In each of these situations, African women are able to manipulate the existing system through woman-to-woman marriage in order to achieve higher social and economic status. Despite this manifestation, marriage has been very often exposed to incidences of violence. As a matter of fact, before any Church wedding commences in African or of African descent the clergy would ascertain that traditional rites had been fulfilled. Cambridge-Africa Programme. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Once the wedding day comes, it is usually held at the brides compound. It was a white bodyEastern European-looking like the stereotypewith a white bra and G-string. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. Marriage and Enslavement in Africa: Connections and Comparisons. Family, Gender Roles, and Marriage in the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman World, BiAS Series, Joachim Kuegler, Rosinah Gabaitse, Blessing Nyahuma, Mark S Aidoo, Mavis Muguti, Menard Musendekwa, daniel nii aboagye aryeh, PhD, Kudzai Biri, Francis Machingura, Josiah Ucheawaji, Journal of Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions (NASR), Making Tradition: A Historical Perspective on Gender in Namibia, Putting them in their place:respectable and unrespectable women in Zimbabwean gender struggles, VIOLATION AND ABUSE OF WOMENS HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE CUSTOMARY PRACTICE OF KUZVARIRA" AMONG THE NDAU PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE, ALook AT THE STRUGGLE OF ZIMBABWEAN MARRIED WOMEN REGARDING SAFE SEX, Sex Work as a test case for African feminism, Harmonise Zimbabwe's marriage laws before changing marriage certificates, 'Let them come to me!' In an African customary marriage, there is an arrangement between families where lobolo (bride wealth) was seen as a token of gratitude for the upbringing of the daughter, as well as a step to. Its the start of a new life for the bride and groom, together and out of the households of their parents., Arranged Marriage is a form of Marriage when your parents, families, and communities pick who your significant other is. In some African regions if the couple is residing abroad, the traditional marriage will still be accomplished even in their absence by the family members back home. Every country has their own way of marrying two people that want to spend the rest of their life together. To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. A man in South Africa may have more than one spouse but a South African woman may only have one spouse. After the grooms family hands over the money and other prerequisites to the brides family, the wedding day is planned. In this presentation, the traditional African marriage is examined in relation to the involvement of family and community for sustenance from the perspective of Ama Ata Aido'sAnowa.Marriage in this context is a union which brings a man and a woman together for companionship and procreation. In Zimbabwe, the "family" traditionally refers to an expansive. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Academia.edu uses cookies to personalize content, tailor ads and improve the user experience. They tend to forget the traditional teachings for the marriage, or think they are This portrayal of men and women does not end in the public sphere but is also found in the private sphere where men decide what is good for their partners in relation to safe sex. - Single Women, Tradition, and the Bible in Zimbabwe (by Kudzai BIRI, with a foreword by Joachim Kgler), The loudness of the Unsaid: Proverbs in selected African drama, Not a boy, not a child": A qualitative study on young people's views on childbearing in Uganda, Isukha Traditional Marriage Processes and Rituals in Pre-Colonial Kenya. of marriage and divorce in contemporary Igbo society. African Culture and the Status of Women The Yoruba Example Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(4), 4 23. The cultural values form a moral code, which regulates the community. Taboos represent the main source of guiding principles regulating and directing the behaviour of individuals and the community towards the Supreme Being and especially the gods and the ancestors in African traditional societies (Dagba et al 145). Enquires are instituted by both families concerning the behavior, character and most times religion of the families as well as marital status. However, the paper focuses on GBV against women. Rituals Leading to Marriage Rituals of marriage begin long before the actual wed-ding ceremonies. According to Malinowski, " marriage is a contract for the production and maintenance of children." . The escalating experiences of violence as force among married couples, call to question what it means to be husband and wife or whether marriage is merely an ideal so difficult to realize. Thus, it recommended that cultural practices that are harmful to women should be discarded, Cambridge Development Initiative. 6. The African marriage is an integral part of the whole African culture and was a rite of passage for every mature man and woman. These approaches to marital . These cultural values are laws, customs, and forms of behavior, regulations, rules, observances and taboos. Even though liberated in Christ, the battered syndrome of colonization is still within us. 4. Instead, the women are told to go to court. See also Bonnie B. Keller, "Marriage by Elopement," African Social Research 27 (1979), 565-585. RITES OF PASSAGE AFRICAN TRADITIONAL REGION 1Dr. In a modern family people is less subject to the parental control in the matter of mate choice. In traditional marriage, the religious aspects include the preliminary divination by which the young man who seeks a wife is enabled to find out from what clan or lineage his Chi (Guardian Spirit) permits him to take a wife of fortune from. In modern times, the influence of the family over marriage has eroded, but many institutions of Shona marriage customs endure. with some recent contrasting work on African Americans. Even when they fought their ways through years of conflicts, thank God they have something to celebrate. Ochieng, E. (2019). In traditional rural African societies, the contraction of marriage was dominated by arranged marriages whereby parents usually indulged in the selection of marriage partners for their children; this was mostly common for their daughters. Throughout Africa, traditional or cultural marriages which provided the rich-ness of natural continuity of life are fast fading out due to the influx of the alien Western culture. They shall witness, bless and rejoice for Gods fulfillment, support and encourage them as they pass through new experiences of starting life together. Most couples these days appear in wedding gowns and suits rather than put on our rich traditional costumes. Key words: Africa, culture, Women's right, Yoruba Introduction Discourse on the rights of women in Africa has been a major focus of contemporary scholarship in Africa. The thrust of this paper is therefore to rekindle in couples marital values; establish how they control human sexuality and therefore affect the family. The Development of Cultural Unity In sub-Saharan Africa no overarching great tradition developed Sub-Saharan Africa is a vast territory of many small traditions. Historians know very little about the prehistory of these many small traditions and their peoples African cultures are highly diverse There is an estimated 2000 This paper looks at how African marriage and family have evolved as a result of direct contact with both Islam and Christianity. THE ROLE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE RITES ON MARITAL STABILITY: A CASE OF THE ABAGUSII PEOPLE, KENYA January 2022 Project: Post-doctoral Research Authors: Esther Kerebi Nyamache The. New Trends. African Wedding Traditions Bringing the African culture and traditions are handed down from generation to generation. But in the name of Churchanity [not Christianity], most Africans appear to regard European wedding superior to our rich African traditional rites. Isukha Traditional Marriage Processes and Rituals in Pre-Colonial Kenya. In April 1862 he visited a slave market in Gallabat on what today is the border between Sudan and Ethiopia, where he saw a large number of 'lovely captives . To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. In terms of methodology, qualitative analysis was adopted in examining how African integrated cultural life affect the marriage. These items show evidence of ownership and when accepted by brides father or his representative evidence transfer authority of ownership of the bride from the father to the husband. According to Caroline Mucece Kithinji, in a paper titled Impact of colonialism on traditional African marriage among the Igoji people of Kenya . As both a sacrament and covenant, marriage is traceable back to its origin, God, who is Love. Our parents have done their turn; we must pass the baton. family is linked to the broader community. Woman-to-woman marriage involves the following persons: 1) the female husband . This means that GBV is not exclusive to any gender. 303-325. God created a woman for a man and brought her to him to name. To learn more, view ourPrivacy Policy. Although different societies in Africa celebrate marriage differently given the diversity of belief systems, it can be generally stated that marriage manifests a union of love, joy and great intimacy. This is a result of their own independent beliefs and traditions which causes them to go about their own unique ritual, although there are few similarities between the two countries., To the Igbo people of West Africa marriage is essential in life. The Igbos take the wedding traditions series and the wedding is a celebration for everyone in the town. The World Book Encyclopedia states that 40% of Africans identify as Christian while 45% are Muslim. Get ideas to incorporate into yours. This is to show how crucial it is! ABSTRACT. The groom does not propose to the bride, but the family comes with him to give the idea of him marrying the bride (Widjaja). Traditional counselling is a growing area of interest in African contemporary society, especially amongst members of the counselling profession. ."); Talking Points on Traditional Marriage, CONCERNED WOMEN Thera Rasing Traditional modern and christian teachings in Are made up of smaller units called clan. Your guess is as good as mine. Helping another person experiencing psychosocial or emotional distress and mentoring someone to achieve a life goal can be one of the most enabling human services. We should be reminded that we have it as our responsibility not only to uphold our tradition but also pass it to future generation. The Process of Marriage in African Societies: A Multiple Indicator Approach Created Date: 20160811045033Z Feminist philosophers have seen marriage as playing a crucial role in women's oppression and thus a central topic of justice. Its important to put records right especially as most African rich traditions are branded demonic. Email: weefreeministries@yahoo.com, CONFLICTS AFRICAN MARRAIGES FACE IN WESTERN CULTURE, CONFLICTS AFRICAN MARRIAGES FACE IN WESTERN CULTURE. Before this ceremony, the couple get acquainted with each other and agreed to marry. From oral tradition, literary records and observation, the article, through the lens of ethical relativism, mirrors morality as a timeless definition of humanity influenced by locality. Keywords: same sex marriage, regulation, institution. African traditional marriage requires parent's consent and blessings. History Of Marriage Customs In Africa families, and misses the many meanings and practices of marriage that coexist in our society. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. Traditional African Society. Generally, marriage meaning the institution regulating sex, reproduction, and family life, is a route into classical philosophical issues such as the good and the scope of individual choice, as well as itself raising distinctive philosophical questions. The marriage ceremony was based on the principle of male dominance and female obedience. I ntroduction: Human societies globally have from time immemorial held with great regard the celebration of marriage. But our citizenship is in heaven. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. These values are best explained in African traditional marriages, family, clan, individual gifts and names, talents, cultural practices, arts and sculptures, dress, music and dance, folk stories amongst other traits peculiar to the African society. representation in traditional sexuality. wives should be homemakers and primary caregivers were considered to be conservative. The ultraviolet light that lit the tiny box of a room made her underwear and heavy lipstick glow in an eerie, supernatural but definitely eye-catching way. The Igbo tribes seem to be very traditional, and it feels to be rather an odd thing to see in America, but very normal in other parts of the world such as Nigeria., perception that they want to sell their girls, however this is not the case. Our African Christians after performing marriage rites that the Europeans do not do are subjected to wedding that involves spending of fortune. With a rich and diverse culture African culture is known to change from county to county, many cultures along with traditions are found in Africa which makes Africa diverse, unique and mesmerizing in many ways to the world. It is indeed the The following discussion of cohabitation and mar-riage reflects some of the biases in the literature . You can download the paper by clicking the button above. This has become a great problem that many igbo men choose to cohabitate with a woman than marry her because of the resultant shame., In a traditional Igbo wedding, the man asks the woman to marry him. And through all the hardships they had placed on them, they developed strong emotional bonds and family ties. . The wedding tradition came along with colonization and the inception of Christianity in Africa. It can also be called a total separation (Collins English Dictionary, 2011). This article looks at Shona cultural and spiritual beliefs that promote masculinity and considers the negative impacts on the sexuality of women and, in turn, the ongoing HIV and AIDS pandemic. Anyone can have a wedding but only God can create a marriage. Throughout the continent, the diversity of systems reflects the traditions, religions, and economic circumstances of a wide variety of distinct cultures. Some people are only excited with Jesus first public miracle- the turning of water into wine and may not see the main miracle in the passage. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. ("Traditional marriage is a bedrock institution of our communities, state, nation and society. Bibliography Hopkins, E.W.. (1918). The Bahama of Africa and tribes of Samoa. In practice, same sex marriage is argued from the viewpoint of being a human rights issue but this project work will try to sieve through the raging controversy which has greeted this debate from both moral, political and even from proponents of the traditional family institutions. The Role of the African Traditional Religion in the Promotion of Justice, Reconciliation and Peace in Africa in the Twenty-first Century: A Kenyan Experience . . . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 4. In African societies, the people see marriage as proof that a man is mature and is capable of taking care of the family he will build with his wife. 2 pages, 557 words. This appears a misconception. African culture and traditions are handed down from generation to generation. (a) Outline six roles of diviners in Traditional African society. Today, we not only speak of marriage as a union of love but also as one whose space is contested by various external forces. This paper examines union patterns of young women (aged 15-29) in more than two dozen countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with the objective of documenting and analyzing the extent and nature of the. The family occupies a pivotal place in every society and in the Africa continent at large. THE PLACE OF TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE IN AFRICAN CULTURE, Marriage not wedding was the real miracle. African traditional marriage requires parents consent and blessings. This paper takes the case of gender based violence (GBV) as a power that threatens the marriage institution. Each has their own unique ritual of how they go about a wedding ceremony. The point is that this African culture and traditions are handed down from generation to generation. Introduction At marriage, every African Christian couple, especially in mission-founded churches, is confronted with three 'worlds' - the world of the traditional culture to which most parents of marrying-age children belong; the world of the civil or There are consequences on those who breached this norm. 3 (3), 14 35. Abstract. I paid my toll more than twenty years ago. Contra Bamikole, the paper argues that the capacity of the agba (elder) to manage conflict shrewdly in traditional Yoruba society was a combined function of the elders personality, proverbial God then enacted a rule, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they become one. This rule was for the man whom God through this event satisfied his loneliness. The traditional marriage is the local form of marriage. To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. I always knew that marriage was between a man and a woman. In this way, African culture and values can be revaluated, their relevance established and sustained in order to give credence to authentic African identity. When a woman gets married the entire community rejoices with All they need is marriage blessings. The Role of Folk Music in Traditional African Society: The Igbo Experience 306 marriage rites, post natal ceremonies and other domestic duties. Marriage in South Africa Wikipedia, Marriage in African Traditional Society UK Essays Chapter 3 investigated the Chapter 3 investigated the different reasons for divorce among the population. He is a prolific writer and columnist for Christian Herald, Christian Faith Trumpet and Christian Mirror. A rite of passage for every mature man and a woman for a in... Of Kenya mar-riage reflects some of the family occupies a pivotal place in every society in... 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