- In most communities the child and the mother are kept in seclusion for a number of days, depending on the sex of the baby. 4. iii. Traditional African society. 4. They can also reveal-hidden information e.g. During the period earlier than 1940s, marriages remained completely matrilocal during the couples entire life. (2) Active leisure: This involves the use of the physical energy. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. This shows that children seals marriage. It is not possible to gather initiates together in some communities. 2. 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. Elders act as role models to the youth i.e. What role did religion play in medieval Africa communities? Kinship relationships also determine social obligations and responsibilities, such as who has the right to inherit property or who is responsible for caring for children In some societies it is young people themselves who make their own choices and after wards informs their parents about it. 1. These variations are caused by differences in tribal customs or culture according geography, history, religion, external influence of colonialism, inter migration, political and economic structures and influences. It varies from culture to culture, from society to society. It could also show how the bridegroom is capable of taking care of the bride. the introduction of money economy. Factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in African communities. Girls at an early age are taught a wide range of household and agricultural duties including cooking, cultivation and tending children. Importance of courtship 1. The continuance of Aboriginal society is dependent on keeping Aboriginal families strong and healthy both physically and culturally. Maintaining ties of kinship is the way to the security of the Muslim nation. 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. The male head has control over children produced by the children of the group. - Alcoholism. Life is seen to begin from the time of conception since unborn children are taken as part of the community. They are senior members of the community. GAZETTE: How have ancestors . The clan chooses the heir. Grandparents are charged with the duty of counseling. iv. The mid wife checks any abnormalities on the babies at the correct time. 2. The clan is linked by four factors. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. Pregnant women are not allowed to handle certain types of tools. Division of labor in African societies, labor is divided according to sexes. N.S.S.F. 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. Religious leaders such as bishop and pastor have replaced their duties. The naming of a child is therefore an important occasion, which is often marked with ceremonies. It is also a taboo to marry close relative. She organizes the disposal of the placenta (after birth). It is said to be the basic and universal in relationships. PRIESTS/PROPHETS OR SEERS - These are other religious specialists who play a special role as intermediaries between God and human beings. 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 . j. 7. It is believed that after death one continues to live in the spirit world and therefore the dead relatives are to be given descent burial so that they cannot harm the living. 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. 9. - Initiation rites have certain symbolic meanings. viii. b. vii. This is meant to send it clean into the world of the living dead. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that the study of kinship is the study of what humans do with these basic facts of life - mating, gestation, parenthood, socialization, siblingship etc. Lecture: Nexus kinship and blood has a taste if age-old ideologies. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969) p.30. In the traditional African Community, marriage was considered incomplete without children. A clan is made up of a family who either are related by blood and marriage. Names are also given in honor of ancestors. Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. Family. Therefore, they try to restrict the kinship ties. Changes that have affected ownership of property and wealth - Women and children are allowed to own property. 3. They act as intermediaries between God and human beings. Such include: - - Birth - Initiation - Marriage - Death 5. Courage is usually praised. The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. 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. 4. Some people believe casting of an evil eye would cause bodily harm to somebody. Death is believed to be a next journey to the world of the spirits. Aboriginal kinship ties, values, beliefs, identity and language are maintained by the family. Importance of seclusion period 1. They are believed to be full of wisdom. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. Dec. 31, 2007. The youth are taught to be courageous in order to be able to face challenges in life e.g. - They help the priests to performing certain rituals such as sacrifices. - Sometimes the orphans and widows have their property destroyed or snatched. 5. This is sexual differentiation in socialization in which girls will become acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers. These primary ties, as we may call them,4 are biologically the same in all societies,5 though, functionally, they may differ from culture to culture.6 But kinship ties do not rest within the reproductive family. Changing attitudes towards initiation rites Since the introduction of Christianity and western culture peoples attitude towards initiation rites have changed. 7. Kinship ties are strong bonds that exist among community members. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. 4. - In some communities, marriage is not recognized without children. Makini. Your husband or wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law are all kinsmen related to you through marriage. Yet others could also die due to old age. It starts at birth and continues through to death. 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. Names could also depict the character of the child. - Land can now be sold or auctioned. Mair, Lucy P., African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. The church also gives them food, and clothing and their daily needs. 5. 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. Adams, Bert N., The Family: A Sociological Interpretation, 4th Edition, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1986. - Courage. - People write wills to share or decide who should inherit their property. How the widows and orphans are supported - Church members offer them guidance and counseling (giving them hope) - They are prayed for. Kinship relationships were and still are important among African communities. Kinship is a social relationship based on real consanguinity. They also lead the community in offering sacrifices to God. vii. 4. - Wife inheritance ensured that the late mans family would not suffer. During this period he conducted extensive research and field work in rural Zambia particularly in the Eastern and Southern Provinces of the country. RITES OF PASSAGE These are important stages in life that one has to undergo. Problems that the elderly face today 1. 2. As the African society has not been static, changes in the traditional family patterns will be briefly alluded to. They are those who do not believe in traditional medicine. Mothers and children would die at childbirth to cases where there is no skilled mid-wife. - Virginity is highly valued and girls who are not found virgin are ridiculed. Before initiation one is not fully considered belonging to the community. The midwife advises on post-natal care of the mother and the baby. 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. Traditional kinship structures remain important in many First Nations communities today. They are people who claim a common ancestry and are related by blood. In some instances a go between would be used to identify a suitable partner. Marriage 4. They give information concerning cause, nature and treatment of diseases. g. The body is carefully placed in the grave facing an appropriate direction according to the customs of the people. Girls take care of the babies and fetch firewood. He was a Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Zambia from 1977 to 1990. vii. 3. Many of the rituals that were performed to the mother and the child are today seen as unnecessary. People who have gone to school see the aged as old fashioned (generation gap) 6. If one fails to show respect to such seniors. Economy e.g. - Men are not allowed to go next to the delivery places. There are two main types of leisure: (1) Passive leisure: This is where there is minimal use of physical energy. Ngulube, Naboth M. J., Some Aspects of Growing Up in Zambia, Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/S Limited, 1989. 3. 8. Most of these ceremonies are religious. One could also die due to breaking a taboo in such instances elders would identify the offender and perform an act of cleansing. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. 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. Same ancestry: People of a particular community believe that they have the same origin e.g. By Timothy T. Schwartz, PhD. iii. they are consulted before installation of a new king in some communities. iv. They may receive messages from the spirits and ancestors. 47 Mwizenge S. Tembo, A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. in cases of death, the whole community mourn. Dressing The dress code differed from one community to another in the traditional African setup. - In others the bridegroom and its party have to fight the brides party in order to get her. Naming ceremonies also bring unity among the people whenever a new child is born, members of extended family would come to celebrate together. Children among the matrilineal peoples are brought up in a similar traditional extended family village social environment. They can foretell the future e.g. These include birth, initiation, marriage and death. In some communities the choice is made by the parents. The Baganda people of Uganda provide the best illustration.7. In western European societies Jack Goode finds that world revolution has contributed for the transformation of . Such occasions include beer drinking, wrestling, playing football, singing and dancing etc. Although children are our main focus, we have a holistic approach to the problem . 4. Types of Kinship. Bridgewater, VA 22812 The . 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. - Taking of dangerous drugs. - With the introduction of money economy it is possible to sell land. 3. x. Factors contributing to harmony and Mutual Responsibility in African Traditional Societies In traditional African Society, every individual is related to all. Actual birth - During birth there are certain rituals that are performed to introduce the chills to the immediate and extended members of the family. iii. The study of African societies has become an established area of scholarship, with sophisticated analyses that are far from earlier works . - Respect. 5. Family plays a central role in African society. How the of rites passage inculcate moral values In the traditional African communities, people learn the moral values through every days activities and through education provided. Similar systems of kinship terminology can be found, for example, among the Ndebele of Zimbabwe, the Zulu of South Africa, the Ngoni and Tumbuka of Eastern Zambia. 12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. The degree of which witchcraft as a cause of death is emphasized varies from one community to another. - They are concerned with maintenance of law and order in the community. 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. Headmanships of villages, court offices, ritual titles, and chieftainships are passed on in this way. Dishonoring or insulting God. The degree of relatedness of carer to the child, socio-economic status of fostering households, gender and age were identified as factors contributing to the well-being of children in kinship care. Some communities such as the Maasai still maintain their traditional way of dressing. - It is against Christian teaching on circumcision because God instructed Abraham to circumcise male descendants - It lowers the dignity of the individual (dehumanizing) - One can contract dangerous diseases such as HIV and AIDS. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). - There is individual ownership of property. ix. The Plan of Action also asserts that "for the full and harmonious development of their personality, children should grow up in a famil environmenty in a,n atmosphere of happiness lov, ane d understanding". 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. Western Culture: Has provided the spirit of individualization. Children are expected to help in minor household tasks. A person's position in the kinship system establishes their relationship to others and to the universe, prescribing their responsibilities towards other people, the land and natural resources. The paternal grandfather recites many names of the clans dead ancestors. Strong religious beliefs helped bind the members of society together and inspire a sense of unity. They are experts in particular religious fields. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. 5. 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