African Tribalism

How people are related in traditional African society?

Kinship: means a relationship that binds two or more individuals

1. Blood relative

2. Marriage

Lineage

• Means line of descent or family tree

Patriarchal: Male-Dominated society

very common in African tribes

Matriarchal: female Dominated society

uncommon

Definitions

• Tribe- group of people that share language, customs, traditions, geographic location

• Clan- group of related families • Extended family- parents, children,

aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents (common in Africa)

• Nuclear family- parents and children (not common in Africa )

Marriage customs

• Many traditional African societies are polygamous

• Polygamy: having more than one spouse– Men may only have multiple wives if he can

support them

Bridewealth- payment a man gives a woman’s family before marriage (land, cattle, cloth, tools)

Dowry- payment a woman’s family before marriage (land, cattle, cloth, tools)

Some tribes allow divorce, some do not

Age Set

• Group of boys or girls born in the same year

• Go through rituals together

• Transition into adulthood together

• i.e. Manhood initiation

• Circumcision ceremony for boys

• Scarification- ritual markings for tribe

Religion

Animism = belief in the existence of spirits in all living things; Everything in nature has a spirit

- Traditional African religion

• Ancestor worship- tribes worship and honor spirits of their shared ancestors

TRIBE

CLAN A CLAN B CLAN C

FamilyFamilyFamilyFamily

Family Family

Family Family Family

Family Family

You!

You!

Family

You

Nuclear vs. extended

Clanyou

Family

Clan

Share common ancestor

Common property/land

Vary in size

Share customs & language

Know everyone

Has symbols

Age set

Support system/Work together

Communal living

Clanyou

Family

Clan

Tribe

Vary in size

Common customs &language

Thousands inAfrica

Share land

Live in 1 region

Little movement/Protect area

Won’t know everyone

Symbols to identify

Loyalty to tribeNOT country

Causing conflict in Modern dayAfrica

polygamous

animism

Hunter-gather

1000 different languages; 1000+ different tribes

Conclusions:

• Regionalism or tribalism NOT nationalism

• Tribes see tribe as more important than individual and country

Problems of Tribalism Today

1. The tribe is more important than the nation.2. Communication problems.

3. Inter-tribal warfare --> civil wars.

4. Tribal favorites for government jobs:

Urbanization:

Breaks down tribal traditions.Tribal intermingling on the job.

Zulu

Masai

Masai

Ashanti