Cultures of West Africa

1. Cultures of West Africa

2. Main Idea A: West Africa has a great variety of cultures 1. Hundreds of ethnic groups • Being able to speak more than one language is useful • The region is famous for its cultural diversity, or wide variety of cultures. 2. No single religion or language • ethnic groups speak different languages. • groups in neighboring villages often speak different languages.

3. Main Idea A: West Africa has a great variety of cultures 3. In order to communicate, most speak more than one language. 4. Some speak four or five language which helps unify countries with many ethnic groups. People speak a variety of languages: French; English; Portuguese; and Hausa [a local language used to communicate among various ethnic groups]

4. Main Idea A: West Africa has a great variety of cultures 5. People speak a variety of languages: • French; English; Portuguese; and Hausa [a local language used to communicate among various ethnic groups] 6. West Africans make a living in various ways. • Farm • Herd cattle, goats sheep or camels • Hospital, hotel and office workers

5. Main Idea B: Family ties and traditions have a powerful effect on West Africanculture 1. West Africans have a strong bond of • “kinship”: • family relationship. 2. The first level of kinship is the • “nuclear family”: • consists of parents and their children.

6. Main Idea B: Family ties and traditions have a powerful effect on West Africanculture 3. The next level of kinship is the: • “extended family”: • a group consisting of the nuclear family plus other relatives. • grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. • members of a West African extended family all live together. • They also work together and make decisions together. • Family members care for the elderly, the sick, and the less well-off. • They also watch over the children of other families in the village and help neighbors.

7. Main Idea B: Family ties and traditions have a powerful effect on West Africanculture 5. In many rural areas, kinship reaches beyond extended families to larger groups. One such group is a: • “lineage”: • a group of families that can trace their descent back to a common ancestor.

8. Main Idea B: Family ties and traditions have a powerful effect on West Africanculture 6. Some recognize larger kinship groups called: • “clans”: • a group of lineages. • People in a clan can all trace their roots back to a common ancestor. • Members of a clan may be more distantly related to one another than members of a lineage because the group of members is larger in a clan.

9. Main Idea B: Family ties and traditions have a powerful effect on West Africanculture 6. West African history, values, and traditions are passed on to the young through storytelling

10. 1-How does cultural diversity cause communication challenges for West Africans? The ethnic groups speak different languages which can make it difficult for different ethnic groups to communicate with one another

11. 2- What purpose does storytelling serve in West African culture? It helps pass on traditions to future generations

12. Storytelling • Traditional West African stories are spoken aloud rather than written down. • A storyteller called a griot passes a group’s oral traditions on from one generation to another. • Stories of tricksters, animal fables, proverbs, riddles, and songs are all part of West Africa’s oral tradition. • The stories tell about the histories of ethnic groups and kinships. At the same time, they teach children cultural values. • African slaves brought these stories to the United States where they influenced U. S. culture