4. iii. By 1935, for example, anthropologists like Mair and Richards and no doubt many others were already noticing change in marriage and family patterns.36. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. There are three main types of kinship: lineal, collateral, and affinal. ii. - Life is also seen as communal. When a girl is getting married her mothers brother must be consulted. They play the role of counselors and advisors to the community. There is no bride price in our society. pp. They believe iron implements attract lightning. 4. Initiation 3. Traditional kinship structures remain important in many First Nations communities today. 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. Western culture and education has really affected marriage. PRIESTS/PROPHETS OR SEERS - These are other religious specialists who play a special role as intermediaries between God and human beings. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. 2. The midwife also monitors the development of the foetus. in some communities it is thrown to uncultivated land to show fertility. -Responsibility. Urbanization: Where people of different cultures interact with one another. - Through marriage, the living dead and those yet to be born are brought together. These carried with them all the heavy social obligations demanded of a mother or father, daughter or son. For example honesty is expected in marriage. Death -The rites or ceremonies conducted on such occasions differ from one community to another. First, in succession and inheritance the man inherits his dead grandfather, maternal uncle, or brother. 4. Extended Family: It ensures that children, orphans and the widows are well taken care of by the other members of the extended family. One could also die due to breaking a taboo in such instances elders would identify the offender and perform an act of cleansing. Laziness was condemned or punished to ensure that people owned what they had actually worked for. 4. - They counsel and guide the youth on matters of sex and marriage Why guiding and counseling was done by elders 1. Why the practice female circumcision is dying out. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1958, 1967, 1975). Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. bribery, robbery and stealing. - Life also progress from one stage to another. Today initiation is not done at particular stage in life. Kinship refers to relationship between people through blood, marriage or adoption. - In others the bridegroom and its party have to fight the brides party in order to get her. Similar customs or rules of restrictions in interaction apply between many other kin in a traditional African family. However, both the organization of the family unit, marriage, decent systems and the structure of kinship relations vary from society to society and through time (Ingiabuna et al. The major reason cited is that with increasing modern influences, marrying more than one wife became an economic burden. Professor of Sociology, Bridgewater College. Problems that the elderly face today 1. The youth are ritually introduced to the communal living. There are two main types of leisure: (1) Passive leisure: This is where there is minimal use of physical energy. They heal various diseases using herbs. Today the dead can be buried in cemeteries in towns. Religion, in the African indigenous context, permeates all departments of life. 3. They are referred to as the Eskimo, Hawaiian, Sudanese, Omaha, Crow, and Iroquois systems. Girls take care of the babies and fetch firewood. Early marriages are encountered to reduce fornication. To protect the child from evil eyes. 5. Pregnant women are not allowed to handle certain types of tools. This is brought by the following factors:- 1. 4. At times force could be applied to get a reluctant young girl marry the partner. Death always strikes unexpectedly. Responsibility of elders: - They help in the settlement of disputes. 5 It comes unannounced. - Land can now be sold or auctioned. Wealth was seen in terms of: 1. A mans legal entitlements and rights of inheritance are on his mothers side. The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. pp.164-202. They live in one Geographical area. Death is believed to be a next journey to the world of the spirits. Economic hardships many people are not able to raise money to pay dowry. What was the structure of the polygynous family? iii. - Sometimes the orphans and widows have their property destroyed or snatched. By combining the patrilocal rule of residence with consanguinal descent, the Baganda have built a formidable system of clans.13, Among the Baganda, the clan has remained the most important kinship entity. Dowry is important in that:- 1. N.S.S.F. The following day, the naming ceremony takes place. The naming ceremony is very important early in the childs life. it governs behavior towards each other - Kinship binds together the entire life of a community, the departed and those yet to be born. The continuance of Aboriginal society is dependent on keeping Aboriginal families strong and healthy both physically and culturally. These changes have been brought about by:- i. 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). Division of labor in African societies, labor is divided according to sexes. 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. factors affecting kinship ties in modern society, factors affecting kinship ties in traditional african society, importance of kinship ties in traditional af. Through dreams and vision v. Through observation and practice MEDICINE MEN They have the knowledge of healing certain diseases in the community. - Marriage raised the status of the couples once somebody was married he was given a lot of respect. vi. The clan is linked by four factors. It starts at birth and continues through to death. But it makes it difficult to keep track of our kin. (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961)p.76. Chondoka, Yizenge A., Traditional Marriages in Zambia: A Study in Cultural History, Ndola, Mission Press, 1988. The new hair that grows shows the beginning of new life. Christianity: Christianity has weakened African Kinship ties by introducing new ties by the Christian family. It gives the mans family time to prepare for the dowry payment. i. Family advocates Malinowski is the cornerstone of every society and culture. - Marriage also unites the living and the dead. 3. The father knows that his children are not his ultimate responsibility but his sisters children. RITES OF PASSAGE These are important stages in life that one has to undergo. The gifts also act as security in case the marriage breaks then the gifts could be returned. iv. iii. 5. 3. 5. The author describes the interaction between the Baganda mother and her baby as unfavorable and lacking any affection or love. Thesis. Diviners and mediums iii. Dishonoring or insulting God. Urbanization: Those who move away from home to towns in search of Jobs are drawn from their ancestral homes. - It is through marriage that children are born to the community. 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 9. Having so many people in this household should not be confused with other types of large families like, ..the joint family, with its several married brothers and their families living together or the extended family, consisting of a group of married off spring living in one household under a patriarch or matriarch.11 The Baganda are also patrilocal. The degree of relatedness to the caregiver and socio-economic status of the fostering household were the strongest determinants of the well-being of children in kinship care. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. 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. Many of the rituals that were performed to the mother and the child are today seen as unnecessary. -Close and supportive extended-family relationships -Strong kinship ties with non blood relatives from church or organizational and social groups -Family unity, loyalty, and cooperation are important -Usually matriarchal African American Folk and Traditional Healthcare: Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. It does not give warning. That is, kinship is a network of relationships in which each tie is influenced by, and in turn influences, the others. Some of the celebrations like beer drinking are slowly dying out. Through the kinship system, people learn the importance of sharing what they have with others. For example, among the Tumbuka38 of Eastern Zambia the verb kugula (to buy) is used to refer to purchasing of material objects or commodities and domestic animals. b. Such occasions include beer drinking, wrestling, playing football, singing and dancing etc. Although among the Baganda, the nuclear family of the mother, father, and their children constitutes the smallest unit of the Baganda kinship system, the traditional family consists of several nuclear units held in association by a common father.9 Because the Baganda people are patrilineal, the household family also includes other relatives of the father such as younger unmarried or widowed sisters, aged parents, and children of the fathers clan sent to be brought up by him. Edited by G.A. 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. - During this period of seclusion:- i. Many communities made clothes from animal skins, bark of trees, sisal and leaves. Some have even gone as far as saying that for the African husband nothing else matters so long as he impregnates his wife every few years.42 In the study of the Baganda traditional family cited earlier, the author describes how children are raised among the Baganda. The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. 6. ii. Kinship ties are strong bonds that exist among community members. ii. v. Taking oaths falsely. It marks change from childhood to adulthood. Girls, in distinction to boys, seldom have time to play games.21, Among the Bemba people of Northern Zambia, marriage is matrilocal. - In most African communities a widow was inherited by the husbands close relatives. - Men are not allowed to go next to the delivery places. - In some communities e.g. 1. The mothers bring children of both sexes with the umbilical cords carefully kept after birth. 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. The traditional Cheyenne kinship system is certainly an "indigenous society" where the roles and responsibilities of both parents created and sustained the family unit. It shows an act of bravery and hardship one I s to meet in life. The houses of grandparents form their sleeping places. 1. Some herbalists have been legalized by the government and have opened clinics e.g. viii. Indeed, such authors as Chondoka have recently found little accuracy or justification in calling this custom purchasing or buying of a wife. The histories and cultures of Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia and North Africa are covered . It was a signed to individuals by the elders. 2. Importance of Initiation i. Download Now. iii. They are regarded as honest. Other names can refer to place of birth e.g. LeVine40 described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as institutionalized restrictions, segregated patterns, and avoidance patterns. ii. The traditional healers are still important today especially to those who had let down by medicine prescribed by doctors. 1967. However, it is not a form of payment as is mistaken by others. - Religious organizations assist widows to start income generating projects. Factors that have affected Kinship system 1. Young people are trained to have respect for others and self-respect. 4. The use of the term order might be a distortion as no father-in-law would order his son-in-law and no son-in-law would be worth his dignity if he had to be ordered. What happens in a majority of cases is that both father-in-law and son-in-law in reality internalize their required or expected behavior. The San society in general and the kinship system in particular are very different from contemporary American society. For this reason, the paper serves only as an introduction to the application of Christian Economy e.g. - After the cutting of the skin, the initiates are put in special huts for a period of time. - Many people have moved and have settled in foreign lands, which are not their ancestral lands. 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. 6. Courage is usually praised. LEISURE Leisure is the free time that an individual has at his disposal when he is not bound by duty. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS IN THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY -They are those who are believed to be endowed with special powers. As the African society has not been static, changes in the traditional family patterns will be briefly alluded to. Kinship is reckoned through blood and betrothal (engagement and marriage). society. Goode, William J. vii. They are free most of them and can get time for the younger generation. Naming gives identity to a person before a child is given a name she or he is not considered as having full identity. Land Ownership: It is no longer communal affair but a private affair. Such include: - - Birth - Initiation - Marriage - Death 5. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. 3. I. Mitchell, J. It is a source of food for the people and the animals. 5) Modern science and technology also discourage people from believing mysterical powers. Most of the time they suffer from old age diseases. the pain the initiates underwent. Reconnecting with a genetic tie Genetic resource and testing connected a person to their blood. There are strict rules and taboos governing sex. 6 It separates one from the loved ones. For example, when a man dies among the Baganda, his power over the property ends. But they are terminologically differentiated from parallel cousins and from sisters. During seclusion there is sex education, which is meant for girls and boys for marriage. 7 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures, (New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961) Ch. How Names are given in the traditional African societies 1. Those who did not have were assisted to acquire property by the community. If one fails to show respect to such seniors. LeVine, R.A., Patterns of Personality in Africa, in Responses to Change: Society, Culture and Personality. - Wife inheritance has become risky due to HIV/AIDS. iii. This ensured that nobody remained landless. Edited by Arthur Phillips, (London: Oxford University Press, 1953) p.1, 10 Stuart Queen, Robert W. Habenstein, and John B. Adams, The Polygynous Baganda Family, in The Family in Various Cultures. It is also a symbolic act of breaking the bride completely from the state of unmarried life once dowry is paid she becomes full and mature person. Their roles include the following:- i. The youth are believed to be free with them. the outcome of a war 5. Because of this wide spectrum, it is not possible to explore all aspects of the traditional African family. 5. The moral values learnt include:- -Obedience/loyalty. v. They are also consulted in terms of crisis e.g. 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). - Rainmakers are special people who have the ability to make rain. Coser, Rose Lamb., (Ed.) 5. Some communities have abandoned initiation rites like among the luo; removal of six lower teeth is a practice of the past. To give the mother time to recover the lost energy. Young men are taught to develop self-love and love for the community it provides a sense of belonging. iv. Courtship gives the two families time to prepare in advance for the real marriage. But rather the matrilocal extended family comprised of a man and his wife, their married daughters, son-in-laws, and their children. Once the proposals are made, the parents and relatives would begin marriage negotiations. Prophets or priests also have political role e.g. c. The corpse is washed using water. Property could be owned by community, individuals or families. They are not supposed to take part in heavy duties or carry heavy loads. Sometimes people mistake that they are witch doctors especially Christians. - 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. The name gives the child identity. - Respect. Mair, Lucy P., African Marriage and Social Change, in Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. iv. Religion: People have some religious beliefs, which promote unity, and every community believes in the existence of one God. - The hair of the mother and the child is shaved. Current notions of kinship still owe a great deal to ideas about the physiological connections between kin. Of African marriage and social Change, in Responses to Change: society culture!, when a girl is getting married her mothers brother must be consulted North are... Also progress from one stage to another a child is shaved in special huts for a of. Has not been static, changes in the existence of one God family! 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