1. Africa: Traditional Patterns of Life

2. 1. What holds society together?
Family Loyalty
African Proverb: “A person without relatives is as good as dead.”

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

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

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

6. 5. Define
Lineage:
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

7. 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

8. Zulu
Benin

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

10. 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

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

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

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

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

15. Massai

16. 13. Why were women seen as important in traditional society?
Contributed to economic well being of family
Worked the fields & took surplus to market

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

18. 15. Define Polygamy Bride wealth
practice of having more than one spouse
Bride wealth
gift to bride’s family to recognize importance/respect of women

19. Matrilineal Patrilineal
16. Explain the two types of traditions that govern inheritance & descent
Matrilineal
female lineage
Patrilineal
male lineage

20. 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

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

22. 19. Describe traditional African Beliefs/ Indigenous beliefs?
original or local
Oral traditions – griot – West African Story teller
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

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

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

25. 21. What is the purpose of a Diviner and Healer?
To explain the cause of misfortune
Link between people and the spirits
Herbal medicines

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