People that belong to the same kinship system are referred to as kin. This symbolizes new life. They advise the expectant mother on how to take care of herself. The mid wife checks any abnormalities on the babies at the correct time. If there is agreement, this marks the beginning of courtship period. KINSHIP SYSTEM - Kinship refers to being related to another either by blood or marriage. Explaining these changes would require a different chapter. .The eldest son cannot inherit.15, The Baganda practice the levirate custom. Changes that have affected land ownership - Today its a requirement by the government that one must possess a land title deed. 4. - In others the bridegroom and its party have to fight the brides party in order to get her. FACTORS AFFECTING THE SYSTEM 173 THE SIB: DESCENT AND EXOGAMY Kinship ties necessarily begin within the family as a pro- creational unit. Sometimes people mistake that they are witch doctors especially Christians. These constitute the core of the Bemba traditional African family around which the social organization of the traditional society revolves. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. 4. Many people spend their leisure time watching videos, Television and films, Certain leisure activities such as soccer have been turned into well-paying professions. Death -The rites or ceremonies conducted on such occasions differ from one community to another. Relevance of diviners and medicine men today 1) Diviners and Mediums are still important in Kenya today. Kinship is at the heart of First Nations society. 18. a) State five changes that have taken place in property ownership today. 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". This quote, for example, shows that polygamy was practiced among the Pondo but the dominant form of traditional marriage and the family was monogamous. The San society in general and the kinship system in particular are very different from contemporary American society. 4. 1. Other names can refer to place of birth e.g. Polygyny though set the tone and often determined the strength of the society and pattern of social organization of the traditional African family. This is brought by the following factors:- 1. - Some widows and children are not accepted or welcomed in their new homes. There are societies where prayers are made to the mother and the child. 7. During this period, the couples are given special instructions that prepare them for marriage life. Kinship System in African Communities. All the members come together in times of need. The youth are ritually introduced to the communal living. ELDERS They are people who are elderly in society. 3. Measures that are taken to make sure virginity is preserved i).Virginity is highly valued and a girl is meant to preserve her virginity until marriage. Similar customs or rules of restrictions in interaction apply between many other kin in a traditional African family. 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. Large tracts of land 4 Large herds of cattle. African spirituality is truly holistic. These could be through words or deeds. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988), 44 Thomas Price, A Short English-Nyanja Vocaublary, (Lusaka: National Educational Company of Zambia, and Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, 1970). Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. Young men are taught to be honest in all their undertakings. 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. Boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless under supervision. Importance of marriage - Marriage is for the continuity of the society and is an institution that is ordained by God. - Kinship ties assist people to live peacefully and in harmony with others. - In African traditional society, each individual is related to the other. 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. 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Naming gives identity to a person before a child is given a name she or he is not considered as having full identity. Prayers also connect the living and the dead. Scholars of the African traditional family agree that the one widely known aspect that distinguishes the African traditional family, say from the European one, is the perversity of polygamy3. Naming ceremonies also bring unity among the people whenever a new child is born, members of extended family would come to celebrate together. Kinship is a social relationship based on real consanguinity. For example, sickness in the indigenous African worldview is not only an imbalance of the body, but also an imbalance in one's social life, which can be linked to a breakdown in one's kinship and family relations or even to one's relationship with one's ancestors. LeVine40 described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as institutionalized restrictions, segregated patterns, and avoidance patterns. Furthermore, the woman will bear children and thus enrich her husband and the wider circle of relatives from both sides. Main factors which affect social change can be discussed a follows: 1. Importance of Initiation i. This difficulty in generalization bone of diversity was already apparent to many early scholars of the African traditional family like Mair(1) and Goode(2). 36 Lucy P. Mair African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. - Wife inheritance has become risky due to HIV/AIDS. Midwife could assist the mother in actual delivery to ensure the safety of the baby. Ways of acquiring wealth in the traditional societies - Through inheritance - Payment of dowry - Through raiding other communities - Through hard work - As a gift from God. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. Living with new parents means no particular change in status; the biological parents do not forget their off spring and are always present for any ceremonies involving their children.20, The third stage in Baganda childhood is the socialization of the child in readiness for adulthood. Seclusion nowadays is not very possible because of limited time. Kinship refers to relationship between people through blood, marriage or adoption. - Attending discos and nightclubs. Piercing of the ear. Characteristics of African community 1. For this reason, the paper serves only as an introduction to the application of Christian - Marriage brings completeness in a person. In some communities there is feasting and drinking of beer. j. Edited by Arthur Phillips, London: Oxford University Press, 1953. Among the Akamba and the Agikuyu. Politics: New political systems and forms of government have changed the traditional community. Magic, sorcery and witchcraft. In the late and early 19th century, a detailed study conducted among the Baganda found that, Polygyny, the type of marriage in which the husband has plural wives, is not only the preferred but the dominant form of marriage for the Baganda.8 Commoners had two or three, chiefs had dozens, and the Kings had hundreds of wives. One could also die due to breaking a taboo in such instances elders would identify the offender and perform an act of cleansing. Meanwhile, the husband works under his father-in-laws orders with other young son-in-laws.26 A matrilocal family of this kind forms the nucleus of a village community (umushi) which other relatives of the head of the family afterwards join.27, Polygamy or polygyny, which is a distinguishing feature in many traditional African families especially is patrilineal and patriarchal societies, is uncommon among the matrilineal Bemba. It is feared and marked with a lot of sorrow. Follow. (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961) p.68. 2. Property could be owned by community, individuals or families. 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. Challenges facing herbalists 1. if a person may not have been buried properly. They can also reveal-hidden information e.g. 2. Box 169 Changing attitudes towards marriage 1. 5. 3. During the period earlier than 1940s, marriages remained completely matrilocal during the couples entire life. ii. b) Outline the role of priests in Traditional African communities. The anthropology of the Caribbean has been called "the battle ground for competing. Payment of dowry shows how the bridegroom values the wife. society irrespective of their origins, background, class, ethnicity, race, gender and other markers of identity. Some names are given according to the time one was born. Names are also given in honor of ancestors. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. Tembo, Mwizenge S., A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. By 1935, for example, anthropologists like Mair and Richards and no doubt many others were already noticing change in marriage and family patterns.36. 6) There is problem of correct dosage of traditional medicine. They are neglected by their children especially those working in the towns. Birth and naming 2. This is sexual differentiation in socialization in which girls will become acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers. -The spirit of sharing. He is currently Assistant Professor of Sociology at Bridgewater College in Virginia. The Baganda people of Uganda provide the best illustration.7. Explaining Caribbean Family Patterns. At times girls could be given to repay debts. They affect all aspects of Africa, including care, marriages, and social status, since kinship controls people's relationships, moral values, and attitudes. the pain the initiates underwent. Land ownership: The ancestral land is communally owned and nobody is allowed to sell it. Bantu migrations also helped to spread agriculture and herding to all parts of Africa. It has been widely documented, particularly in Western cultural settings, that women prefer to compete less than men. iii. vii. h. Among the Luos animals are driven over the graveside, people run in the homestead with spears. 6. 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. iii. Women were not allowed to own property. Bridgewater, VA 22812 f. The grave is dug in a special place e.g. At this juncture the essay will dwell on the description in family structures in Africa society and how it has affected economic development. They believe iron implements attract lightning. Once the proposals are made, the parents and relatives would begin marriage negotiations. Among the Baganda, the clan has remained the most important kinship entity. Kinship systems provide each person with a defined role (based on age, gender, and other factors), and serve to link people via duties of care [35856]. These institutions are a cultural universal i.e. to find out if they are related. Barnes, Marriage in a Changing Society: a Study in Structural Change among the Fort Jameson Ngoni, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1951, 1970). - Life is also considered to be more precious and highly valued. - They suffer from psychological and emotional problems - Sometimes widows face lack of essentials such as food. iii. Prayers are offered also during time of calamities. Indeed this sense of kinship binds together the entire life of the "tribe . In fact cases where the father-in-law has to issue orders are perhaps such a minority that it is ironical that they are used to characterize the whole social interaction. a person born during locusts invasion can be called Adede among the luo. 3 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) p.1. - There are traditional midwives who help in delivery. 4. vii. Before this ceremony, the child is not considered a complete member of the clan or society. Problems experienced by widows and orphans - They suffer from lack of company because they feel abandoned. They act as judges in certain circumstances. These changes have been brought about by:- i. This article looks at the societies and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa in pre-modern history. - Among the Luo the bride could be accompanied by her other sisters and on the first night, the people would witness the breaking of virginity. 2 Traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care. Pregnant women are not allowed to handle certain types of tools. 5. White, C.M.N., Tradition and Change in Luvale Marriage, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1962, 1969. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. v. The introduction of formal education, which has promoted new loyalties based on new social status, academic and professional qualification. Marriage: Has been individualized and is no longer a communal affair. IV, pp.66-87. 8 It brings poverty to the family involved as sometimes it takes the bread winner 9 At times it brings misunderstanding in the community when the cause of death is blamed on someone or some people. The father knows that his children are not his ultimate responsibility but his sisters children. They act as intermediaries between God and human beings. The tie reduces cases of incest. - Marriage enables one to assume leadership rules an unmarried person would not be chosen a leader. ix. food, beer drinking. 2. Depending on the region and the people, these. Most of these ceremonies are religious. The education provided is a lifelong process. Divorce and separation are discouraged. Rites of passage: These are ceremonies that are performed to a group of people to mark important stages of life. As such disputes over land ownership were rare, this is because:- i. Dishonoring or insulting God. they are operational and obtainable in every society around the world be it traditional or modern. 6. This shows concern that they have for the child. They give information concerning cause, nature and treatment of diseases. 3. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. What was the structure of the polygynous family? 12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. Importance of Naming 1. Religious leaders such as bishop and pastor have replaced their duties. - Some people acquire wealth through dishonest means e.g. - In most African communities a widow was inherited by the husbands close relatives. - Protection charms are tied around the neck or the waist of the child. The naming ceremony is very important early in the childs life. 3. The gifts also act as security in case the marriage breaks then the gifts could be returned. It varies from culture to culture, from society to society. Richards, Audrey I., Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969. fellow Christians. 4. Would you say in the Western marriage ritual of the priest leading on the saying of vowes, that the priest orders the groom to now kiss the bride, or put the ring on the brides finger, or ordered to be married for that matter? - An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead. vi. The kin group is also a source of emotional and spiritual belonging. Courtship gives the two families time to prepare in advance for the real marriage. Land Ownership: It is no longer communal affair but a private affair. 7. He has no rights on his paternal clan. 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