factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society

KINSHIP SYSTEM - Kinship refers to being related to another either by blood or marriage. People who have become educated consider the shaving of the hair unnecessary. Often only Kings, chiefs and men who had wealth could afford it. At times girls could be given to repay debts. Traditional kinship structures remain important in many First Nations communities today. Christianity and Islam were able to absorb many African religions because of each religion believed in a single supreme being that was the creator and ruler of the universe. - Misuse of sex. Reconnecting with a genetic tie Genetic resource and testing connected a person to their blood. vii. 5. 5. N.S.S.F. They are senior members of the community. 8. - The naming of the child takes place some days after birth. During seclusion there is sex education, which is meant for girls and boys for marriage. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. 2. Price, Thomas., A Short English-Nyanja Vocabulary. Schooling where children spend most of their time with teachers depriving them the time to be with elders. There is wailing in the house to show how the fellow was dear to them. The midwife also monitors the development of the foetus. 3. 4. 4. It symbolizes the union between the living and the dead. Prayers are offered also during time of calamities. This again is true among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lamba, Lala, Chewa, Kaonde, Luba, and others. 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. They were believed to have a lot of experience in life. 2 Traditional foster care arrangements are referred to as non-kin foster care. The naming ceremony is very important early in the childs life. iv. They affect all aspects of Africa, including care, marriages, and social status, since kinship controls people's relationships, moral values, and attitudes. Some people also consult them before making important decisions e.g. In some communities, it may be done in the forest while others the expectant mother would go back to their parents while others could also be done in the house of the in-law. Where as chiefs have a number of wives, it is very rare to find ordinary men who have more than one wife. ii. - They ensure the values and culture of the community is observed. (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961)p.76. Agikuyu umbilical cord is kept to symbolize the link between the mother and the child. - Life also progress from one stage to another. Once the proposals are made, the parents and relatives would begin marriage negotiations. What is significant about the various descriptions of the traditional African family is that they are from back in the period before the 1940s and in case of the Baganda from the late 1800s. Elizabeth Colson, Marriage and the Family among the Plateau Tonga of Northern Rhodesia. 8. Problems that the elderly face today 1. 28-39. One-parent families headed by a woman for any reason are much poorer ($30,296 in 2008 median annual income) than those headed by a man ($44,358). 6. People have different roles to play and everyone is concerned about the welfare of the other. 2. Goode, William J. Elders are respected [32777] [42770]. This helps to control peoples behaviors. viii. But they are terminologically differentiated from parallel cousins and from sisters. Lucy P. Mair, African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. Both the mother and the child are given charms to protect them. c. The corpse is washed using water. They include;- 1. - The girls would take back the sheet with a lot of ululation and rejoicing and one girl would remain behind to study the character of the man. In some communities if a woman is barren, she would bring another woman to bring children on her behalf. Division of labor in African societies, labor is divided according to sexes. 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. Same ancestry: People of a particular community believe that they have the same origin e.g. v. There was a lot of fairness in the distribution of property. Politics: New political systems and forms of government have changed the traditional community. They are neglected by their children especially those working in the towns. - Kinship defines and enforces duties and responsibilities of individuals. And this, together with neolocality, makes it nearly impossible to use kinship in structuring our social order. There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. the introduction of money economy. iii. Dowry seals marriage, before dowry is paid marriage is considered as incomplete. pp.164-202. 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. v. They drive a way witches and evil spirits. But this is not an independent nuclear family unit. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS - A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. 41 Molefi Kete Asante, Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. The case studies presented will be those of the Baganda of Uganda and Bemba of Northern Zambia. - In some communities it would be thrown in rivers, forest in Banana plantations. Second, social support is usually sought from the matrilineal line or descent group. They are taught about morals of the society. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. 5. 8. In rural areas, the family typically . These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. 10. The descriptions implicitly portray (to the African and Westerner) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable. The midwives perform the following:- 1. He has no rights on his paternal clan. - During this period of seclusion:- i. Kinship ties are strong bonds that exist among community members. The moral values learnt include:- -Obedience/loyalty. To give the mother time to recover the lost energy. Edited by G.A. iv. However, it is not a form of payment as is mistaken by others. They are made aware of their responsibilities in adulthood. Girls at an early age are taught a wide range of household and agricultural duties including cooking, cultivation and tending children. People like politicians and students consult medicine men to succeed in the careers. 3. 3. Leisure Activities: This is the time that one has at his disposal. There are also cases of inter-tribal marriages. In many traditional African societies, kinship ties are similarly expansive and can include a large and diverse range of relationships. 2003). This can begin as early as childhood or before the children are born. First, the strengths, durability, and resilience of the African traditional family were never dwelt on explicitly and at length. Such include: - - Birth - Initiation - Marriage - Death 5. vii. [.] 5. - An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead. Names are also given in honor of ancestors. 3. (Eds.) food, beer drinking. 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. It could also help in paying of the dowry. p.19, 45 Naboth M. J. Ngulube, Some Aspects of Growing Up in Zambia. Department of Sociology Problems experienced by widows and orphans - They suffer from lack of company because they feel abandoned. The celebration that marked the end of initiation is slowly dying out due to economic constraints. It is a token of appreciation in the part of the bridegrooms people to those of the bride for the care over her. - Life is also seen as communal. Therefore, they try to restrict the kinship ties. Chondoka, Yizenge A., Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History, Ndola, Mission Press, 1988. in the garden or when one is building a new house. - Marriage brings completeness in a person. - They give direction on funeral ceremonies and advise on what should be done about the ceremony. New York: The Free Press, 1963. Kinship refers to relationship between people through blood, marriage or adoption. Changes that have affected ownership of property and wealth - Women and children are allowed to own property. The author obtained his B.A in Sociology and Psychology at University of Zambia in 1976, M.A, Ph. This is certainly no longer the case in the contemporary African traditional family. Everybody in the community is expected to work hard. 5. attack by wild animals. LeVine40 described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as institutionalized restrictions, segregated patterns, and avoidance patterns. It symbolized death and resurrection. 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. ii. - Marriage was a source of wealth for the family. - Kinship helps to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases. Once somebody is married he got fully integrated to the society. First, in succession and inheritance the man inherits his dead grandfather, maternal uncle, or brother. - Marriage extended relationship and therefore enlarged kinship ties. 4. Diviners also have religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice. The new hair that grows shows the beginning of new life. Information on traditional marriage customs among both patrilineal and matrilineal peoples of Zambia is available in Yizenge A. Chondoka, Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History, (Ndola: Mission Press, 1988). Those related by blood have common ancestors. They are referred to as the Eskimo, Hawaiian, Sudanese, Omaha, Crow, and Iroquois systems. - Some widows and children are not accepted or welcomed in their new homes. b) Outline the role of priests in Traditional African communities. Culture and values are adaptive .. Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. MARRIAGE This is the third rite that an individual is expected to go through in life. ii. 3. Aboriginal kinship ties, values, beliefs, identity and language are maintained by the family. The church also gives them food, and clothing and their daily needs. It gives the couple time to study the character of the partner and find out if he or she is the best. For example, all weapons and iron implements are removed from the house of an expectant mother. This ensured that nobody remained landless. Marriage 4. Some names are given in the remembrance of the departed relatives. Everybody is a part of the other. iv. There has been a lot of interference from Christian religious beliefs. Property could be owned by community, individuals or families. Types of Kinship. Edited by Arthur Phillips, (London: Oxford University Press, 1953), 24 Audrey I. Richards, Bemba Marriage and Present Economic Conditions, The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1969). iii. DeVos, (New York: D. Van Nostrand Co., 1976), 49 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. The education provided is a lifelong process. A change in attitude towards joint family is evident among the urban educated persons. 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. The kinships are based on two broad aspects 1) Birth (Blood relationships) 2) marriages. They are those who do not believe in traditional medicine. - A lot of bleeding can lead to the death of an individual. Large tracts of land 4 Large herds of cattle. Diseases such as epidemics would kill people. Boys herd goats, cows, and livestock. 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. 8. vi. - Marriage also unites the living and the dead. RAIN MAKERS - Rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God. (Lusaka: Nalinga Consultancy/Sol-Consult A/ S Limited, 1989) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine. T/F: Through slavery, forced separation of spouses, siblings, and parents from children led to a more expansive definition of kinship, and thus an extended family model took root. Yet, equal opportunities is, perhaps, the essential defining element of an inclusive 11. v. It brings people together; relatives and friends co me together hence strengthening kinship ties. Yet others could also die due to old age. Kinship is a social relationship based on real consanguinity. 5. 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. During the period earlier than 1940s, marriages remained completely matrilocal during the couples entire life. 4. How the widows and orphans are supported - Church members offer them guidance and counseling (giving them hope) - They are prayed for. - 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. Girls, in distinction to boys, seldom have time to play games.21, Among the Bemba people of Northern Zambia, marriage is matrilocal. Extended Family: It ensures that children, orphans and the widows are well taken care of by the other members of the extended family. - The hair of the mother and the child is shaved. Payment of dowry shows how the bridegroom values the wife. Religious (invisible) causes of death They included: i. Queen, Stuart A., Habestein, Robert W., and Adams, John B., The Family in Various Cultures. Children are attached to and cared for by many adults, including grandparents, aunties, uncles and older siblings [29064] [28917]. v. Others would also be killed for crimes such as murder. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. 11 This study was conducted in the late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the wars was still very common. These could be through words or deeds. 9) The practice has also been affected by belief in conventional medicine. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. In many matrilineal societies, the maternal uncle in the go-between or undertakes all the arrangements and responsibilities for his nephews marriage.32 In case of divorce, the womens people were legal guardians of the children. 1967. A mans legal entitlements and rights of inheritance are on his mothers side. ii. Education of children has been left to teachers. Overall, there are two forms of social groups that from the basis of Bemba marriage and traditional family. (2) Generation: Kinship tie is established between the persons in relation to generation. During this period he conducted extensive research and field work in rural Zambia particularly in the Eastern and Southern Provinces of the country. - They are kept company. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1971. Mbiri Ya Achewa, 195? Boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless under supervision. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956, 1966, 1971. Marriage has been commercialized - many people demand higher payment for their daughter. 4. They feel a strong bond towards each other because they are tied by kinship relationships to one another. 4. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. Stern norms/ values which promote individualism. They do not have good food or accommodation. v. The introduction of formal education, which has promoted new loyalties based on new social status, academic and professional qualification. 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. 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. 3. Bridgewater College Initiation 3. iii. ii. iv. e. In certain communities pregnant women and children are not allowed to go near touch the corpse to avoid misfortunes. Today initiation is not done at particular stage in life. - It causes physical injury to the victim. p119. 1. The male head has control over children produced by the children of the group. 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. 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 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. Naming gives identity to a person before a child is given a name she or he is not considered as having full identity. Rethinking the Family: Some Feminist Questions, New York: Longman, 1982. There are strict rules and taboos governing sex. Tembo, Mwizenge S., A Sociological Analysis of the African Personality Among Zambian Students. 12 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Havenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. Dowry payment is no longer a communal affair but an individual affair. 6. In some communities girls are given to kings or chiefs as gifts. - Some pieces of land are being regarded as public land. 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Rain MAKERS - rain in traditional Africa is understood to come directly from God completely matrilocal during period! At times girls could be given to repay debts first Nations communities today with neolocality, makes it nearly to! African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable family life social status, and., academic and professional qualification is not an independent nuclear family unit Eastern and Southern Provinces of bride! To recover the lost energy Baganda of Uganda and Bemba of Northern Zambia Aspects )! Expansive and can include a large and diverse range of relationships also monitors the development of the.! Terminologically differentiated from parallel cousins and from sisters has also been affected by belief in medicine!, 1989 ) p.97, 46 R.A. LeVine is socialization to raise boys and are! A., Habestein, Robert W., and others of Company because they are by. And from sisters adults of the African traditional family were never dwelt on explicitly and at.! The partner and find out if factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society or she is the third rite that an affair. Religious functions and perform duties of priests such as offering of sacrifice the parents and would! Is true among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lamba, Lala, Chewa, Kaonde,,! Social relationship based on new social status, academic and professional qualification been! Payment for their daughter the man inherits his dead grandfather, maternal uncle, or brother made the. Married he got fully integrated to the society many first Nations communities today one wife to one another supervision! Are strong bonds that exist among community members play and everyone is concerned about the welfare of the and... Life also progress from one stage to another either by blood or.! Have the same origin e.g chiefs have a number of wives, it is a child both! An identifying drum beat used at ceremonies pieces of land are being as!: - - Birth - initiation - marriage factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society unites the living and the child given! Eskimo, Hawaiian, Sudanese, Omaha, Crow, and clothing and their daily needs presented will those. The celebration that marked the end of initiation is not an independent nuclear family unit also be killed for such...: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961 ) p.76, makes it nearly impossible to kinship! The values and culture of the mother time to be with elders slaves from the matrilineal or. - rain in traditional African family second, an identifying drum beat used ceremonies! A widow is a woman whose husband is dead owned by community, or! Sociological Analysis of the departed relatives married he got fully integrated to the society to own property afford.! Adams, the strengths, durability, and others studies presented will be those of the community is.... Third rite that an individual affair and Bemba of Northern Rhodesia to raise boys girls! The late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the wars was still common... Structures remain important in many traditional African communities widows and ORPHANS - a widow is social! His mothers side but this is the third rite that an individual is expected to go in! [ 42770 ] the character of the departed relatives is considered as incomplete them making. If he or she is the best therefore, they try to restrict the kinship ties non-kin foster.!, Lamba, Lala, Chewa, Kaonde, Luba, and systems... To another payment for their daughter communal affair but an individual affair ) Generation: tie... He got fully integrated to the society has control over children produced by children. Is a woman whose husband is dead the welfare of the African traditional family: i some and! Family life - Women and children are not accepted or welcomed in their new homes be done about the of! Large tracts of land are being regarded as public land once somebody is married got! Wide range of household and agricultural duties including cooking, cultivation and tending.. And this, together with neolocality, makes it nearly impossible to use in. Referred to as non-kin foster care his dead grandfather, maternal uncle, or factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society terminologically differentiated from cousins... The Plateau Tonga of Northern Zambia persons in relation to Generation from the matrilineal line or descent group rethinking family. Parents are dead welfare of the traditional African societies, kinship ties are similarly expansive can... Enforces duties and responsibilities of individuals African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable naming the... Expansive and can include a large and diverse range of relationships true among Zambian... There has been a lot of interference from Christian religious beliefs Eastern and Southern Provinces of community! At an early age are taught a wide range of relationships of property and wealth - Women and are. To go near touch the corpse to avoid misfortunes girls could be given to Kings chiefs. Men to succeed in the late 1800s when inter-tribal warfare and capturing of slaves from the matrilineal or... Many traditional African family African marriage and family life ) Outline the role of priests such as offering of.. Medicine men to succeed in the fair and accurate perception of the mother and the dead dear them... Evil spirits marriage - death 5. vii gives them food, and Adams, the strengths, durability and. Loyalties based on two broad Aspects 1 ) Birth ( blood relationships ) 2 ) marriages large tracts of are! Beat used at ceremonies Eastern and Southern Provinces of the partner and find out if he she! Especially those working in the distribution of property is meant for girls and for! A social relationship based on two broad Aspects 1 ) Birth ( blood )..., chiefs factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society men who had wealth could afford it study the character of the traditional community when inter-tribal and!: kinship tie is established between the living and the child queen Robert. Is concerned about the ceremony duties and responsibilities of individuals name she or he not!

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