Africa

1
Africa

• Family, Tribalism, Beliefs

2
FAMILIES

• A man or woman without kin is as good as dead
• Africans are very tied to family- much more so
  than Americans

3
Marriage

• Traditionally arranged by parents
• Today- boy meets girl, boy asks father if he can
  marry her
• Wife leaves her family to live with her husbands
  family
• Husband (and family) pay wifes family a brides
  price to compensate losing her

4
Polygamy

• Possible for a man to have several wives
• Only about 1 in 10 Africans have more than one
  wife
• WHY?
• Number of children is a status symbol
• More workers for field/farm

5
Extended Family

• Several generations of a family living in one
  house or group of houses
• Provides for social security
• No need for nursing homes/ assisted living or
  orphanages
• Family can be relied on during famine, illness,
  and education

6
Families in Cites

• Similar to families around the world
• Very little polygamy
• Usually nuclear- mother, father, children
• Marriages usually not arranged

7
TRIBALISM

• Tribe a group of people who share the same
  customs and language and who may believe that
  descend from a common ancestor
• Dont call them tribes! Use nation, people,
  people group, or ethnic group.
• About 1000 in ethnic groups in Africa
• Africa stresses importance of the group, as
  opposed to the individual as in America

8

• Tribal customs cover all the important aspects of
  life from birth to death
• Each member of the group must make a daily
  contribution
• Children go through an initiation ritual to
  become members of the group
• Chief is in charge, show them loyalty
• Decisions made by chief and Council of Elders,
  who are usually the oldest in the group
• Typical punishment is to be thrown out

9
Modern Tribalism

• To many, their people group is more important
  than their country
• Europeans divided Africa and paid no attention to
  the ethnic groups
• These borders create countries that have rivals
  ethnic groups in them
• Borders all create problem with communication
  because people speak different languages

10
BELIEFS

• Some people are Muslim, Christian or other world
  religions
• Most still believe in traditional African beliefs

11
god and spirits

• Nearly all believe in the same god/ Supreme Being
  who created earth and life
• Believe that god is distant and not involved in
  day-to-day happenings
• Only seek gods help in major circumstances-
  drought, epidemic, etc.
• Between people and god are lesser gods and
  ancestor spirits

12
The Medicine Man

• Africans turn to a Medicine Man when something
  goes wrong
• Believe he has special powers to see why
  somethings happened
• When they ask Why me?, it usually turns out
  that an ancestor spirit has been neglected and is
  punishing that person

13
Magic

• Many cases, magic and religion are so closely
  linked, its hard to separate the two
• Purpose is to give people confidence
• Many people carry a charm with them to protect
  from danger