The Igbos wedding traditions might be different from the United States wedding traditions, but some of their traditions should take and put them into our wedding traditions., Marriage is a personal accomplishment for me. The Igbos people are located in the southeastern part of Nigeria. Some slaves tried to continue practices, such as polygamy, that were a part of traditional African cultures but were unsuccessful. It includes norms and values of a society: their religion, politics, economics, technology, food habits, medicine, rules of marriage, the performing arts, law and so on. wives should be homemakers and primary caregivers were considered to be conservative. I pray African Christians to re-examine most European concept we give prime place while undermining our rich traditional culture. This means that GBV is not exclusive to any gender. Isukha Traditional Marriage Processes and Rituals in Pre-Colonial Kenya. When looking at marriage as an institution, as opposed to a free-standing concept, marriage represents socially sanctioned behaviour. No gain saying a relation of Mary Jesus mother was the host and Mary, Jesus and his disciples were duly invited. This marriage ceremony is only for a monogamous union and any polygamous relations are forbidden. The Process of Marriage in African Societies: A Multiple Indicator Approach Created Date: 20160811045033Z The institution of marriage1, the backbone of society, appears to be under threat. The focus is on the collective more than the individual. In The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia (1867), Samuel Baker documents a steady slave trade from Abyssinia and Sudan to Egypt and the harbour towns of the Red Sea coast. "West Africa family systems were severely repressed throughout the New World (Guttmann, 1976)". The purpose of this research is to show that until and unless there is a paradigm shift on the beliefs, teachings and practices of apostolic sects in terms of a deeper HIV and AIDS awareness programmes targeting these sects, the Zimbabwean women will continue to suffer. Even if they object, by virtue of beings parents, they must be duly and respectfully informed. Woman-to-woman marriage involves the following persons: 1) the female husband herself; 2) if the female husband is already married, her own husband (the female husband's husband); 3) the woman who is married by the female husband - the wife; and 4) the lover (s) of the wife who may father her children. A man in South Africa may have more than one spouse but a South African woman may only have one spouse. Woman-to-woman marriage can also be beneficial to persons other than the female husband. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. My parents were together for 15 years before they divorced but before the split I was able to witness the idea of a family. DEATH RITES IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY (A.T.S) In some communities, the corpse is washed using water and herbal medicine in order to preserve and send it clean to the spirit world. The marriage ceremony was based on the principle of male dominance and female obedience. Some English bibles record this ceremony as wedding because wedding is purely European concept and tradition. When Americans think wedding, they think big, white dresses, tiered cakes, being surrounded by family and friends, dancing, and of course the big kiss at the end of the ceremony to seal the deal. Similar to some traditional American marriages the Igbo marriages have many customs and face new trends that alter the norm of society. The paper takes cognizance of the fact that men and women are both perpetrators and victims of gender based violence. The dowry and bride items include token money and various gifts. P.O. Once the wedding day comes, it is usually held at the brides compound. An old African proverb says, A man without a wife is like a vase without flowers. Protecting its historic definition for the sake of our children and our future is both wise and courageous . Blessed be the God of all creation for being in the business of creating marriages as well as rebuilding and amending them. Hg. Its no surprised therefore that wedding is usually conducted after the couple had performed their traditional rites. After the grooms family hands over the money and other prerequisites to the brides family, the wedding day is planned. A value is that quality of a thing thought of as being more or less desirable, useful, estimable and important. Each has their own unique ritual of how they go about a wedding ceremony. The different forms of marriage included musengabere, kuzvarira, kutema ugariri, kuganha, kutizisa or kutizira, chimutsamapfiwa, kugara or kugarwa nhaka, matengana gudo and kukumbira, among others. The African marriage is an integral part of the whole African culture and was a rite of passage for every mature man and woman. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. TRADITIONAL ETHICS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL Publisher of weekly, "Healing Words" and monthly, "Light the Way. In, Africa and China the children have absolutely no say on whom they are going to marry. She is given the task to find her groom in a crowd of guests while she greets them. During this event, relations and the community witness the dowry and bride items given to the womans parent. They tend to forget the traditional teachings for the marriage, or think they are Instead, the women are told to go to court. dissolution of a marriage by judgment of a court or by accepted custom. Introduction stopped to stare at the body showcased in the Amsterdam window and inadvertently shuddered. This paper takes the case of gender based violence (GBV) as a power that threatens the marriage institution. . Africa culture is all about the ethnic groups family traditions, the literature, art and music shows the religion along with the social paths of their culture. 4. The traditional values and beliefs of the African that stem from his culture include polygamy, belief in one supreme God as well as many other minor deities, love of children, music, dancing, respect for old age and authority, belief in a future life, marriage and funeral The Bahama of Africa and tribes of Samoa. 681 Koyiit zyiit / The Meaning of Marriage According to University Students: A Phenomenological Study adjustment to each other and relationship satisfaction. Filed Under: Essays Tagged With: Family. For them, "love" is ife, "to love" is iferan, and "I love you" is mo fe e.2 In the East African country of Kenya, the over 6 million Gikuyus express love reflexively, as in "to love one another," ngwendet n, rather than the sentiment 6. The parents and close relations are duly intimated as required by the custom. 19, 1: 23-40. Marriage in South Africa Wikipedia, Marriage in African Traditional Society UK Essays Whether the bride and groom fall in love or someone makes the match, meeting involves It is therefore recommended that before any marriage engagement, the man and the woman should consider their suitability to the fulfilment of fundamental obligation of child bearing as concern for family sustenance. In each of these situations, African women are able to manipulate the existing system through woman-to-woman marriage in order to achieve higher social and economic status. In traditional African societies, the law enforcement agents, traditional police and courts were responsible for ensuring compliance with the laws of the land. (a) Outline six roles of diviners in Traditional African society. . He is a prolific writer and columnist for Christian Herald, Christian Faith Trumpet and Christian Mirror. Some go further to find out whether the intended couples parents are married and still living together; not ruling our class distinction. In India among tribes of Tiyan, Toda, Kota, Khasa . In a traditional marriage, men tend to have a higher status, have more . Same sex marriages are happening everywhere around the world and it has received a significant boost in numbers since the landmark ruling given in Obergefell v. Hodges which made it legal in the 50 states across the United States of America. Marriage in Traditional African Society and Its Televance. If It's Your Money, I Will Pay and Go: Shifting and Contested Significance of Brideprice Payment among the Dagaaba of Northwest Ghana. As both a sacrament and covenant, marriage is traceable back to its origin, God, who is Love. Fertility, marriage and economic change in Northwest Namibia, An Exploration of Polygamous Marriages: A Worldview, Sexism: A Hermeneutical Interrogation of Galatians 3: 28 and Women in the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe, Religions and the Responsibility of Men in relation to gender-based violence: An Ethical Plea, Understanding Religion in Traditional Africa, Masculinity, Marriage and the Bible: New Pentecostalist Masculinities in Zimbabwe, THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH TOWARDS AMELIORATION OF SOCIO-CULTURAL PRACTICES INIMICAL TO WOMEN LIBERATION IN IGBOLAND, The struggle for marriage: elite and non-elite weddings in rural Namibia, Gender Roles and Recruitment in Southern African Churches, 1996-2001, E-JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS AND THEOLOGICAL STUDIES, The Christology of Polygamy and the Marriage Covenant. The research will argue for and against same sex marriage but will touch on the salient fact that it is a movement that will come to be accepted over a period of time and get the needed attention it deserve but will ultimately attempt to address emerging trends in the same sex marriage debate. Itcertainly places emphasis on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others so they can come to know Him and receive Him as personal Savior, go on to experience Him as Lord of their life, and go even further to know Christ as the essence of their Life (see John 1:12; Colossians 2:6-7; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:8-10). Central to these customs is the institution of roora, the payment of bridewealth. Marriage ceremonies throughout Africa vary greatly depending on the faith of the individuals. Despite this manifestation, marriage has been very often exposed to incidences of violence. They also include a description of her familys background, education, hobbies, accomplishments and interests. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272 Both African-American husbands and wives in this study held more traditional views than white couples; Latinos were found to be no more or less traditional than whites. It summarizes gender issues under students perceptions of gender roles, norms, and practices in relation to themselves, their peer group, and their perceptions of generational change compared with those of their parents and grandparents. For African women activists, and womens organisations, these threats are magnified. Gender-role change is one aspect of a general Westernizing effect of formal models of Western education on indigenous cultures. These laws are cultural values. Family, Gender Roles, and Marriage in the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman World, BiAS Series, Joachim Kuegler, Rosinah Gabaitse, Blessing Nyahuma, Mark S Aidoo, Mavis Muguti, Menard Musendekwa, daniel nii aboagye aryeh, PhD, Kudzai Biri, Francis Machingura, Josiah Ucheawaji, Journal of Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions (NASR), Making Tradition: A Historical Perspective on Gender in Namibia, Putting them in their place:respectable and unrespectable women in Zimbabwean gender struggles, VIOLATION AND ABUSE OF WOMENS HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE CUSTOMARY PRACTICE OF KUZVARIRA" AMONG THE NDAU PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE, ALook AT THE STRUGGLE OF ZIMBABWEAN MARRIED WOMEN REGARDING SAFE SEX, Sex Work as a test case for African feminism, Harmonise Zimbabwe's marriage laws before changing marriage certificates, 'Let them come to me!' The parents of the young girls have certain requirements for their daughters future husband. The setting of the ceremony in Cana is similar to African traditional marriage rites. Most African Americans get married but chances of the marriage lasting are slim. To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. ."); Talking Points on Traditional Marriage, CONCERNED WOMEN There are consequences on those who breached this norm. Philosophers have also disputed the underlying moral and legal rationales for the structure of marriage, with implications for questions such as the content of its moral obligations and the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. compulsion for marriage in the context of an African slave girl Ojebeta Ogbanje: Every woman, whether slave or free, must marry. Again neither the Jewish synagogues nor their temples had a place for wedding. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. "Marriage in Africa was the means of ensuring reproduction, but things change", explained Dr Lynne Brydon in the opening remarks of the 2017 Cadbury Conference, an annual event held by the University of Birmingham's Department of African Studies and Anthropology (DASA). African and Chinese cultures both have very intriguing ways of how they proceed with their ceremony. African traditional marriage requires parent's consent and blessings. Marriage is sacred in Africa and beyond; because it solidifies relationships that enrich communities and nations by bringing forth new life and new hope. An Election Year Guide to Mitt Romneys Religion, Woman in Islam by Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, Ph.D. Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Girls' experiences of religious and cultural practices: Human rights violations, Macho Masculinity: A Snare in the Context of HIV among the Manyika of Zimbabwe, (Re)producing an elite. The traditional marriage is the local form of marriage. These values are best explained in African traditional marriages, family, clan, individual gifts and names, talents, cultural practices, arts and sculptures, dress, music and dance, folk stories amongst other traits peculiar to the African society. Fewer said having their relationship recognized in a religious ceremony (30%), financial stability (28%) or legal rights and benefits (23% . Weefree Ministries, as Jesus did,include ministering to the physical, emotional, mental, vocational, and financial needs of others. In African tradition, marriage was done after someone had gone through the adolescent stage where different while caution must be exercised in the quest for the liberation of women so that African cultural values can be retained, and thus not destroyed under the guise of civilization. Marriage in African Traditional Society UK Essays For example, if the culture, values private property, it will have laws that forbid theft of property. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. So unhappy is the woman who fails to get children. The underline contribution is that there is value especially in the traditional marriage system this value is underscored in life. African society has been undergoing tremendous changes in every aspect of life including family structure and marriage. . Anyone can have a wedding but only God can create a marriage. According to Mbiti (1969 . Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(4), 4 23. the Nation and Intellectual Leadership Crisis . INTRODUCTION Before this ceremony, the couple get acquainted with each other and agreed to marry. Women in Africa: Tradition and Change. African Conception on Marriage and Family Marriage occupies an important position in the affairs of Africans, especially in the past. Some clergies use the text of this passage in exhortation during wedding ceremonies to an extent that many people mistaken the ceremony to a wedding instead of traditional marriage. All Rights Reserved. When being married in the United states the man proposes or whatever the case is in the relationship, but in the Igbos relationship it is the family that plays part in the proposal. 3. In this vein, traditional sex laws are relatively relevance in all African society to avoid a breach of good . African Culture and the Status of Women The Yoruba Example This paper looks at how African marriage and family have evolved as a result of direct contact with both Islam and Christianity. These perceptions demonstrate a pattern of gender roles shaped by Western Judeo-Christian doctrine within the formal education curriculum, minimal inclusion of local history or cultural content,and loss of indigenous knowledge and practices. A community has distinct beliefs, customs and cultural practices. Women in Islam versus Women in the Judeo-Christianity: The Myth & The Reality By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem. Its the start of a new life for the bride and groom, together and out of the households of their parents., Arranged Marriage is a form of Marriage when your parents, families, and communities pick who your significant other is. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. When the diviner pronounces the . It is foundational. Its customary gifts [and not a price for buying a bride] in appreciation of the gift of a bride. This is neither biblical nor African custom but an aftermath of religion, colonization and perhaps misapplication of the scripture. African marriage and family should be conducted according to the Christ-event at the Cross. We missed a balanced understanding of the contradictions that this ambiguity presented. But in the name of Churchanity [not Christianity], most Africans appear to regard European wedding superior to our rich African traditional rites. African women by officially recognising all African customary marriages in South Africa. The history of marriage customs in Africa are, interestingly, based on practices that other cultures around the world have historically practiced. Bible in Africa Studies International Conference-UB.GABORONE,25-27 JULY,2012, LITURGICAL ASPECTS OF WEDDING CEREMONIES IN REFORMED CHURCHES OF AFRICAN ORIGIN, The Levirate Custom of Inheriting Widows among the Supyire People of Mali: Theological pointers for Christian marriageThe Levirate Custom of Inheriting Widows among the Supyire People of Mali: Theological pointers for Christian marriage, A Diet of Wives as the Lifestyle of the Vapostori Sects: The Polygamy Debate in the Face of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe, Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions Literary Analysis: A UNISA Dissertation, SSM 11: Natasha Erlank, "Missionary views on sexuality in Xhosaland in the nineteenth Century", New Evangelization For The Catholic Church And Local Cultures In Zimbabwe, Same-sex union articles in the Journal of Religion and Gender in Africa, A voluminous book on Redemptive masculinities in the era of HIV and AIDS, A woman should learn in quietness and full submission-1 Timothy 2:11, And the Two will become One Flesh (Mark 10:8): Domestic Violence as a Destabilising Force against the Institution of the Family in Zimbabwe, BiAS 17: The Bible and Children in Africa (edited by Lovemore TOGARASEI & Joachim KGLER), Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? 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