1. Africa: Traditional Patterns of Life

2. Pre-Class Africa’s Child How are girls viewed in some parts of Africa?
What are the consequences of forced marriage?
How is forced marriage connected to tradition?
What steps have been taken to protect girls in some parts of Africa?
In your opinion, what else can be done to protect girls in some parts of Africa?

3. 1. What holds society together?
Family Loyalty

4. 2. Family of hunting and gathering societies?
Groups of nuclear families

5. 3. Families of farming and herding societies?
Extended families
Worked as an economic unit for survival
Families may work together on large projects

6. 4. What unites people beyond extended family? Why?
Ties of kinship
Sharing lineage created bonds of loyalty and responsibility

7. 5. Define Lineage: Clan: Tribe like ethnicity
a group of distant relatives who trace their descent to a common ancestor
Clan:
several lineages form a clan- shared duties and obligation toward one another
Tribe like ethnicity

8. 6. Where did most people live?
Small villages
Some villages linked together as a part of a larger government connected to empires
Tribal not as part of an empire

9. Zulu
Benin

10. 7. Who made decisions that affected daily life?
Village leaders
Council of elders
Village elders

11. Full public discussions
8. In many areas how were decisions for village and issues of justice decided?
Full public discussions
Goal was to reach a consensus (Common agreement)
Community over individual
Trial by Oil 3:06

12. 9. Define Subsistence Farming
Subsistence Farming: produce enough for own needs with little or no surplus

13. 10. What varied according to environment? Examples
Methods of farming
Examples: forest: slash and burn savanna: crop rotation

14. 11. How did people view the land in farming societies?
Communal property
no ownership but family had the right to use their fair share

15. 12. What determined wealth in herding societies?
Number of cattle

16. Massai

17. 13. Why were women seen as important in traditional society?
Contributed to economic well being of family
Worked the fields & took surplus to market
Respected
had children, educated

18. 14. Describe the status of women.
Varies-
some high status & leaders
Wolof, Ashanti
Some women owned land and ruled the home
Patriarchal: others had no power and were dominated by men

19. 15. Define Polygamy Bride wealth
practice of having more than one spouse
Polygyny – One husband and multiple wives - most common
Polyandry – One wife and multiple husbands
Bride wealth
gift to bride’s family to recognize importance/respect of women

20. Matrilineal Patrilineal
16. Explain the two types of traditions that govern inheritance & descent
Matrilineal
female lineage
Akan: Ghana - Ashanti
Patrilineal
male lineage

21. 17. What is the age-grade system?
All boys and girls born in the same year
Helps develop loyalty
To learn values of society
Rites of passage page 89

22. 18. What purpose does religion serve?
As elsewhere helps unite a society
Deals with origins, morality, right and wrong

23. 19. Describe traditional African Beliefs/ Indigenous beliefs?
original or local
Oral traditions – griot –
West African Story teller
series of stories from Africa by Zinse Africa's Number One storyteller Somewhat Monotheistic-
single supreme being that created the world with lesser gods and spirits for daily life
Ancestor veneration:
ancestors can help or hurt the living

24. Medicine & Magic (Spirits)
African Religion
Supreme Being
Lesser Gods
Ancestors
Humans
Medicine & Magic (Spirits)

25. Anansi the Spider 5:00

26. 20. Define Animism
Belief that spirits live in the natural world

27. Animism 1:30

28. Traditional Religions 4:30

29. 21. What is the purpose of a Diviner and Healer?
Diviner (p.91)
To explain the cause of misfortune
Link between people and the spirits
Healer
Seek cause of illness
Herbal medicines

30. 22. What major religions exist in Africa?
Islam
Christianity
Judaism
Hinduism