Introduction
Have you heard of the old African proverb “the old woman looks after the child to grow its teeth and the young one in turn looks after the old woman when she loses her teeth” (Akan, Ghana)? Solidarity, unity, inter-communities, and family relationships among West Africans have been known for thousands of years. Family and community play an important role in traditional West African culture. The traditional value of family and community breeds the harmonic communal culture. West African values and culture is inherited amongst hundreds of generations. This paper analyzes the extended family and kinship system in West Africa, the values of the community and the relationship between family and community.
Family and Kinship System …show more content…
In the traditional society, the father of the family has the biggest authority, his wife or wives come next in authority (depending on the born of the first son). The West African family place an important aspect on children, because they think children ensure the continuity through the family inheritance. The inheritance system in West African families ensures the senior son of the family automatically assumes control of the family’s property. People in the extended family share responsibilities and support each other, which creates harmony and autonomy within the extended family. The West African family and kinship system are like bricks, whereas the community can be seen as the wall. The family system is the foundation needed in building the wall of community in the traditional …show more content…
The communities are made up of multiple extended families, and these extended families contribute to the community in every form of community services. According to Macaulay, the relationship between individuals recognizes their worth as human beings and not only what they possess or what they can do for each other, even though these can come as later or secondary considerations in terms of reciprocity and in terms of interpersonal relationship (Macaulay, p153). The cultural of “living together” and sense of “community of brothers and sisters” allows family members to share and live with each other with peace. The communalism of West Africans ensures individual families’ responsibility within a communal ownerships and relationship in the community. As we know, the relationship within the family is extremely close because of our consanguineous body. Hence, it’s easier to get unity and solidarity from the community, since the extended families make up the community. Each family member contributes to the community with his/her own responsibility, which makes the community stronger and more reliable for people living in the community. On the other hand, the community provides help and care for each of the family members, which creates the virtual circle of family and community benefiting each other.
Have you heard of the old African proverb “the old woman looks after the child to grow its teeth and the young one in turn looks after the old woman when she loses her teeth” (Akan, Ghana)? Solidarity, unity, inter-communities, and family relationships among West Africans have been known for thousands of years. Family and community play an important role in traditional West African culture. The traditional value of family and community breeds the harmonic communal culture. West African values and culture is inherited amongst hundreds of generations. This paper analyzes the extended family and kinship system in West Africa, the values of the community and the relationship between family and community.
Family and Kinship System …show more content…
In the traditional society, the father of the family has the biggest authority, his wife or wives come next in authority (depending on the born of the first son). The West African family place an important aspect on children, because they think children ensure the continuity through the family inheritance. The inheritance system in West African families ensures the senior son of the family automatically assumes control of the family’s property. People in the extended family share responsibilities and support each other, which creates harmony and autonomy within the extended family. The West African family and kinship system are like bricks, whereas the community can be seen as the wall. The family system is the foundation needed in building the wall of community in the traditional …show more content…
The communities are made up of multiple extended families, and these extended families contribute to the community in every form of community services. According to Macaulay, the relationship between individuals recognizes their worth as human beings and not only what they possess or what they can do for each other, even though these can come as later or secondary considerations in terms of reciprocity and in terms of interpersonal relationship (Macaulay, p153). The cultural of “living together” and sense of “community of brothers and sisters” allows family members to share and live with each other with peace. The communalism of West Africans ensures individual families’ responsibility within a communal ownerships and relationship in the community. As we know, the relationship within the family is extremely close because of our consanguineous body. Hence, it’s easier to get unity and solidarity from the community, since the extended families make up the community. Each family member contributes to the community with his/her own responsibility, which makes the community stronger and more reliable for people living in the community. On the other hand, the community provides help and care for each of the family members, which creates the virtual circle of family and community benefiting each other.