3. Leisure Activities: This is the time that one has at his disposal. By 1935, for example, anthropologists like Mair and Richards and no doubt many others were already noticing change in marriage and family patterns.36. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. People could also die due to shortage of food. ix. among the Kisii, a person born crossing the river could be called Kwamboka. They can also reveal-hidden information e.g. They affect all aspects of Africa, including care, marriages, and social status, since kinship controls people's relationships, moral values, and attitudes. Bell, Norman W., and Vogel, Ezra F. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. They are those who do not believe in traditional medicine. People like politicians and students consult medicine men to succeed in the careers. 2. They are free most of them and can get time for the younger generation. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. 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. Main factors which affect social change can be discussed a follows: 1. The basic family unit among the Bemba was not the nuclear family. Importance of Naming 1. The introduction of formal education Formal education has weakened the role of parents and grandparents. - Marriage extended relationship and therefore enlarged kinship ties. It must be emphasized, however, that these were traditional patterns as far back as late 1800s up to as late as 1960s. The land belonged to the whole community. giving the expectant mother certain herbs. [.] - They counsel and guide the youth on matters of sex and marriage Why guiding and counseling was done by elders 1. Adams, Bert N., The Family: A Sociological Interpretation, 4th Edition, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1986. b) Outline the role of priests in Traditional African communities. During this period he conducted extensive research and field work in rural Zambia particularly in the Eastern and Southern Provinces of the country. Birth and naming 2. Many people have migrated to towns where 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.". They heal various diseases using herbs. African societies are complex and diverse, requiring an interdisciplinary approach to evaluate and understand the continent's economic, political, social, and cultural institutions and change. Same ancestry: People of a particular community believe that they have the same origin e.g. - They are kept company. This was because: - i. Africans believe that land was given to them by God. That is to say a man goes to live in his wifes village, at any rate for the first years of his married life.22 This is also true of marriage among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lala, Lamba, Chewa, Kaonde, and many others. They feel a strong bond towards each other because they are tied by kinship relationships to one another. 7. They were believed to have a lot of experience in life. Introduction to Kinship. 4. Those who are lazy are ridiculed. 42 Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History. e. In certain communities pregnant women and children are not allowed to go near touch the corpse to avoid misfortunes. 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. Boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless under supervision. People who are directly related to each other are known as primary kin. in cases of death, the whole community mourn. Modern education and western culture has affected dowry payment in that many educated attach little value to dowry payment. A mans legal entitlements and rights of inheritance are on his mothers side. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Laziness was condemned or punished to ensure that people owned what they had actually worked for. Fourth, special observations related to pregnancy, childbirth, naming of the child, and testing the childs legitimacy as clan member.14, The existence of patriarchy and the patrilineal system among the Baganda might suggest that individual men have the most dominant social status. Anything described in these terms must inherently be bad, primitive and, therefore, undesirable.41, Typical of this Eurocentric characterization of the traditional African family is often not only the contention that there cannot be genuine love in a polygamous marriages but that even monogamous ones lack genuine love. First, two animal totems from one of which the clan derives its name. They are taught about morals of the society. The kin group is also a source of emotional and spiritual belonging. Introduction. The continuance of Aboriginal society is dependent on keeping Aboriginal families strong and healthy both physically and culturally. During this period, the couples are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. 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. It was a signed to individuals by the elders. - Courage. Kinship refers to the relationships between people. 3. 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. Marriage 4. 5. The midwife also monitors the development of the foetus. 11. - Also include the dead and those yet to be born and the departed relatives. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. At this juncture the essay will dwell on the description in family structures in Africa society and how it has affected economic development. Marriage: Has been individualized and is no longer a communal affair. politicians. MEDIUMS AND DIVINERS - Mediums are people through which ancestors and spirits communicate with the living. Urbanization: Where people of different cultures interact with one another. The anthropology of the Caribbean has been called "the battle ground for competing. - They can foretell the future by receiving visions, dreams or words from God. Meanwhile, the median income of married-couple families is much higher ($72,589). - There are cases of destruction of land and environment through dumping of wastes. ii. Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. They are regarded as honest. The gifts also act as security in case the marriage breaks then the gifts could be returned. Many communities made clothes from animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves. - When a woman learns that she is pregnant, she becomes very happy and she becomes a special person in the community and receives special treatment. Some of the major issues raised will include polygamy, tribe, clan, the extended family, bride price and the raising of children. - Different communities have different rules on where the delivery should take place. 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. Some communities such as the Maasai still maintain their traditional way of dressing. Once somebody is married he got fully integrated to the society. - They could also observe the weather conduction and interpret the movement of clouds and wind. First, in succession and inheritance the man inherits his dead grandfather, maternal uncle, or brother. The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. Rules and Regulations: People in the community are governed by rules and regulations, which are strictly followed. It has been widely documented, particularly in Western cultural settings, that women prefer to compete less than men. - The naming of the child takes place some days after birth. a diviner would be called when something was stolen. Stephens, William N., The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective, New York: University Press of America, 1982. Current notions of kinship still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin. Children among the matrilineal peoples are brought up in a similar traditional extended family village social environment. LeVine40 described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as institutionalized restrictions, segregated patterns, and avoidance patterns. People that belong to the same kinship system are referred to as kin. People learn to be thankful to God, parents, relatives and one another AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY AND KINSHIP African community is used to refer to a group of people occupying a particular geographical area, share common interest and practices a sense of togetherness. In some communities as soon as a woman realizes she is expecting, she and the husband completely stops having sexual intercourse until after birth. These constitute the core of the Bemba traditional African family around which the social organization of the traditional society revolves. Headmanships of villages, court offices, ritual titles, and chieftainships are passed on in this way. People of the same age set consider themselves as brothers and sisters. Today marriage is for companionship and it is considered to be complete even if there are no children. In difficult times such as during famine, those who have share what they have with their relatives. 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. This review finds that parental care remains the best care setting and should be highly encouraged within African society. Those related by blood have common ancestors. 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