Meanwhile, among educated and privileged Africans, especially in the cities, the husband-wife couple is becoming more important as a social and legal unit. 5. (5mks) Revision CRE Paper 1 313/1 Revision CRE Paper 1 313/1 (8mks) b) State the roles of diviners in Traditional African Societies. All societies use kinship as a basis for forming social groups and for classifying people. Unilineal descent â¢Many societies construct kinship groupings, roles, and relationships by tracing descent exclusively through the male - patrilineal - or female - matrilineal - line. Zachàr Laskewicz. Importance of Kinship: The kinship system maintains unity, harmony, and cooperation among relationships. The stories entertained and educated. Mrs. ANELE 51 . Describe the meaning of life and its wholeness in the traditional society. Because different societies define kinship differently, they also set the rules governing kinship, which are sometimes legally defined and sometimes implied. Kinship is the web of relationships woven by family and marriage . A cursory review of the literature suggests that the concept of traditional counseling is rooted in traditional ⦠The traditional African understanding and the interpretation of Christianity have deep roots in these fundamental beliefs of the African traditional religions. Pierre Bourdieu, Levi Strauss and Evans Pritchard are some of the theorists, who have constructed various theories on the basis of kinship relations. Some women are raising children apart from the traditional family frameworks. Thus the men remain together, while the women through whom they trace descent are spread among the population. Anthropologists call this relationship the avunculate, and in African cultures it may require the uncle to give his best cattle to his nephew or to accept teasing from the nephew. Significance. ). produces new dimensions of African traditional religion. Marriage. (i) Marriage leads to expansion of the kinship ties. Special age and work associations. There is no award you receive for being the best family member but if you are from any part of Nigeria and you don't have âfamily' there, you will feel very odd and out of place. The kinship system is a feature of Aboriginal social organisation and family relationships across Central Australia. A brother might also be expected to support his sister's children or to participate in the rituals that mark the stages of their lives. Answers (1). In modern Africa social and economic changes have begun to loosen the ties of traditional kinship, especially in the cities. Kinship and marriage are complicated but important aspects of traditional African institutions. Another traditional form of fictive marriage existed among the American Plains Indians in the institution of the berdache. Although many sociologists and anthropologists have attempted to provide definitions of marriage, none of them has been satisfactorily and sufficiently general enough to encompass all its various manifestations. Reviews the biological and sociological constants of kinship; Previews the topicsto be covered in marriage, family⦠Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. This preview shows page 241 - 244 out of 810 pages. (7mks) c) what factors have undermined the role of African religious specialists today. They often used music in their stories. It is a complex system that determines how people relate to each other and their roles, responsibilities and obligations in relation to ⦠Rights, obligations, and inheritance are split between the two groups. The continuance of Aboriginal society is dependent on keeping Aboriginal families strong and healthy both physically and culturally. (7mks) c) what factors have undermined the role of African religious specialists today. Families formed clans, clans formed villages, villages shared culture and language. In the late 19th century, however, the cross-cultural comparison of kinship institutions became Because the men generally remain in the community, they have greater authority. At its most basic levels, according to the Sociology Group, kinship refers to: The family. This weakness in kinship relationships reinforced the importance of relationships between siblings and support from friends (Mann, 2002). Significance of a kinship? Belief in magic, charms, and fetishes. I believe this rapidly changing landscape is part of why my 2012 blog-post Anthropology, Sex, Gender, Sexuality: Gender is a Social Construction has been one of the most popular posts Iâve ever written. 2. Kinship regulates the behaviour of different kin. Kinship act as a watchdog of social life. (iv) It promotes mutual love and companionship between a man and woman. In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Importance of kinship is observed on the occasion of marriage and family functions. What are the types of spirits according to the African concept of spirits? There were several reasons for this assumption. Members of a kinship group felt strong loyalty to each other. (iii) They determine punishment for the offenders. Kinship is important to a person and a community's well-being. Traditional counseling involves a broad perspective that enhances learning for transformation and integration of sociocultural values that are peculiar to each human society. West Africans believed their departed ancestors watched over them. Holding of the baby by members of the community shows concern for it/ shared responsibility by the extended family. Anthropologists who study kinship have identified four major types of descent: patrilineal, matrilineal, double, and bilateral. Feeding of the baby symbolized new life growth. Africa includes all of them. 4. The !Kung, for example, believe that any two people with the same name are descended from the same ancestor of that name. of Kinship in . In postindustrial societies, it is possible to argue that fictive kinship ties have taken on increased importance. 9505-KIN . The life cycle. Comparing the . On one level, kinship rules may determine marriage partners. Tradition dictates that family elders arrange the marriages of their dependents. Kinship is the web of relationships woven by family and marriage. Importance . (i) They safeguard the community's traditions and customs. Although she can refuse the cousin's proposal, she needs his permission to marry someone else. The women worked, caring for the house, the crops, the children. Strong feeling of loyalty to the group. North African peoples encourage marriage within a group, often a kinship group. 3. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis â the plurality of divinities ( polytheism ). This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis â the plurality of divinities ( polytheism ). Although different cultures have recognized various kinds of kinship, traditional kinship generally means much more than blood ties of a family or household. Ancestor veneration. What is the meaning of kinship ties according to the African concept of kinship? Changes in the contemporary African society African society has been undergoing a process of profound changes affecting all aspects of its traditional life (Kisembo, 1998, p. 208, Vahakangas, 2004, p.43, OâDonovan, 2000, p. 40). The forms we find in Africa are not unique to Africa, but they are an important part of African social organization. People are not allow to marry within their lineages, or for the Traditional African kinship is a cooperative relationship between household members and members of the larger lineage group. These obligations form a part of Aboriginal Law. All land is owned by the group. What is the meaning of community according to the African concept of community? First, as Lavenda & Schultz put it, âkinship studies in anthropology were based on the assumption that all societies recognized the same basic genealogical relationshipsâ (2015:374). What is the relevance of Elijah's prophetic mission to Christians today? Extended ties of kinship remain a vital part of life in contemporary Africa. Among the Herero, daughters inherit ordinary cattle from their mothers, but sons inherit certain sacred cattle from their fathers. The rate has considerably reduced due to the use of modern medicine and better child care. They may, for example, believe that they share a common ancestor but be unable to trace all the links from their own lineages to that ancestor. Everybody has kinship in one form or another. Date posted: August 26, 2017. Initiate acquires new rights and privileges Initiate receives special education from their sponsors during seclusion. The root of the word politics is Greek, coming from the word polis, which refers to a town of some size with walls; Greek word politesrefers to a townman. If a community suffers from drought, war, disease, food shortages, or other disasters, for example, its members may go to live with kin in other areas. Defines kinship and explains its importance. Africa has the world's oldest record of human technological achievement: the oldest stone tools in the world have been found in eastern Africa, and later evidence for tool production by our hominin ancestors has been found across Sub-Saharan Africa. Social and geographic mobility, soaring divorce rates, and nontraditional family forms have produced social networks based more on voluntary ties than on traditional bonds of blood and marriage. Forms of descent in Africa: Patrilineality â e.g., Nuer, Hausa, Zulu â¦. This difficulty in generalization bone of diversity was already apparent to many early scholars of the African traditional family. I think an anthropologistâs specific point of view will inform what about kinship is important to us. Traditional relations of kinship have affected the lives of African people and ethnic groups by determining what land they could farm, whom they could marry, and their status in their communities. Answers. Give the responsibility of the living towards spirits. Some hunter-gatherer societies follow the custom of bride service, which involves the groom moving to the home of his wife's family and hunting or working for his parents-in-law. Kinship is often based on relationships of descent in which kin groups define themselves as descendants of shared ancestors. 6. a) Explain the importance of Kinship system in Traditional African societies. Most lineage groups in sub-Saharan Africa, in contrast, favor marriage outside the group. Next: What is the meaning of kinship ties according to the African concept of kinship?Previous: What are the factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in African communities? 1Editorâs note: See the comments on this article in ⦠The kinship system regulated peopleâs behavior towards each other. Reasons why initiation was important in the African Traditional Society Initiates gain new status in life/he/she moves from childhood to adulthood. Such ties often extend outside the village or community, offering certain advantages. These avoidance rules applied to both blood and class relatives. Kinship is thus brought with it a set of obligations that one had to perform when relating to others. Kinship sets guidelines for communication and interactions among people. Because different societies define kinship differently, they also set the rules governing kinship, which are sometimes legally defined and sometimes implied. One important aspect of kinship behaviour is that an individual is allowed to approach and talk to some relatives but not to others. Describe the importance of kinship ties in traditional African community. paper by . The clan, another type of group, is larger than a lineage. p119. But disease and malnutrition are still the greatest enemies of African infants and children. Marriage Family and Kinship. It has been generally assumed that the institution of marriage is a universal feature in human societies. Describe the meaning of kinship ties according to the African concept of kinship. The role of the traditional healer is central in most African societies, and traditional medicine plays an important role in primary health care in most developing countries (Setswe, 1999). Discuss the types of spirits according to the African concept of spirits. The traditional approach of indigenous African religions to gender is one of complementarity in which a confluence of male and female forces must operate in harmony. In southern Africa, where the avunculate is common, a boy's uncle on his mother's side may be called his “male mother” in recognition of this special link. Answers (1). Explain the meaning of community according to the African concept of community. In traditional African society, men guarded the home and the cattle, or went to war. In kinship groups, decisions were often made by a council of the eldest members. What is the meaning of life and its wholeness in the traditional society? A person's place in society was based on their family status. In this respect, North African and sub-Saharan societies differ widely. Important ceremonies at different parts of a personâs life. So used were the women to work that a polygamous situation would at times be provoked by the first wife's asking her husband to take a second wife who could be a help to her in her work. Answers. For example, African kinfolk may support women and children while their husbands are away, perhaps by helping paying school fees or other expenses. What are the factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in African communities? Whatever is considered most valuable in society is placed under the direction of men; whatever is considered less valuable is given to women to care for â even when people ostensible know better. Kinship decides who can marry with whom and where marital relationships are taboo. Although kinship relations have grown weaker—especially in the cities—they continue to serve this function. Some peoples who trace descent through women give political authority to men. For example, male children are favored over females in inheriting a father's property. There is no award you receive for being the best family member but if you are from any part of Nigeria and you don't have âfamily' there, you will feel very odd and out of place. A family is the first social community in the life of any person or group of persons. What is the importance of kinship ties in traditional African community? (iv) They determine how members relate to one another. â¢The resulting units are called unilineal descent groups, either patrilineages or matrilineages according to the prevailing descent rule. (iii) Marriage of many wives is a source of wealth to the family. While this origin implies that politics has something to do with groups of individuals, beyond that, politics seems to often refer to methods, including the use of power, for influencing the behavior of those individuals (Grandz & Murray, 1980) and their participation in civic affairs (Bourque & Grossholtz, 1974). At a basic level, kinship is important in anthropology because kinship is important to people. This essay will briefly explore traditional African family patterns explaining the concept of kinship in Africa, the differences and similarities between patrilineal and matrilineal families systems. Reasons why initiation was important in the traditional society are aimed at explicating t⦠family is close! Of descent group—the lineage—all members know, or believe they know, exact. Level, kinship is observed on the gift of life from one generation to another all rights |. Network of responsibilities, privileges, and inheritance are split between the two groups, Nuer,,... For classifying people and woman including the Nuer of SUDAN and the Zulu and Swazi southern! Legally defined and sometimes implied the use of modern medicine and better child care they know, or adoption all... ) it promotes mutual love and companionship between a man and his sispatrilineater 's son—his.... The Zulu and Swazi of southern Africa among such peoples as the Yako of NIGERIA and HERERO. Means that nuclear families are growing farther from their kinship networks just few of them that in my are! And philology inherit certain sacred cattle from their kinship networks beliefs of the community 's traditions customs... Sons inherit certain sacred cattle from their sponsors during seclusion 810 pages 6. a ) explain the attributes of according! Traditional kinship generally means much more than blood ties of kinship behaviour is that an individual important! 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