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 Today initiation is not done at particular stage in life. children born out of wed-lock are killed or abandoned. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1958, 1967, 1975). As the African society has not been static, changes in the traditional family patterns will be briefly alluded to. In fact Chondoka finds the use of the terms dowry, bride price to refer to particularly traditional Zambian marriages to be serious misnomers introduced by European missionaries and colonialists in Africa. 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. Children are attached to and cared for by many adults, including grandparents, aunties, uncles and older siblings [29064] [28917]. As Eaton et al (2003) found in South Africa, for young people struggling for daily survival, protection from possible future illness may be a lower priority than meeting immediate economic needs. 6. Everybody in the community is expected to work hard. But typically news, information, and gossip flow readily through the network, with some individuals acting as "kin . Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1983. Education of children has been left to teachers. These include birth, initiation, marriage and death. The children learn the customs, beliefs, and culture pertaining to the social roles of being a woman, mother, and wife for girls; and a man, father, and husband for boys. The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. To give the mother time to recover the lost energy. They lead people to communal prayer in time of crisis. Communal worship prayers are offered to God to thank Him for whatever he has done. - Children born out of marriage inherit their parents property. Family. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS IN THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY -They are those who are believed to be endowed with special powers. - Some widows and children are not accepted or welcomed in their new homes. 5. - When the baby arrives, the sex of the baby is announced by ululations. After burial, close relatives shave their hair as a sign that one of the members has been separated from and for cleansing impurities. 5) Modern science and technology also discourage people from believing mysterical powers. The paternal grandfather recites many names of the clans dead ancestors. Many children 2. - There is individual ownership of property. N.S.S.F. However, the influence of mediums and diviners has been affected by Christianity, which is against consulting any power apart from God. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. It is kinship, which controls social relationship between people in a given community: it governs marital customs and regulations, it determines the behavior of individuals towards another. Thesis. it governs behavior towards each other - Kinship binds together the entire life of a community, the departed and those yet to be born. TOPIC 9:AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES MEANING AND WHOLENESS OF LIFE- In the African traditional society, life is believed to originate from God. Why the practice female circumcision is dying out. politicians. New York: The Free Press, 1963. 7. Importance of Initiation i. Removal of teeth. Laziness was condemned or punished to ensure that people owned what they had actually worked for. Herbalists find it difficult to carry out research due to financial constraints. Responsibility of elders: - They help in the settlement of disputes. 7. 7. Relevance of diviners and medicine men today 1) Diviners and Mediums are still important in Kenya today. 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. It is a way of compensating the brides family for the loss of a member. 3. 8. .. 2. - Different communities have different rules on where the delivery should take place. He has no rights on his paternal clan. - The departed relatives are kept alive through naming. It has been widely documented, particularly in Western cultural settings, that women prefer to compete less than men. The government, the church and non-governmental organizations have built homes for the aged. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. giving the expectant mother certain herbs. After initiation one is now free to marry and has a right to inherit his fathers property. 2. While the basic functions of the family remain the same all over the world, traditional African families have undergone significant transformations attributed to an interplay of factors, including Christianity, industrialization, educational expansion, population growth, monetization of the economy, migration, civilization, and now globalization. ii. Kinship System in African Communities. Yet others could also die due to old age. v. Taking oaths falsely. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. - Attending discos and nightclubs. In some communities the choice is made by the parents. CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING Today many people talk of the way things were sometimes back many factors have affected the African culture. Some of the major issues raised will include polygamy, tribe, clan, the extended family, bride price and the raising of children. Land was owned by the community. A father-in-law knows what to expect from a good son-in-law. Names are also given in honor of ancestors. Land was also a source of medicine in the form of herbs and minerals. During the period earlier than 1940s, marriages remained completely matrilocal during the couples entire life. They can foretell the future e.g. - Rainmakers observe the behavior of insects, birds and animals to predict the nature of rain. 26 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. The size of the clan could differ from one to the other. 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. Opiyo and Odongo among the Luo. 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. Dishonoring or insulting God. - They give instructions to the younger generation on their roles and duties. All rights reserved. Kinship refers to relationship between people through blood, marriage or adoption. Grandparents are charged with the duty of counseling. 6. pp.164-202. 7. Are made up of smaller units called clan. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). Bantu Migrations Stateless Societies Bantu Societies did not depend on elaborate hierarchy of officials of a bureaucracy Governed through Kinship groups - extended families consisting of about 100 people. 3. - Wife inheritance ensured that the late mans family would not suffer. Challenges facing herbalists 1. Virginity is not highly valued and many people break their virginity at stage of adolescence. 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. There are societies where prayers are made to the mother and the child. Explain the importance of Kinship in traditional African society african cultural and moral values 1 Answer 0 votes answered Aug 9, 2021 by anonymous Control social relationships in community of people related by blood and marriage Bind whole community hence social cohesion Makes people live in harmony/ peace Promotes mutual responsibility and help ii. Caution should be applied when sweeping generalizations are made which make the traditional African family is made to appear static, rigid, and lacking in vitality. 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. What was the structure of the polygynous family? Many communities made clothes from animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves. Young men are taught to be honest in all their undertakings. By Timothy T. Schwartz, PhD. 5. - They are concerned with maintenance of law and order in the community. 2. f. The grave is dug in a special place e.g. The subject of traditional family patterns in Africa is so broad that it cannot be adequately addressed in one chapter. ii. The author obtained his B.A in Sociology and Psychology at University of Zambia in 1976, M.A, Ph. Introduction The primary objective of this paper is to define the African traditional religious system as the basis of understanding Christian spiritual warfare within an African context. they are operational and obtainable in every society around the world be it traditional or modern. ii. Changing Family Patterns: Sub-Saharan Africa, in World Revolution and Family Patterns. That is one cannot escape it 2 It brings impurity to the family and thus several rites are observed after death 3 It deprives the family and the community of the individual. Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. 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. The mother and the child is no longer secluded. Traditional kinship structures remain important in many First Nations communities today. 3. This shows that children seals marriage. People could also die due to shortage of food. Some communities such as the Maasai still maintain their traditional way of dressing. This chapter will briefly explore traditional African family patterns describing the patrilineal and matrilineal families. Although human beings have made tremendous progress during the last 150 years or so, yet they have not been able to wield full control over the nature. Young initiates are trained to be responsible husbands and wives in future. It is feared and marked with a lot of sorrow. 12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. 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factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society