Are made up of smaller units called clan. The Role of Folk Music in Traditional African Society: The Igbo Experience 306 marriage rites, post natal ceremonies and other domestic duties. African society, on the other hand, does not emphasize individual looks and lust as the primary motivation for marriage, but rather the basic focus is on building families and communities. Feminist philosophers have seen marriage as playing a crucial role in women's oppression and thus a central topic of justice. In general, all ceremonies use the same principles. the Nation and Intellectual Leadership Crisis . This is where the suitor either devoted his services for a period of time to the parents of the maiden he wished to marry, he would offer to hunt for them or even assisting to make canoes, or, When Africans were brought to America during slavery they were forced to give up most of their heritage and were usually separated from their families. the family, in most traditional and modern African societies, there was (is) a strict hierarchy of authority, according to which the males ruled and held responsibility for the females (Sofola 1977). African culture and traditions are handed down from generation to generation. Protecting its historic definition for the sake of our children and our future is both wise and courageous . When being married in the United states the man proposes or whatever the case is in the relationship, but in the Igbos relationship it is the family that plays part in the proposal. New Trends. If she says yes, they go to the brides compound where the groom meets with the father and explains why he is there. There are consequences on those who breached this norm. It could not be a wedding because wedding was not a Jewish Custom and tradition. A value is that quality of a thing thought of as being more or less desirable, useful, estimable and important. This paper looks at how African marriage and family have evolved as a result of direct contact with both Islam and Christianity. A community has distinct beliefs, customs and cultural practices. Essay on MARRIAGE IN TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SOCIETY AND ITS, The Practice of Lobola in Contemporary South African Society, African Traditional Family Hunger For Culture, African wedding traditions TraditionsCustoms.com According to Mbiti (1969 . In a landmark ruling, the high court last year recognised that, in accordance with Nandi customary law on woman-to-woman marriages, Monica Jesang Katam could inherit her late wife's property . African marriage and family should be conducted according to the Christ-event at the Cross. The bride price is negotiable but it is the role of the grooms family to persuade the betrothed his father to trim the items on the list. Enjoy!Marriage is something that is highly valued in the Xhosa culture. - The more wives a man has, the more political alliances he makes. In various traditional African societies, the African woman possessed the power that binds the society together. Most of the time, it takes more than one day to discuss the settlement price. (1977: 113) Marriage in the traditional patriarchal society of Africa is performed with great importance and dignity. Efundula: Wo men's Initiation, Gender and Sexual Identities in Colonial and Post-Colonial Northern Namibia, Toward a Virtue Ethics of Marriage: Augustine and Aquinas on Friendship in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage - Recent Legal Developments in the USA, South Africa and Nigeria, Family in Africa - Opportunities and Challenges -article, PERCEPTIONS ON FORCED SEX IN MARRIAGE IN THE CAPE COAST METROPOLIS OF GHANA, CONJUGAL MORALITY IN EPHESIANS 5:21-33: IMPLICATION FOR AFRICAN, Re-thinking Gender Based Violence and its Implications on the Marriage Institution, The Barren Womb - Exploring the Christocentric Significance of the Suffering of Infertility in Catholic Marriages, DETERMINANTS OF INFIDELITY AMONG MARRIED COUPLES IN MWINGI CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY, KITUI COUNTY, KENYA, (2018) BOOK: On Vocation and Destiny: A Study in the Human Person and Marriage. So, modern couples are usually raised in traditional society, but with a lot of influences from modern, often western, education, television, radio, and so on. The focus is on the collective more than the individual. Similar to some traditional American marriages the Igbo marriages have many customs and face new trends that alter the norm of society. 6. Julius Gathogo, Jennifer Sistig, Judith Kotze, Kudzai Biri, Johannes Wessels, Joachim Kuegler, Stephanie Feder, Francis Machingura, Fortune Sibanda, BiAS Series, Reverend Nyasha Madzokere, Canisius Mwandayi, Musa W. Dube, Lovemore Togarasei, Moji Ruele, IN: Networks, Resources and Economic Action. Marriage takes many forms in Africa. The scenario presented in this passage depicts a traditional marriage ceremony. Marriage is the basis of family. Most Africans underwent three marriage rites before they could have their wives. Little wonder Mary felt so concerned when the marriage ran out of wine. The brides father welcomes his guest and then asks the bride if she agrees with the proposal. MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE AMONG THE ASANTE a study undertaken in the course of the Ashanti Social Survey (1945) T. E. Kyei CAMBRIDGE AFRICAN MONOGRAPHS 14 Some go further to find out whether the intended couples parents are married and still living together; not ruling our class distinction. We missed a balanced understanding of the contradictions that this ambiguity presented. In Zimbabwe, the "family" traditionally refers to an expansive. The list of issues that defy a conclusive reasoning is non exhaustive especially within the context of the same sex marriage debate and they include - the socio-cultural and psychological disconnect that children are exposed to when their parents are gay or transgender, the ever evolving definition of a family unit, the inadequacy of the laws available to take care but largely vague in interpretation, who raises the children in a same sex marriage setting among others. Get ideas to incorporate into yours. by J. Kgler / R. Gabaitse / J. Stiebert), Marriage and family life in Zimbabwean culture. African women by officially recognising all African customary marriages in South Africa. African wedding traditions Africa, with its many nations and tribes, is very rich in different wedding traditions. These laws are cultural values. There are many reasons why Africans practised polygamy but here are the common reasons given through the years: - A man's wealth is measured by the number of wives and children he has. It was the marriage ceremony that attracted people to the place. It is important to state that child bearing is fundamental to African marriage as it was the major crisis that brought this one to failure. What is interesting is that, even though Christianity is a religion that has been associated with equality and freedoms of every human soul, the status of women in relation to polygamy in the apostolic sects have topped the debate. food, animals, bows, arrows. It is what it means to be male or female in a certain society that shapes the opportunities one is offered in life, the roles one may play, and the kinds of relationships one may have. This appears a misconception. They have no reason to impose it on people who had already had their marriage rites. Unlike, that of my own culture in the United States of America, where I am free as a citizen to choose whomever I may choose to marry and when and if I may marry. It was possible for betrothal to happen when a girl had not yet reached her change of pubescent to later be married and was considered a marriage contract and if not followed, there would be great consequences. It must be noted that the African society loves to have children. The point is that this THE ROLE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE RITES ON MARITAL STABILITY: A CASE OF THE ABAGUSII PEOPLE, KENYA January 2022 Project: Post-doctoral Research Authors: Esther Kerebi Nyamache The. Women in Africa: Tradition and Change. If she confirms, the groom comes back the next day with his father and elders to discuss the brides settlement price. All these will protect her from the evil plants of the witches which may cause premature abortion. In this presentation, the traditional African marriage is examined in relation to the involvement of family and community for sustenance from the perspective of Ama Ata Aido'sAnowa.Marriage in this context is a union which brings a man and a woman together for companionship and procreation. The findings have then been generalized to the rest of the U.S. population (Bean, Crane, & . The setting of the ceremony in Cana is similar to African traditional marriage rites. Get ideas to incorporate into yours. Contra Bamikole, the paper argues that the capacity of the agba (elder) to manage conflict shrewdly in traditional Yoruba society was a combined function of the elders personality, proverbial Each community has a distinct political and social organization. People in the traditional African society holds positive views about older people. Changes in family structures reflect the enduring tensions between traditional, Christian/religious and modern values and structures. In this setting the families and relations of both couples gather in the brides family compound to celebrate their daughter and son entering into a marriage covenant and institution. Cambridge Development Initiative. God wants marriage to be the way it was when He first created Eve from Adam. Some neither concern whether it was a wedding or traditional marriage nor can distinguish between the two. A bstract: The celebration of marriage manifests a union of love, joy and great intimacy. They shall witness, bless and rejoice for Gods fulfillment, support and encourage them as they pass through new experiences of starting life together. The Bahama of Africa and tribes of Samoa. This article seeks to interrogate the practice of polygamy in the Johane Marange sect in the light of HIV and AIDS. The dowry and bride items include token money and various gifts. network. in life. This has become a great problem that many igbo men choose to cohabitate with a woman than marry her because of the resultant shame., In a traditional Igbo wedding, the man asks the woman to marry him. If the woman accepts the proposal, the grooms family presents bride price and associated items to the brides parent. In this way, African culture and values can be revaluated, their relevance established and sustained in order to give credence to authentic African identity. Introduction At marriage, every African Christian couple, especially in mission-founded churches, is confronted with three 'worlds' - the world of the traditional culture to which most parents of marrying-age children belong; the world of the civil or It presents quantitative data showing very low marriage rates among Zulu Woman-to-woman marriage involves the following persons: 1) the female husband . Among the Igbo marriage serves many different purposes other than unity between individuals and social status. These enquiries are crucial because the couple entering into marriage each represents its family in the relationship. Constructing the Meaning of Childlessness within the Luo Community of Western Kenya. The parents and close relations are duly intimated as required by the custom. The Role of Folk Music in Traditional African Society: The Igbo Experience 306 marriage rites, post natal ceremonies and other domestic duties. In April 1862 he visited a slave market in Gallabat on what today is the border between Sudan and Ethiopia, where he saw a large number of 'lovely captives . Centre for Commonwealth Education (Faculty of Education) Centre of Governance and Human Rights (CG+HR) Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) Folignouma Band. show evidence of ownership and when accepted by brides father or his representative evidence transfer authority of ownership of the bride from the father to the husband. Each has their own unique ritual of how they go about a wedding ceremony. In a traditional family the parents contracted the marriage. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. - Agriculturally is easier to have a big family to cultivate the land. Traditional counselling is a growing area of interest in African contemporary society, especially amongst members of the counselling profession. It summarizes gender issues under students perceptions of gender roles, norms, and practices in relation to themselves, their peer group, and their perceptions of generational change compared with those of their parents and grandparents. THE PLACE OF TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE IN AFRICAN CULTURE, Marriage not wedding was the real miracle. with some recent contrasting work on African Americans. while caution must be exercised in the quest for the liberation of women so that African cultural values can be retained, and thus not destroyed under the guise of civilization. During this event, relations and the community witness the dowry and bride items given to the womans parent. of marriage and divorce in contemporary Igbo society. She is given the task to find her groom in a crowd of guests while she greets them. They believe that the dead will need those things in the spirit . I also knew that all cultures had similar rules of engagement when it came to marriage practices. History Of Marriage Customs In Africa In many African societies the expectant mother may be smarred all over her body with white chalk and wears protective amulets. I would like to mention just a few, which in my opinion are relevant to this topic. In modern times, the influence of the family over marriage has eroded, but many institutions of Shona marriage customs endure. No gain saying a relation of Mary Jesus mother was the host and Mary, Jesus and his disciples were duly invited. Marriage ceremonies throughout Africa vary greatly depending on the faith of the individuals. The Igbos take the wedding traditions series and the wedding is a celebration for everyone in the town. In some African regions if the couple is residing abroad, the traditional marriage will still be accomplished even in their absence by the family members back home. In related literature, this period is defined as the emergent adulthood stage and it is of critical importance to establish and maintain romantic relationships during this transition period (Arnett, 2000). The thrust of this paper is therefore to rekindle in couples marital values; establish how they control human sexuality and therefore affect the family. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. It is indeed the These three ceremonies involve fortune and time. The Role of the African Traditional Religion in the Promotion of Justice, Reconciliation and Peace in Africa in the Twenty-first Century: A Kenyan Experience . I pray African Christians to re-examine most European concept we give prime place while undermining our rich traditional culture. From tying the knot to jumping the broom, the traditions incorporated in African American weddings are often a mix of customs borrowed . wives should be homemakers and primary caregivers were considered to be conservative. It is a given that it has come to stay going with the way gay pride parades and marches have been held around the world especially in countries where it has been legalised like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands to mention a few. When looking at marriage as an institution, as opposed to a free-standing concept, marriage represents socially sanctioned behaviour. dissolution of a marriage by judgment of a court or by accepted custom. 10.2307/1971859 JSTOR African society, on the other hand, does not emphasize individual looks and lust as the primary motivation for marriage, but rather the basic focus is on building families and communities. According to Malinowski, " marriage is a contract for the production and maintenance of children." . Bible in Africa Studies International Conference-UB.GABORONE,25-27 JULY,2012, LITURGICAL ASPECTS OF WEDDING CEREMONIES IN REFORMED CHURCHES OF AFRICAN ORIGIN, The Levirate Custom of Inheriting Widows among the Supyire People of Mali: Theological pointers for Christian marriageThe Levirate Custom of Inheriting Widows among the Supyire People of Mali: Theological pointers for Christian marriage, A Diet of Wives as the Lifestyle of the Vapostori Sects: The Polygamy Debate in the Face of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe, Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions Literary Analysis: A UNISA Dissertation, SSM 11: Natasha Erlank, "Missionary views on sexuality in Xhosaland in the nineteenth Century", New Evangelization For The Catholic Church And Local Cultures In Zimbabwe, Same-sex union articles in the Journal of Religion and Gender in Africa, A voluminous book on Redemptive masculinities in the era of HIV and AIDS, A woman should learn in quietness and full submission-1 Timothy 2:11, And the Two will become One Flesh (Mark 10:8): Domestic Violence as a Destabilising Force against the Institution of the Family in Zimbabwe, BiAS 17: The Bible and Children in Africa (edited by Lovemore TOGARASEI & Joachim KGLER), Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? (a) Outline six roles of diviners in Traditional African society. Second, the continued Eurocentric descriptions and characterization of the African traditional family as some what depraved lead to the use of such terms as bride price, avoidance social taboos, segregated relationships, lack of love and tenderness in African marriages and families. Woman-to-woman marriage involves the following persons: 1) the female husband herself; 2) if the female husband is already married, her own husband (the female husband's husband); 3) the woman who is married by the female husband - the wife; and 4) the lover (s) of the wife who may father her children. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. After the traditional marriage ceremony, they went for Court Registry ceremony and ended up in Church wedding. Experience from the drama shows that the family and community play a fundamental role in the success and stabilization of the marriage. Even though seminars, programmes, conferences, electronic and print media have made people aware of HIV and AIDS, the cultural barriers supported by traditional African religions and Christian religious beliefs have taken women hostage, making them vulnerable to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), HIV and AIDS. Contact: traditional African society. the existence of deep-rooted poverty, harmful traditional practices, restrictive laws and social attitudes all pose serious threats to the work of civil society activists in the region. In traditional African societies, the law enforcement agents, traditional police and courts were responsible for ensuring compliance with the laws of the land. Children and our future is both wise and courageous like to mention just a few, which in opinion. 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