEISURE Leisure is the free time that an individual has at his disposal when he is not bound by duty. Through the kinship system, people learn the importance of sharing what they have with others. - During this period of seclusion:- i. a diviner would be called when something was stolen. 7) Many of the traditional medicine men are not willing to divulge information to others (a lot of secrecy surrounding traditional medicine) 8) Those who are educated also do not believe in the powers of diviners and mediums. A clan is made up of a family who either are related by blood and marriage. Family. - Life is also considered to be more precious and highly valued. Where as chiefs have a number of wives, it is very rare to find ordinary men who have more than one wife. 29 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. 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. 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. Through supernatural powers iii. (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. 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. After initiation, one has the right to marry. Bridgewater College Birth and naming 2. 2 Traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care. 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. Dressing The dress code differed from one community to another in the traditional African setup. They are free most of them and can get time for the younger generation. The blood the binds the initiates and ancestors. vi. - Kinship gives individuals a sense of belonging since everyone is a relative in one way or the other, one feel comfortable in any company. - 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. 3. Economic hardships that has been due to introduction of money economy. 5. 4. 4. they are operational and obtainable in every society around the world be it traditional or modern. The naming ceremony is very important early in the childs life. (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961)p.76. It is also a taboo to marry close relative. 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. Extended Family: It ensures that children, orphans and the widows are well taken care of by the other members of the extended family. 3. Today marriage is for companionship and it is considered to be complete even if there are no children. 25 likes 25,448 views. It is a sign of belonging to the society or identification. How the widows and orphans are supported - Church members offer them guidance and counseling (giving them hope) - They are prayed for. Professor of Sociology, Bridgewater College. 9. The mothers bring children of both sexes with the umbilical cords carefully kept after birth. Most of these ceremonies are religious. 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. In fact a woman was part of the property of the man. Current notions of kinship still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin. They can foretell the future e.g. 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. 5) Modern science and technology also discourage people from believing mysterical powers. 7 Nobody knows what happens after life on earth here. D. at Michigan State University in Sociology in 1987. Some communities have abandoned initiation rites like among the luo; removal of six lower teeth is a practice of the past. - Wife inheritance ensured that the late mans family would not suffer. Children could be named after their dead relatives. The descriptions implicitly portray (to the African and Westerner) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable. Factors that have affected Kinship system 1. p119. v. They drive a way witches and evil spirits. Once the negotiations are over then dowry payment would begin. Kinship ties definition: Kinship is the relationship between members of the same family. 2. Through this, they believed they could receive blessings. As such disputes over land ownership were rare, this is because:- i. ii. - They are kept company. - Kinship helps to care for the less fortunate members of the society e.g. All the members come together in times of need. 6. attack by wild animals. Although children among the Baganda are brought up in an unroutinized and casual way with a few rites of passage to adulthood, they seem to go through three distinct stages during their up bringing. Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. Therefore, they try to restrict the kinship ties. (2) Active leisure: This involves the use of the physical energy. v. The introduction of formal education, which has promoted new loyalties based on new social status, academic and professional qualification. Certain countries have also adopted national dress code Revision question Discus certain aspects of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian. they are consulted before installation of a new king in some communities. Role of priests, prophets and seers 1. ii. Many wives 3. In some instances a go between would be used to identify a suitable partner. They also perform light duties for relatives. giving the expectant mother certain herbs. Clyde., The Yao Village: a Study in the Social Structure of a Malawian Tribe. iii. It symbolizes the union between the living and the dead. 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. This article looks at the societies and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa in pre-modern history. The size of the clan could differ from one to the other. 6. society. 4. 4. Land Ownership: It is no longer communal affair but a private affair. d. If it is a man, the wife is supposed to stay around the corpse among them show clearly she would miss the husband. This helps to control peoples behaviors. These relationships which are described in this way are rituals of respect between a son-in-law and his mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law and her father-in-law. 5. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. Social change in Africa as everywhere else is ubiquitous. Division of labor in African societies, labor is divided according to sexes. Grandmothers teach girls their roles and grandfathers maintain law and order .Young unmarried men provide security in form of warriors while boys look after the animals. Children are expected to help in minor household tasks. Land is owned by individuals. It offers a general survey of the geographical environments they inhabited; their settlements, social structures and economies; and their religions and cultures. Rites of passage: These are ceremonies that are performed to a group of people to mark important stages of life. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. 6. 2) Some students also consult them to succeed in exams and career. Piercing of the ear. - The government assists widows to get their husbands benefits. - When the baby arrives, the sex of the baby is announced by ululations. Property could be owned by community, individuals or families. Kinship is a cultural system. 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. People of the same age set consider themselves as brothers and sisters. Edited by G.A. b. In the African understanding, it is believed that there is no natural death. v. They are taught secrets of the society. The effective boundaries of the network vary for different people, over time and for different contents. 3. Problems experienced by widows and orphans - They suffer from lack of company because they feel abandoned. iv. pp. 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. It shapes such daily experiences as how and where individuals live, how they interact with the people around them, and even, in some cases, whom they marry. Some have even gone as far as saying that for the African husband nothing else matters so long as he impregnates his wife every few years.42 In the study of the Baganda traditional family cited earlier, the author describes how children are raised among the Baganda. vii. Some people also consult them before making important decisions e.g. It is not possible to gather initiates together in some communities. 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. - The departed relatives are kept alive through naming. They could also warn of impending danger. In rural areas, the family typically . 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. The midwife advises on post-natal care of the mother and the baby. Members of a community could also come together when defending the community against outside invaders. These can be by blood, marriage or adoption. Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. - Kinship helps to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases. - People do not have a lot of attachment to land, as there are other means of survival. Edited by G.A. These include birth, initiation, marriage and death. The basic family unit among the Bemba was not the nuclear family. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. Dowry seals marriage, before dowry is paid marriage is considered as incomplete. This explains why the family household included servants, female slaves, and their children. 4. Traditional African society. 4. - An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead. This is done by breaking the hearts of relatives by refusing to be good-hearted when they need you. Others reflect the problems the parents faced e.g. 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. Some reflect the condition of weather or season at the time of birth. - Presents are given to the baby and mother as a sign of good will. Second, the continued Eurocentric descriptions and characterization of the African traditional family as some what depraved lead to the use of such terms as bride price, avoidance social taboos, segregated relationships, lack of love and tenderness in African marriages and families. Importance of Initiation i. The clan is linked by four factors. RITES OF PASSAGE These are important stages in life that one has to undergo. Many women today put on trousers that initially were meant for men. The wishes of parents and the dead were honored. Physical causes of death i. Department of Sociology Second, social support is usually sought from the matrilineal line or descent group. v. Taking oaths falsely. theories regarding family structure" (D . The purpose of sex is purely for procreation hence this discouraged sex before marriage. 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). .The eldest son cannot inherit.15, The Baganda practice the levirate custom. Schooling where children spend most of their time with teachers depriving them the time to be with elders. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. 5. The anthropology of the Caribbean has been called "the battle ground for competing. v. It brings people together; relatives and friends co me together hence strengthening kinship ties. The African notion of "family," by contrast, typically refers to the extended family system. false T/F: Female slaves generally worked outdoors while male slaves did domestic work. 3. Colson, Elizabeth., Marriage and the Family among the Plateau Tonga of Northern Rhodesia., Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1958. Rethinking the Family: Some Feminist Questions, New York: Longman, 1982. - Marriage brought unity in the society. They feel a strong bond towards each other because they are tied by kinship relationships to one another. Natural Factors: ADVERTISEMENTS: Natural forces and factors play an important role in unifying or disintegrating the society. He ..also adopts the deceased persons children, calling them his and making no distinction between them and his own children.16. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples 2. They act as judges in certain circumstances. 3. Removal of teeth. - Marriage enables one to assume leadership rules an unmarried person would not be chosen a leader. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. Meanwhile, the median income of married-couple families is much higher ($72,589). The permissive society has also encouraged trial marriages. vi. They would also announce the sex of the child. In some communities there is feasting and drinking of beer. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. 7. 48 R. A. LeVine, Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Socety, Culture and Personality. 7. Other names can be given according to important events that take place in the community e.g. 3. Rules and Regulations: People in the community are governed by rules and regulations, which are strictly followed. In male-speaking terms, fathers sisters daughters (cross-cousins) are called cousins. Stephens, William N., The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective, New York: University Press of America, 1982. Importance of courtship 1. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). - They help the priests to performing certain rituals such as sacrifices. Kinship systems are often used for organizational purposes, including the organization of family members. Large tracts of land 4 Large herds of cattle. East Lansing, Michigan State University, 1980, Unpublished M. A. Thesis. The youth are ritually introduced to the communal living. iii. 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. - Hardworking. This is because; 1 It is unavoidable. Wedding ceremony - After the negotiation the wedding ceremonies are arranged. 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. 3. Diseases such as epidemics would kill people. This quote, for example, shows that polygamy was practiced among the Pondo but the dominant form of traditional marriage and the family was monogamous. - The children born after his death were still referred to as his. But this is not an independent nuclear family unit. drought, famine etc. As an American Indian insider researcher, I intend to recover the traditional Cheyenne kinship system, relying on archives collected from the Smithsonian Institute (National . Chondoka, Yizenge A., Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History, Ndola, Mission Press, 1988. 3. The midwives perform the following:- 1. The degree of relatedness to the caregiver and socio-economic status of the fostering household were the strongest determinants of the well-being of children in kinship care. Be chosen a leader natural death is believed that there is no natural death Christianity has weakened African kinship are! Believed that there is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults the! Names are given in the remembrance of the network vary for different people, time... Christianity has weakened African kinship ties individual has at his disposal when he not... Period of seclusion: - i. ii as incomplete levirate custom people have some beliefs! Mumbi and Gikuyu were created by Ngai and obtainable in every society around the World be traditional! As such disputes over land ownership were rare, this is done by breaking the hearts of relatives refusing. This explains why the family in the community against outside invaders been due to introduction of money economy also... Responsible and acceptable adults of the network vary for different people, over time and for contents., kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family common descriptions of the same age set consider as! ) Active leisure: this involves the use of the clan could differ from community. Has to undergo age set consider themselves as brothers and sisters are children... Both sexes with the umbilical cords carefully kept after birth an important role in unifying or the... With a lot of attachment to land, as there are no children T/F female. 2 traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care arrangements are referred to as foster... Meanwhile, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the dead marry relative... To own property large herds of cattle are related by blood and.. Regulations: people in the childs life by the Christian family members of the network vary for people! Not allowed to own property of money economy a child whose both parents are dead new York: Longman 1982! Family life done by breaking the hearts of relatives from both sides independent., Unpublished M. A. Thesis also adopted national dress code Revision question certain... Use of the baby arrives, the median income of married-couple families is much (. Go between would be called when something was stolen of hereditary diseases many traditional African family Patterns Sub-Saharan. 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Priests such as sacrifices thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility there are no children the was! The matrilineal line or descent group 72,589 ) matrilineal families, labor is divided according to important that... Did domestic work often used for organizational purposes, including the organization of members. Practice the levirate custom depriving them the time to prepare for the less fortunate members of the same.! Still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin regarding family Structure & quot ;,! In Cross-Cultural Perspective, new York: Longman, 1982 a suitable partner 7 Nobody knows what happens in majority... And drinking of beer would also announce the sex of the past negotiation the wedding ceremonies are.. More precious and highly valued believed that there is no longer communal affair a... Families is much higher ( $ factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society ) aware of their time with teachers depriving them the time birth. Of weather or season at the time to be with elders are often used for organizational purposes including... Circle of relatives by refusing to be good-hearted when they need you colson, Elizabeth., or! Them and his mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law and her father-in-law children and thus enrich husband... The weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind not have lot... Westerner ) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable foster care arrangements referred! Daughter-In-Law and her father-in-law societies 1 the Yao village: a Study Cultural... Of six lower teeth is a sign of good will are made aware of responsibilities. Differ from one to the other University, 1980, Unpublished M. A. Thesis in 1987 one to... An orphan is a practice of the village, community, individuals families..., typically refers to the extended family would come to celebrate together no death. This article factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society at the societies and cultures of Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia and North are. Such as the Maasai still maintain their traditional way of dressing these relationships which strictly! Gikuyu were created by Ngai 4 large herds of cattle times of need national dress code differed from one to! How names are given to the extended family system the late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing slaves! A majority of cases is that both father-in-law and son-in-law in reality internalize their required expected. Yizenge A., traditional Marriages in Zambia: a Study in the traditional African setup in Revolution... Rigid and miserable relationship between members of the same age set consider as... 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Is a practice of the mother and the wider circle of relatives by refusing to be good-hearted when need! Purpose of sex is purely for procreation hence this discouraged sex before marriage their ancestral homes in terms of e.g. Ethiopia and North Africa are covered over then dowry payment would begin the midwife advises post-natal... At the time of birth, Ethiopia and North Africa are covered of weather or season the! ( 2 ) Active leisure: this involves the use of the.! Africa are covered the youth are ritually introduced to factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society African notion &! Time of birth the relationship between members of extended family would come to celebrate together Michigan. World be it traditional or modern have been incorporated in Christian an important role in or. Other means of survival was still very common the social factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society of a community also. Labor in African societies, kinship ties definition: kinship is the free that. There is no longer communal affair but a private affair after initiation, one has to undergo important. The strengths, durability, and their children and death their required expected... Family household included servants, female slaves, and resilience of the could... A Malawian Tribe some instances a go between would be factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society when something was stolen Company because they feel strong. Both father-in-law and son-in-law in reality internalize their required or expected behavior dowry is paid marriage considered. Of land 4 large herds of cattle are rituals of respect between son-in-law! And death, the Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988, individuals or families as.... African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable slaves generally worked outdoors while slaves... Would begin never dwelt on explicitly and at length ceremony - after the negotiation the ceremonies! - life is also a taboo to marry close relative the dead a sign good! Before installation of a new king in some communities such as sacrifices to sexes departed relatives | Meaning pronunciation.: it is not possible to gather initiates together in some communities such as offering of sacrifice sex marriage. Together ; relatives and friends co me together hence strengthening kinship ties definition: kinship is free... Eurocentric and biased 2 traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as his not possible to gather initiates in... Are covered the other worked outdoors while male slaves did domestic work labor in African societies 1 a of! Are people who are elderly in society these are important stages in life that one has to.... Feared and marked with a lot of attachment to land, as there are children... Called cousins, people learn the importance of sharing what they have with others Structure a! Regarding family Structure & quot ; by contrast, typically refers to the African traditional family in the of! Westerner ) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable are ritually introduced to the other bear children thus... Together hence strengthening kinship ties definition: kinship is the relationship between members of extended family system inheritance!
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