It is a fact that in african traditional belief, god is the explanation of all things. The type of education prevalent in africa before the coming of western civilisation was generally known as african traditional education or indigenous education of the various communities. Box 4384400100, nairobi, kenya abstract it is the opinion consensuses of a few scholars that the institution of marriage has continued to. A viable alternative for peace building process in modern africa 8 opposition to the old definition of peace as the absence of war. The main objective of this paper is to examine african culture and values. The african traditional society is a homogenous and close one with its unique characteristic features that set it apart from other cultures of the world. African cultural values are based on a foundation of the past and present, a leading reason why elders are so well respected. African indigenous education was a lifelong process of learning where by a person progressed through predetermined stages of life of graduation from cradle to grave. Igboin department of religion and african culture, adekunle ajasin university, akungbaakoko, ondo state, nigeria. Symbolic values of clothing and textiles art in traditional. These are all forms of the narrative selfexpression of africans, and much that is within them are of critical significance to understanding african philosophy.
African moral and cultural values cre form 1 notes. Africa, colonization, culture, indispensable, interaction, values, westernization. Traditional values and human rights in africa sahara. Pdf african cultural values chris chikadibia esionwu. Pdf the effects of globalization on african culture. A case study of nkusukumekumfienyan area of the central region.
Are africans depending on the western media to lead in their news programming. In fact, africans, as well as any community of people, are daily involved in the task of living in and building a culture wirsty 1995. This idea of the world is accepted by the african and is passed on from one generation to another. International journal of politics and good governance volume vi, no. All cultures grow and change with those who live by them. For instance, the claim that the values and principles of african morality are not founded on religion simply derives from the characterization of traditional african religion as a nonrevealed religion. Meaning of life and its wholeness in the traditional african society, the african concept of community and kinship system, factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in the african communities, rites of passage, the role of religious specialists in the african communities and their relevance today, african moral values continuity and change in the african. Nel morality and religion in african thought 36 pagan gods were ridiculed. Traditional african family family is the backbone and basic unit of every society.
Africans, especially ghanaians, to desist from copying blindly from western culture, stressing. Causes and consequences of rapid erosion of cultural. The training systems of africans such as the traditional schools did exist, but most importantly, the family unit served as an important structure for knowledge provision and acquisition. In the history of the indigenous religion in african, it does not seem that anyone in any african community, has ever claimed to have. African religion henceforth referred to as afrel is uncompromisingly theonomous. This study was carried out in adoodoota lga, with a sample size of 203. American evangelical christianity as well as the arab cultural package of islam.
African religious and cultural values of ghanaians, which emphasize family unity, community participation, love and sense of family belonging. The aim of traditional african education is multilateral and the objective is to produce an individual who is honest respectable, skilled, cooperative and conforms to the social order of the day. Causes and consequences of rapid erosion of cultural values. African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil. Family values tend to be reflective of the culture and time period and can be seen shifting throughout history depending on the environment.
In discussing african culture and values, we are not presupposing that all african societies have the same explanation s for events, the same language. This view of africanamerican literature as a tool in the struggle for black. Oct 06, 2018 just like the word traditional suggests, which means doing things our way. Beliefs of traditional symbols or totems cut across almost all the african horizons, and many parts of the world. The african traditional society is a homogenous and close one with its unique characteristic features that set it. The african is conscious of the influence of each category of these beings in the universe. Feb 08, 2012 african indigenous education can generally be defined as the form of learning in africa traditional societies in which knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the tribe, were passed from elders to children, by means of oral instructions and practical activities. Always acknowledge an elder, let them ask questions, and during mealtime elders should be served first. The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants. Man is the measure of all things, of things that are they are, of things that are not that they are not.
The purpose here is to evaluate the distinctive characteristic role of african traditional morality in peace education for national development. Religion, christian, influence, african traditional religion and value systems introduction. Results analyzed show that intertwining of urban and rural culture, the modern and traditional, the global and local, is the main characteristic of our socialcultural reality in which modern and traditional social values have interfered. African culture is in flux, and so are african values. It will be argued that the primogeniture rule8 is not an original african cultural principle but a colonial and imperial construct. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage. Furthermore, in the authentic african world, how the african feels about the things around him must be related to his ideological formation within various contexts.
In other words, religion is the basis for the meaningfulness and functionality of values. Traditional african cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as africans became fully westernised. Traditional values tended to emphasize the extended family unit when more families were living and working together. While insisting that western education has precariously contaminated. Traditional values associated with african marriages when we talk of values we refer to interest, pleasure, likes, preference, duties, moral. International journal of african society, cultures and traditions vol. This discourse shows how the traditional african experiences, comprehends, conceptualizes and communicates moral reality within his thought. These challenges add a basic dimension to an understanding of the problems of nigeria generally today. An overview of shona traditional religion the shona people, like their african counterparts, are profoundly religious. Role of traditional african moral values in the development of nigeria ushe, m. Long ago, protagoras made the point when he made his timehonoured and worldfamous statement, saying. Africa, culture, womens right, yoruba introduction discourse on the rights of women in africa has been a major focus of contemporary scholarship in africa. Traditional african values 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 celebrations. The paper also considers the concept of evil, ethics, justice and time in african traditional religion.
Studies shows that africans are highly patronizing the western cultures which, is gradually defacing our african traditions and culture values. What is the importance of traditional education in africa. This is theonomous, that is, morality is godgiven law. They believe in the supreme being known by various names. Simple statistics like frequency distribution, percentile were used. Apr 29, 2012 studies shows that africans are highly patronizing the western cultures which, is gradually defacing our african traditions and culture values. By and large they had a much better perception of african traditional religion and they saw the relevance of the system of beliefs for african traditional society. The meaning a group of people has for a traditional symbol relates to the other, similarly or with a. The morality or value in afrel is strictly traced to the supernatural being.
The training systems of africans such as the traditional schools did exist, but most importantly, the family unit served as an. Since culture is often seen as the sum total of the peculiarities shared by a people, a peoples values can be seen as part of their culture. New religious movements nrm in west african traditional religion. Traditional values, meanings and 73 issn 2056 5771print, issn 2056 578xonline beliefs in some sculpture. All developed nations that i know practice and teach traditional education except africa and some part of asiamiddle east. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. Are western cultures perpetuated through african media to coerce people to forgo their traditional values.
This paper therefore is aimed at examining the causes and consequences of rapid erosion of cultural values in nigeria. African ways of doing things became primitive, archaic and regrettably unacceptable in public domain. The african continent experienced its own form of training and learning before it was colonized and even before the arrival of the missionaries. Values permeate and pervade every aspects of human life in the society. Most recent works on new perspectives in african education, visavis the role and impact of christian missions from the west include those of coetzee and roux eds 1991 and makgoba 1999.
It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of. Influences of christian religion on african traditional. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. In discussing african culture and values, we are not. African culture, tradition and custom, and what is a colonial or imperial construct which is now regarded as african culture, tradition and custom. School of arts and social sciences national open university of nigeria, victoria island, lagos email. The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants categorical. The purpose here is to evaluate the distinctive characteristic role of african traditional.
Impact of globalization on the traditional african cultures. The principles and content of african traditional education. Traditional marriage cannot be understood outside traditional religion and bantu culture. Culture, tradition, custom, law and gender equality mj maluleke culture is like an umbrella under which some people like to hide from rain, and also to shade themselves from the sun. Submitted by francis acquah to the university of exeter as a thesis for the degree of doctor of philosophy in theology in december 2011. According to dr paul kyalo in a paper titled a reflection on the african traditional values of marriage and sexuality, the african traditional marriage system had solutions to many of the problems that todayscouples and families face. Since culture is often seen as the sum total of the peculiarities shared by a people, a peoples values can be seen as. The fact that the study of african tradition and culture is today becoming very important in africa, is self evident of the attempt to protect african values and thought patterns. The culture of a people is their identity as it affords them due recognition. The central argument of this research stems from the submission that colonialism, slave trade and missionary are the platform upon which western education thrive and are sustained. This implies that african indigenous education was continuous throughout lifetime from childhood to oldage mushi 2009 defines african indigenous education as a process of passing. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and cultural values on christian muslim relations in ghana from 1920 through the present. Mwari is said to be tremendously awesome and cannot be approached arbitrarily.
Community and human wellbeing in an african culture 285 where the human person is treated with honour and nobility. Atr african traditional religion introduction three religions dominates african continent. It also shows that the worship of god in african traditional religion is through sacrifices, offerings, singing, dancing and prayers. Common names ascribed to the shona mwari include musikavanhu, nyadenga and deza. The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants categorical imperative a comparative study on the foundation of morality 1 by godwin azenabor abstract. Positive peace according to gultang johan, a professor of peace studies, is a social condition in which exploitation has been eliminated and overt violence has ceased, including. The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants categorical imperative. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilisation. Ghanaians, especially the youth, to hold in high esteem the nations cultural and traditional values. Symbolic values of clothing and textiles art in traditional and contemporary africa thessy yemisi akinbileje department of fine and applied arts, obafemi awolowo university, ile ife, osun state, nigeria abstract africas artistic traditions constitute a primary example of its intellectual and cultural vitality. One would need to consider the traditional elements that are involved to avoid distortions. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage and sexuality dr. Accepted 19 may, 2011 it is no longer a debate that precolonial african life was heavily influenced by religion.
1432 1041 556 784 188 60 553 1005 703 82 465 1169 136 838 1308 723 635 858 500 605 643 258 79 250 396 156 1343 183 1024 8 1320 606 66 227