Chapter 3.3 Cultures of East Africa

On any given street corner kids could be playing dominos, a man may pass riding a donkey amidst

motorcycles roaring the streets and small spice shops next to large coffee shops with internet. East Africa is

a mixture of new and old all in one

I. Geography and Cultural DiversityGreat separations are evident in South AfricaNew Ideas are over taking old traditions even

languages and religions have begun to disappear

A. Indian Ocean ConnectionsMuch of the new diversity spreading comes

from the contact with new cultures and people arriving in these areas

Mostly from trade: these new ideas spread and old traditions become lost to new better and easier ways of life

Africa acts as a trading hub between the U.S. and Asia and with this so much influence passes through here

B. Swahili CultureNearly 2000 years ago the Arab Traders

settled in East Africa and brought with them their culture

Thus Swahili was introduced, this is a mixture of Arab and African culture

The Swahili adapted well to new cultures so they were able to use the new ideas and mesh them with their old traditions and still preserve their values, heritage, and customs.

C. Widespread Swahili LanguageSwahili is a branch of the Bantu language

that contains Arabic words as wellSwahili is one of the most used and diverse

languages in all of Africa. Most educations start out with Swahili and

then turn to English and other forms of Swahili in order to communicate all over the Continent.

This way they learn the traditional language as well as the most common

D. Other LanguagesMost natives of Africa Learn up to 3-5

languages so that they can trade and communicate in different regions of the Continent. (some of us cant even learn our language properly)

Ethiopia for example has over 80 different languages and dialects and the Sudan has over 1000

E. ReligionJust like languages, religious beliefs reflect

the cultural diversity of the regions of East Africa

Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, etc… all of these are found in many different towns, cities, and villages.

II. Changing Ideas about LandIn East Africa most live in Rural Areas where

farming and herding are primary jobs

A. Before Land was OwnedBefore Europeans came over and took over

parts of Africa, land wasn’t owned, bought, or sold

Families simply had the right to farm plots of land and the size of land they needed may change depending on the size of the family

Typically men worked the land plowing and clearing soil while women planted seeds, tended to the fields, and harvested. While the harvesting was going on the men were clearing more land and herding

B. Rise and fall of PlantationsAfter Europe moved in, the act of owning and

selling land took over. It was all about money now not just surviving

The British set up plantations and began selling an buying land and once countries began gaining independence Europe began selling (their land) back to them making more money

C. Where is HomeMost Africans have a strong bond to where they

feel home is and where they grew upHowever most places are changing to new

traditions and customs causing the older traditions to disappear and along with this the idea of where home is/was

In some places home isn’t even recognizableRural communities are becoming urban, and even

prominent leaders have returned home with attempts to make things look like they used to and provide help where it is needed like many athletes they are giving back to help