Why the practice female circumcision is dying out. Prayers are offered also during time of calamities. They could also warn of impending danger. This helps to control peoples behaviors. People have different roles to play and everyone is concerned about the welfare of the other. vi. They are people who claim a common ancestry and are related by blood. In some communities there is feasting and drinking of beer. Meanwhile, the median income of married-couple families is much higher ($72,589). 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. 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. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. 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. Land was owned by the community. - People tend to be individualized. - They are kept company. Today the dead can be buried in cemeteries in towns. v. Taking oaths falsely. Before initiation, one is viewed as a child no matter the age. [.] 6. - The government and churches have built homes for them - They are given food etc. 5. 5. iv. So the relationship is often based on mutual expectations and is more beneficial for both parties than confrontational and fraught with issuing of orders. Still, traditional families such as those in Family Ties and The Cosby Show dominated the ratings. 9 J.A. Physical causes of death i. This background is essential to any application of Christian spirituality in Africa. 8. 4. Their relevance today Some people still consult prophets on seers some couples may consult in case of barrenness. This can begin as early as childhood or before the children are born. The belief in Christianity has also affected traditional beliefs in death to believe that death is a gateway to heaven and there is resurrection of the body. a child born after a long period of childless marriage is called Ogwedhi among the Luo. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. Challenges facing herbalists 1. Severing the ties of kinship is among the body sins and it is among the major sins. 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. - Purification rites are performed for the mother and the child to make the child pure. These views were expressed before 1930s and as late as 1960s. Young men are taught to develop self-love and love for the community it provides a sense of belonging. The education provided is a lifelong process. People like politicians and students consult medicine men to succeed in the careers. they are consulted before installation of a new king in some communities. But this is not an independent nuclear family unit. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961. In this system, all brothers of the father are called father, all sisters of the mother are called mother, all their children brother and sister. 6) There is problem of correct dosage of traditional medicine. In some instances a go between would be used to identify a suitable partner. 1 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) pp.1 177. This manuscript was written for a book, which was never published, which was to be edited by Dr. Elizabeth Brooks who was a lecturer at the University of Zambia. 6. They believe iron implements attract lightning. Kinship ties definition: Kinship is the relationship between members of the same family. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. ii. KINSHIP SYSTEM - Kinship refers to being related to another either by blood or marriage. For example, in the polygynous African family, like among the Baganda, and many others, your fathers wives and brothers were not just mothers and fathers just as mere kinship terms. 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. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). The size of the clan could differ from one to the other. - Kinship helps to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases. Headmanships of villages, court offices, ritual titles, and chieftainships are passed on in this way. - The hair of the mother and the child is shaved. among the Luos a person who comes out with the placenta would be called Obiero or Awino. - The bathing symbolizes the beginning of a new state in life. 2. ii. According to Dziro and Mhlanga (2018), urbanization, HIV/AIDS, and poverty in Africa are all factors that stifle the effectiveness of informal kinship approaches to proper childcare and. Rethinking the Family: Some Feminist Questions, New York: Longman, 1982. Factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in African communities. Some of them are (i) Rites of passage (2) Good morals (3) Participation in communal activities such as ceremonies, work, leisure activities and worship (4) Sharing of property and ideas (5) Division of labour. According to Mair, .the polygynous joint family, consisting of a man, his wives, and their children, is the ideal for most Africans.5 Studies conducted from the 1930s to 1950s indicate that polygyny was common virtually in all regions of Africa.6, In spite of the perversity of polygyny, there was evidence that it was on the decline. 4. the Agikuyu the ancestors are Mumbi and Gikuyu were created by Ngai. New York: The Free Press, 1963. 7. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. 3. vii. 2. Characteristics of African community 1. Mothers and children would die at childbirth to cases where there is no skilled mid-wife. - Life also continues after death, death does not mark the end of life but is just a change of state. Explaining these changes would require a different chapter. - In most African communities a widow was inherited by the husbands close relatives. But typically news, information, and gossip flow readily through the network, with some individuals acting as "kin . - Marriage extended relationship and therefore enlarged kinship ties. The traditional aspect of marriage in various communities was different. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. White, C.M.N., Tradition and Change in Luvale Marriage, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1962, 1969. - The introduction of money economy has reduced the value of land. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. Among the Chewa of Eastern Zambia, the custom of man living with his wifes parents temporarily or permanently was known as Ukamwini.23. 2. 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. Others reflect the problems the parents faced e.g. 25 This book is written in Chewa indigenous Central African language. Young men are taught to be honest in all their undertakings. 5. They also perform light duties for relatives. among the Kisii, a person born crossing the river could be called Kwamboka. MEDIUMS AND DIVINERS - Mediums are people through which ancestors and spirits communicate with the living. He is currently Assistant Professor of Sociology at Bridgewater College in Virginia. In some communities if a woman is barren, she would bring another woman to bring children on her behalf. Africa's traditional religion is based on the Ubuntu philosophy, which is a Zulu word for human-ness, and was developed over many centuries in traditional African culture. - The placenta is disposed of ceremoniously e.g. Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. Importance of Initiation i. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971). 3. These include birth, initiation, marriage and death. v. Polygamy is encouraged for sexual satisfaction for men. viii. Their roles include the following:- i. Consanguineal kinship: this kinship is based on blood the relationship meaning the relationship between parents and children also among immediate siblings. The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. Polygyny though set the tone and often determined the strength of the society and pattern of social organization of the traditional African family. - Different communities have different rules on where the delivery should take place. GAZETTE: How have ancestors . Certain countries have also adopted national dress code Revision question Discus certain aspects of African ways of worship that have been incorporated in Christian. Rules and Regulations: People in the community are governed by rules and regulations, which are strictly followed. 6. Some of the traditional forms of leisure include. Marriage 4. They give information concerning cause, nature and treatment of diseases. The clan is linked by four factors. vii. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1958, 1967, 1975). This has been due to western culture, industrialization, urbanization Christianity, limited time and economic constraints. To protect the child from evil eyes. vii. She organizes the disposal of the placenta (after birth). Politics: New political systems and forms of government have changed the traditional community. Courtship gives the two families time to prepare in advance for the real marriage. There are serious cases of misuse of leisure in the form of; - Watching and reading pornographic literature. The permissive society has also encouraged trial marriages. They were believed to have a lot of experience in life. 3. Leisure Activities: This is the time that one has at his disposal. Matrilineality is the major influence in what children learn and come to accept about their society. Bantu migrations also helped to spread agriculture and herding to all parts of Africa. The husband could take his wife home if the marriage was thought stable especially after the couple has had two or more children. INITIATION - This is the second major important stage in ones life. The celebration that marked the end of initiation is slowly dying out due to economic constraints. Famous Sociologist H.M. Johnson identified six important bases of kinship which are described below: (1) Sex: Kinship relation is differentiated in each society on the basis of sex. Depending on the region and the people, these. 7. 26 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. iv. They also have the ability to stop rain. 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. The verb kulobola is very specific meaning the valuables that are given partially or in full to the girls people to legitimate or seal the marriage. 10. v. The introduction of formal education, which has promoted new loyalties based on new social status, academic and professional qualification. The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. iii. - This special treatment starts before and continues after childbirth. a. iv. 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. v. Marking of the body (scarification) - During initiation, the initiates are removed from the rest of the community. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. - During this period of seclusion:- i. 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. Evans-Pritchard, J.J., Some Aspects of Marriage and the Family Among the Nuer, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1945, 1969. iv. The Baganda use classificatory system of kinship terminology which seems common to virtually all the Bantu peoples of Central and Southern Africa. A mock wrestling sometimes would be organized between the boy and the girl. There were clear guidelines, rules and regulations on the use and ownership of land. Pregnant women are not allowed to handle certain types of tools. - They negotiate for peace in time of war with another community. Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. 1. 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). - There are cases of destruction of land and environment through dumping of wastes. This is certainly no longer the case in the contemporary African traditional family. Changes that have affected ownership of property and wealth - Women and children are allowed to own property. It shows an act of bravery and hardship one I s to meet in life. A total of 68 linguistic terms of relationships are used by the Baganda.12, The Baganda have a very important aspect of the social or family structure; the consanguinal kin group or blood line which is a line of descent traced through the male members of the family or patri-sib. - Rainmakers are special people who have the ability to make rain. ii. 25 likes 25,448 views. - After the cutting of the skin, the initiates are put in special huts for a period of time. Death must have a cause. - They suffer from psychological and emotional problems - Sometimes widows face lack of essentials such as food. Culture and values are adaptive .. - Children born out of marriage also provide security to the homes. To give the mother time to heal. A curse by a senior relative. There are counselors that give the aged hope and love. Permissiveness in the society has eroded . Angering the living dead and the spirits e.g. This is sexual differentiation in socialization in which girls will become acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. Clitoridectomy Female circumcision. There is no bride price in our society. Kinship is a cultural system. Choosing of a marriage partner This differs from one community to another. - The departed relatives are kept alive through naming. People who are directly related to each other are known as primary kin. [1] Urbanization has undermined the role of of the elders as it becomes difficult for elders to operate as the people come from different backgrounds. (1) According to the Dictionary of Anthropology, "Kinship system includes socially recognized relationships based on supposed as well as actual genealogical ties.". In male-speaking terms, fathers sisters daughters (cross-cousins) are called cousins. p.19, 45 Naboth M. J. Ngulube, Some Aspects of Growing Up in Zambia. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. 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. Tembo, Mwizenge S., A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. Which factors have led to the weakening of kinship ties in Kenya today? It is also a taboo to marry close relative. Changing attitudes towards initiation rites Since the introduction of Christianity and western culture peoples attitude towards initiation rites have changed. - Marriage also unites the living and the dead. Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. - Prayers are also offered to God for protection. Naming gives identity to a person before a child is given a name she or he is not considered as having full identity. Girls take care of the babies and fetch firewood. 2. ii. They are free most of them and can get time for the younger generation. - Kinship system provides the peaceful ways of settling disputes in a community as all are treated as brothers and sisters. -The spirit of sharing. Diviners and mediums iii. (East Lansing, Michigan State University, 1980) p.11 Unpublished M.A. - They give direction on funeral ceremonies and advise on what should be done about the ceremony. However the mode of dressing has seriously changed due to western influence. 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