African Society

1. African Society Great Empires

2. Focus Question • Identify, in one or two words, the reason why you would get married.

3. Traditional African Society • Patriarchy: • Male dominated society • Patrilineal Descent: • headship of the family is traced through the first born male, of the first born male, and so on • Patrilocality: • when a women goes to live with the husband’s family

4. Traditional African Social Structure • Individual: • unmarried single person

5. Traditional African Social Structure • Extended Family: • three or more generations living in a single household

6. Traditional African Social Structure • Clan: • a social group comprising a number of families who claim descent from common ancestor and whose families are linked by marriage

7. Traditional African Social Structure • Tribe: • a social group comprising numerous clans linked by marriage

8. Benefits to Living in a Tribal Society • close family relationships • a “social security” system based on family • economic cooperation amongst family, clan and tribe members • a sense of social unity and shared history

9. Drawbacks to Living in a Tribal Society • economic competition amongst different tribes and clans • tribal warfare • “my tribe” before “my nation” = limited sense of nationalism

10. Traditional Marriage Practices • Bride Wealth: • a gift given by the groom’s family to marry a bride • (unlike dowry – bride’s family gives gift to groom’s family)

11. Traditional Marriage Practices • Bride Wealth: • = higher status for women • gift says that women are valuable as productive members of society

12. A Tribal Family Tree Traditional African Social Structure

13. David Besozzi, the Individual Me

14. The Besozzi Nuclear Family =

15. = = = U The Besozzi Extended Family = patrilineal descent

16. = = = = = = = U Besozzi Clan Snyder Clan The Besozzi/Snyder Clan

17. = = = = = = = = = = = = = U Besozzi Clan McDougal Clan Snyder Clan The Besozzi Tribe

18. Homework • Create your own tribal family tree. • It must contain the following: • You as an individual. • Your nuclear family. • Possible extended family if you live in one. • Any clan linkages (two or more families linked by marriage). • Tribal connections (numerous clans linked by marriage). • You will need to include at least three or more generations of your direct relatives, the families of their husband or wife, and their children for it to be a clan/tribe.