1.

Define the following terms: Kinship and a community

 Kinship is the relationship between people through marriage, blood or adoption

 A community is a group of people who share a common language, culture, religion and live in the same geographical
location

2. Explain the African traditional concept of a community.

 The family is the basic unit of the community. Several families form a clan and several clans form a community.

 The African traditional community includes the unborn, the living members and the living dead (ancestors)

 African communities trace their origin to God’s creation

 Most African communities are polygamous

 Children are important to the community because hey perpetuate life.

 They share a common ancestor or origin

 They share a common language

 Members live in one geographical area

 It’s organized in units called clans

 It’s composed of family members related by blood or marriage

 Share common beliefs, customs and cultural practices

 A community has a distinct social and political system such as family structure, age sets

 They share common values and obligations.

 Members of the community speak a common language

3. What are the characteristics of the traditional African community?

 The family is the basic unit of the community. Several families form a clan and several clans form a community.

 The African traditional community includes the unborn, the living members and the living dead and the ancestors

 African communities trace their origin to God’s creation

 Most African communities are polygamous

 Children are important to the community because hey perpetuate life.

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 They share a common language

 Members live in one geographical area

 It’s organized in units called clans

 It’s composed of family members related by blood or marriage

 Share common beliefs, customs and cultural practices

 A community has a distinct social and political system such as family structure, age sets

 They share common values and obligations.

 Members of the community speak a common language

4. What are the functions of kinship in traditional African society?

 It determines how members relate to each other

 It binds together the entire life of the community

 It enables members of the community to share sorrows together

 It assists members to live peacefully and in harmony

 It gives an individual a deep sense of belonging

 It governs customs and marriage

 It defines the type of punishment for misconduct or reward for good behavior

 It enables people to cooperate when performing communal tasks

 It provides security to all members

5. Why was the observance of blood kinship important in traditional African society?

 Kinship helped maintain and preserve certain customs

 Observing blood kinship maintained good relations with ancestors

 It enabled the society to live peacefully and in harmony

 It controlled relationships between people in the community

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 It governed marriage customs in the society

 It defined punishment for misconduct

 It created a strong bond among community members enabling them to cooperate in performing communal tasks

 It united the community to face hardships and conflicts (wars) together

6. What was the importance of kinship system in traditional African society?

 It united family, clan and community members by providing for their needs

 It gave members a sense of belonging and identity

 It helped build and foster good relationships among members

 It helped preserve cultural identity through rituals and beliefs

 It defined people’s behavior towards others in the community

 It determined how ceremonies were carried out

 It defined responsibilities and duties of each member of the family or clan to the ancestors

 It brought people together and enabled them to seek help from relatives in times of crisis

 It helped people establish new relationships through marriage

 It set out punishment for misbehavior in the community

7. How has urbanization affected kinship ties in traditional African society?

 People have migrated to urban areas and eventually broken kinship ties

 People develop new relations where they live in urban areas

 People in urban areas have started families that are different from traditional setup of homes

 Children in towns neither understand their vernacular language nor their traditional culture

 In urban areas, the focus is on nuclear family rather than extended family.

8. How has science and technology affected traditional African kinship?

 Introduction of artificial contraceptives has reduced the expansion of traditional extended family whose emphasis was
to have many children

 Elders are no longer considered custodians of knowledge since mass media is preferred medium of learning by the
youth

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 Mobile phones and TVs have preoccupied family members and reduced interaction time

 Community land has been allocated for establishment of industries and most people have been displaced from their
ancestral land

 Payment of dowry has been commercialized and money is preferred over herds of cattle

9. How was harmony promoted in traditional African societies?

 Through sharing a common ancestry

 Through communal ownership of property

 Through use of a common language

 Having common religious beliefs

 Through communal sharing of joys and sorrows

 Through celebrating rites of passage together

 Through setting up of rules and regulations to guide members

 Through definite and clear political structures

 Prescribing punishment to those who deviate from social norms

10. What factors promoted harmony and mutual responsibility in traditional African society

 Sharing resources such as food and drinks among community members

 Each community had its own social and political organization and the members simply fitted in the system.

 Communal ownership of land and property to create a sense of belonging

 Participation in communal work according to age and gender

 Participation in social activities which brought people together such as communal harvesting, dances and games

 Communal worship and common belief in God, the spirits and the ancestors

 A common settlement in a geographical area

 Participation in the rites of passage (birth, initiation, marriage and death)

 Sharing of religious beliefs and practices which promoted unity

 Sharing of political leadership

 Establishing a communal ways of solving family and individual conflicts. This promoted understanding.

 Children, orphans and widows were taken care of by members of extended family.

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 Leisure activities such as singing and dancing that brought people together

 Division of labour according to age and gender to ensure that everyone worked

 Established rules and regulations to guide members. These were strictly observed.

 Prescribed punishments were administered to offenders and those who broke community rules and taboos. This
discouraged vices such as greed, cheating, dishonesty

 Providing communal education to children on values, virtues, their duties and responsibilities

11. What was the role of elders in promoting harmony in traditional African society?

 They settled disputes among people

 They safeguarded traditional norms and taboos and decided on punishment for offenders

 They made decisions on important issues affecting the community

 They acted as spokespersons for the community

 They were consulted on important issues

 They helped reconcile warring communities

 They fixed dates for important occasions such as rites of passage

 They interceded for the community to God, spirits and ancestors

 They mediated between the living and the spirits by leading important celebrations and occasions such as offerings
and sacrifices

12. How did leisure activities contribute to harmony in traditional African society

 Leisure activities ensured that everyone participated in the activities of the community. This promoted cohesion and
togetherness

 The young and the old interacted during storytelling hence promoting unity

 The elders taught the youth moral values during leisure time

 During festivals, the old watched the young perform and entertain. They also corrected bad behavior and reinforced
good conduct

 Family and community matters were discussed during leisure time

13. Name four major rites of passage

 Birth and naming

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 Marriage

 Death

14. List down six taboos or regulations observed by expectant mothers in traditional African societies

 Expectant mothers were forbidden from eating certain foods for good health of baby and mother

 Expectant mothers carried protective charms to guard against evil eyes and bad omen

 Expectant mothers received a lot of respect because they carried life

 They were expected to return briefly to their parents’ home to be assisted in child birth

 Expectant mother had to avoid speaking directly to her husband

 Sacrifices and offerings were presented to god and to ancestors

 Expectant mother was prohibited from manual work

 Expectant mother was not to touch iron/metal tools to avoid attracting bad luck or lightning

 Expectant mothers were not allowed to cross rivers

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