tribal african society lesson

1. Write a few sentences describing what the word “tribal” means. 2. After you finish, pick 1 word that best describes the word “tribal”.

3. Extra Challenge: What is animism?

I can identify the characteristics of African society and analyze modern tribal life.

Traditional African Society

1000 different languages; 1000+ different tribes

Tribalism: The allegiance to a group (tribe).

Characteristics of a Tribe:

• Language• Clothing• Religion• Behavior• Tradition

Common Traits or Characteristics of Traditional

African Tribal Life1. The good of the group comes ahead of the

good of the individual.

2. All land is owned by the group.

3. Strong feeling of loyalty to the group.

4. Ceremonies to celebrate each person’s life.

5. Deep respect for ancestors.

6. Religion is an important part of everyday life.

7. Government is in the hands of the chiefs/kings.

POD SHARE: Create a short list of the pros & cons.

Tribal Villages

African Society• African towns and villages evolved over time

becoming larger communities that served as centers for trade and government.

• Many of these cultures did not have a written language. Most knowledge of these cultures comes from oral tradition.hat served as centers for trade and government.

• Many of these cultures did not have a written language, and so, most of our knowledge of these cultures comes from oral tradition.

King and Subject

• In African cultures the kings had a much closer relationship with the people than in Asian and other cultures.

• The king still held a high position among the people, but he took a much more personal interest in the everyday people.

Family and Lineage

Family and extended family extended family were very important.

These extended families evolved into lineage groupslineage groups.

All the members could claim to be descended from a common ancestor and it gave a sense of identity.

Why is it important to belong to a group?

The Role of Women

• Women were usually subordinate to men in Africa.

• Although, in many African societies lineage was traced through the mother’s side. This makes the matriarch of the family (the mother) the central figure.

Community & Education

Both boys and girls were raised by their mothers until the age of six.

After that boys and girls were educated in the areas in which they would be involved.

Girls learned to be wives and mothers while boys learned how to hunt and farm.

Initiation

As they matured boys and girls took larger roles in the community.

At age 12 or 13, many groups held rituals where there was a physical challenge for boys to enter manhood.

The African Mask• African masks are part of a ceremonial

costume.• They are used to represent the spirits of

ancestors or to control the good and evil forces in the community.

• They come to life possessed by their spirit in the performance of the dance with music.

Traditional African ReligionANIMISM

1. Belief in one remote Supreme Being.

3. Ancestor veneration.

4. Belief in magic, charms, and fetishes.

5. Diviner/Shaman mediator between the tribe and God.

2. A world of spirits (good & bad) in all things.

African Diviner (Shaman)

•

Animism to IslamEventually the animistic beliefs were replaced in many places by Islam.This process occurred slowly through trade and conquest.

Islam combined with native beliefs to form unique African forms of Islam.

Oral Tradition

In the absence of a written language music and storytelling took on a large role in African society.

Storytellers were usually priests or a special class of storytellers known as griotsgriots.

These people kept the history of Africa alive.

What are possible issues that could arise because of oral tradition?

So Many Tribes . . . .Look at the number of tribes in

just one country.

Based on this map, what are the potential problems created by tribalism?

Problems of Tribalism Today

1. The tribe is more important than the nation.2. Communication problems.

3. Inter-tribal warfare civil wars.

4. Tribal favorites for government jobs: Nepotism Urbanization:

Breaks down tribal traditions.Tribal intermingling on the job.

What a paragraph comparing and contrasting the positive and negative impacts of tribalism in Africa. *You must use evidence from your notes to support your writing.