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Kinship and Marriage in Africa

            Kinship and marriage are complicated but important aspects of traditional African institutions. The primary focus and essential foundation of African society are social groups. These social groups are birth and marriage based. American birth rights are usually decided bilineally, using both parents. African birth rights are decided many different ways. Marriage is seen as a method of survival for African societies and infidelity is not viewed as an important part of marriage. Vincent Khapoya refers to kinship as the contents that bind people through birth (consanguine) or marriage (affilial) (Khapoya, 2013). .
             Birth determines descent whether it be patrilineal, matrilineal, bilineal, or bilateral. Matrilineal refers to how relatives are traced by using the male figures on the mother's side. The people of Ghana, the Akans, track their heritage using this method. In this society, children inherit property from maternal uncles and not the father (Khapoya, 2013). Patrilineal descent is used most of the time in the African societies. This is where the male ancestors are traced only from the father's side of the family. In this method is important related to the fact that male children have all the rights to inheritances and the females do not unless specifically willed to them by their father. Bilineal descent traces find ancestry using male relatives from both maternal and paternal parents. This process is the one that is used most frequently in the United States. Bilateral descent is different from the bilineal in that it uses the grandparents instead of the parents. The people of Nigeria, Hausa are the ones that most often use this type of ancestral tracking. These different methods of tracing descent of relatives are very important in establishing status in African societies. .
             African societies view marriage as an institution or a business adventure. The concept of love is may be lost when it comes to the legal contract of marriage in the United States.


Essays Related to Kinship and Marriage in Africa

1. The Important Role of Kinship

For many kinship is understood as the factors which connect people; these factors ranging from blood, marriage, adoption or family relationships. In the post era of South Africa, many cultures being shape by regions according to Ross (2000). ... In South Africa we get many of these in a coloured community where we get the grand parents to take care of the children. ... These kin is based of relationships such as marriage on legal measures or tied by blood. ... These kin is based of relationships such as marriage on legal measures or tied by blood. ...

  • Word Count: 1494
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Slavery and Africian Culture

Kinship and family ties provided the personal and collective character of Africans and when taken beyond their shores they became rootless and "all at sea". ... However, this could not have been further from the truth, family ties and kinship was an integral part of African culture. Within some African societies females were highly prized, as they were the means by which status, kinship and family could be acquired. A characteristic of several West African societies was the emphasis placed on matrilineal and matrilocal kinship systems. ... These priests were used during marriage ceremonie...

  • Word Count: 2095
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Family in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

The constant sale and trade of slaves threatened to break apart slave marriages and families, so slaves viewed their families in terms of kinships. Kinships formed the social basis for African American communities. ... As a result, parents relied on such kinships to help raise their children. ... Before turning to African American kinship ties, it's important to note that slavery has a negative impact on those that are enslaved, and their white enslavers. ... "The young wife soon learns that the husband she has placed her happiness pays no regard to his marriage vows. ...

  • Word Count: 803
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Cultural Aspect Research Paper

My second culture that I briefly studied was the Masaai people from East Africa, mainly originated in the Great Rift Valley. ... They have a very confusing way of kinship. ... In order to understand there way of kinship would be to actually live through it. ... The second part of my overview is based on the Masaai people from Kenya, Africa. ... The Masaai kinship systems are also different if compared to kinship systems of different parts of the world. ...

  • Word Count: 2235
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography

5. Dobe

hoansi's kinship, social organization, marriage, as well as conflict, their politics, and social change. ... hoansi, I found that the most important issues lie within their subsistence, kinship, and sexuality. ... The kinship of the Dobe Ju/?hoansi is very important in creating order to interpersonal relationships, inheritance, and marriage (foreword, v). ... The one example where I feel this is most evident is in the chapter of kinship and social organization. ...

  • Word Count: 1269
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

6. The Preservation Of A Precious Culture

Slave masters intervened continually in the lives of their slaves, from directing their labor to approving or disapproving marriages. ... When the African slaves were brought to the new world, they wanted their children and future generations to know about Africa, and its splendor, and how wonderfully Africans lived and thrived before the onset of slavery. ... Some slaves have testified on how they felt immediate warmth and brotherhood and kinship when they arrived at a different location to work, and upon arrival the resident slaves greeted them with familiar music. ... Black spirituals wer...

  • Word Count: 2002
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Anthropology

This group of people from Western Africa worships the earth. ... --Monni Adams, Journal of African Religion - "An excellent study."... The chapter is entitled The Marriages of Cousins. ... The are not as religious towards their ancestors as some Africans are. ... The Earths are ranked by seniority and, as with human kinship, the oldest Earth is more respected; it is also worshiped more infrequently, only for truly important matters. ...

  • Word Count: 1299
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Facing Mt. Kenya

Kenyatta's primary purpose in writing this book was to give a "true" description of the African culture. ... Foods and drinks symbolize the friendship or kinship among the Gikuyu people. ... Kenyatta uses the importance of eating and drinking to help describe the misunderstood African culture. ... Kenyatta believes, "There has been some confusion in the minds of many writers who have tried to explain the system of marriage and the position of women in the African community (Kenyatta 158)." ... His main objective was to describe the marriage system. ...

  • Word Count: 1428
  • Approx Pages: 6

9. Book Review: Monique and the Mango Rains

Monique and the Mango Rains is a story written by Kris Holloway about her experience while volunteering with the Young Peace Corp in Mali, Africa. ... Consequently, the book review will draw attentions on dissimilar themes witnessed in the book such as domestic issues, place of women in the African society, parenting, childbirth, marriage, family relationship and poverty (Holloway& Bidwell, 2006). ... Due to the fact that Monique can't complain about her issue in public, due to existing cultural practices in West Africa. ... For example, the author leaned that the practice of arrange...

  • Word Count: 1541
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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