African Cultural Norms Vs Contemporary Social Theory
Many of African communities, in general, raised their people through a set of moral values that guided both young people to grow up responsibly and the adults in taking responsibilities. It is a society that respected their seniors in age. When we were growing up in the community, our right fabrics and character shaping by society. Children were raised not only by their parents, but it was a responsibility of the community to raise a better girl or a boy. It was clear that each child represented the community not the family and all knew they were the image of the community. Every parent would punish any child if found misbehaving anywhere in the community and they will bring to the attention of the parents. No individual persons did things without considering how it will affect the neighbor but one considered the effects to others. Boys were known to take care of cattle; the girls would go out fetching water using pots and balancing them on their heads without dropping them down. Girls would only be married in some communities if they were virgins. The society set the moral behaviors of the community. The elders were known to guide the community and focus to future developments. Can this type of life be reproduced and live as it was before? Critical thinking in society is no more and hence no creativity and innovations. The McDonaldization has taken the mind of many African academies and cannot see the reason to think creatively.
Elliott, through his Contemporary Social Theory book, cut into the above African traditional practices and leaves it with no edge and it has left naked with no shame. Modernity, according to Berman, as quoted by Elliot, calls it a double-edged phenomenon. Thus, the culture of modernity – being intensely diverse and fragmented – involves particular ways of living which press beyond tradition, custom or habit.[i] Instead of assigning persons to pre-ordained social roles, as in pre-modern cultures, modernity propels people into a creative and dynamic making of self-making and the fashioning of life-styles according to personal preference.[ii] It is sometimes amusing to note that, African communities never had time for themselves to develop their trajectory of creativity. The Western Nations overshadowed with its line of development and this has rendered the African continent be a continent of copy and paste attitude. Berman’s description of modernity as a double-edged phenomenon is somehow an accurate reflection of what we experience in Africa. It is sad to note that, some people have termed what they see from the West as the norms of life. The moral structures of societies are no more. The argument Berman is raising is that we celebrate as we see here in Africa the many advantages of modernity, that we can see great roads quickening communication and business fast handled.
But on the other hand, community moral norms and standards are being eroded because it is believed that new things are the best. Elliott quotes Weber who describe modernization as an iron cage for human beings. Weber states that the bureaucratic recasting of society has affected not only businesses and governments but also groups and, crucially, individuals.[iii]
The continent has a lot of mineral resources at its disposal but due to its inhibits of development as a result of the exploitation by those who with money resources. Modernity has worsened the situation coupled with capitalism where whoever has it takes it all. Cuck Collins and Felico Yeskel in their book “Economic Apartheid in America” a primer on economic inequality and insecurity, describes how big multinationals and cartels of greedy business people are exploiting natural resources from Africa and supplying firearms for civil strife among themselves. The primary issue Elliott is raising concerns and relationships between the individual and society, or between human action and social structure.[iv] We can connect the actual effects of modernity to the entire nations of Africa. The question I resonate with is How can we be able to address this trend that seems to be widening more and more? The poor becoming more impoverishes and the richer growing richer. Who defines the moral fabrics of human beings now? What would one consider wrong or right?
[i] (Anthony 2014) pg20
[ii] (Anthony 2014)
[iii] (Anthony 2014)
[iv] (Anthony 2014)
About the Author
John Muhanji
I am the Director Africa Ministries Office of Friends United Meeting. I coordinate all Quaker activities and programs in the Quaker churches and school mostly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The focus of my work is more on leadership development and church planting in the region especially in Tanzania.. Am married with three children all grown up now. I love playing golf as my exercise hobby. I also love reading.One response to “African Cultural Norms Vs Contemporary Social Theory”
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Hi John. Thanks for your posting. Your title actually tells so much in itself about your post: African cultural norms vs contemporary social theory. Anytime there is ‘versus’ in the title, I know a comparison is taking place. And I appreciated your explanation of African cultural norms, as I learned so much about the way the world was for you as you were growing up. I agree with you that the rich are getting richer and the poor are become more impoverished. Elliott is a man based on theories, but I think social environments change over time. And theories don’t always fit the norm of where society has been and where it is going. Sometimes, progress isn’t a positive thing with regards to family roles and societal connections.