Click on Mursi Tribe, Ethiopia Patterns of Life Lesson #4

Essential Questions: Describe some aspects of life in Africa How is religion for a Tribe in Africa different than the “average” person in America

Describe what you see

Is this tasteful?

Is this tasteful?

How about this?

Or this…

Get ready…

What is tasteful body mutilation?

Ethnocentrism Definition: When we judge others based on our own opinion of what is “right” We need to avoid judging. Individual cultures have their own ideas of Beauty Justice Food Etc.

Family Ties Hunting Societies – lived in NUCLEAR families Why? Herding Societies – also nuclear All cattle were in the Masai family Farming Societies – lived in EXTENDED families Why would this help? People associated into TRIBES CLANS LINEAGES

Describe two nuclear families A personal one (yours, or one you know) A TV or movie example:

TRIBES, CLANS, LINEAGES LINEAGES – People in the same family CLANS – groups of lineages living in same area TRIBES – several clans loosely organized together TRIBE CLANS LINEAGES

COUNCIL ROCK SCHOOL DIST. TRIBES, CLANS, LINEAGES TRIBE CLANS LINEAGES COUNCIL ROCK SCHOOL DIST. CRHS SOUTH OUR CLASS

Commercial Break Why would Farming Societies need to live in extended families? Why would herding societies prefer to live in nuclear families?

Patterns of Government Villages had their own justice THE MASK was used for an individual to become a village judge The guy who wore the mask would BECOME THE JUDGE, but only while wearing the mask

The Mask Click on picture

Economic Organization Farming societies – No one OWNED land Everyone worked farm together Why will this become an issue once the slave trade begins? Herding societies – saw the animal as valuable, and land was NOT owned Everyone owned all cattle Example: Massai people Click on picture

The Massai camp I went to in Kenya click

Lives of Women Women ran the home In charge of building the home In charge of children In charge of food & water click Married VERY young (14-15) Men sometimes purchased a wife “bride wealth” – purchase price POLYGAMY sometimes allowed (men could marry more than one wife)

Where I was in Kenya, Women did all the farming

The Age Grade System An AGE GRADE is all people of the same age Each age grade would go through rituals together to learn the values of society Lion hunting is viewed by Maasai society as an act of bravery skill, wisdom, and achievement. Click on picture Just use first 30 sec.

Commercial Break What is an age-grade you are now in? What is an example of a societal ritual you have, or will go through?

African Religions Traditional Beliefs Diviners Healers believed in a single, distant God (MONOTHEISTIC) Believed ancestors could help connect to God Believed all creatures had a spirit Diviners Connected the living with the dead Healers Looked for behaviors which caused illness Provided “medicine” Click on picture

African Religions Death Medicine Very careful to provide a proper funeral To help person find next life successfully Avoid a wandering ghost Believe the dead have power over the living Remove body through a hole in the wall Avoids return of the dead Medicine Sometime herbs Sometimes “created” and blown into a statue

Commercial Break Why would Africans be so careful to care for their dead? What is medicine?

Final review List 5 new things you learned about culture in Africa.