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QUESTION: Discuss why marriage was a mandatory in the African Traditional Societies
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A form of marriage has been found to exist in all human societies, past and present. Its
importance can be seen in the elaborate rituals and complex laws that surround it. Although these
laws and rituals are as varied and numerous as human cultural organizations are, there are some
universals that do apply in each society. The legal function of marriage is to ensure the sexual
rights of the partners with respect to each other and to define the relationships of children within a
community.
her to the various privileges set down by the traditions of a particular community, which includes
the rights of legitimate participation in the activities of the kindred, ownership and inheritance of
properties and privileges accruing to the family lineage. In most societies, marriage establishes the
permissible social relations allowed to bona fide members, including the acceptable selection of
future spouses.
Until the late 20th Century, marriage was rarely a matter of free choice. In Western
societies, romantic love between spouses came to be associated with marriage, but in most other
developing nations of the world, this was not the primary motive for the choice of spouses in
matrimony. One's marriage partner was carefully chosen. In Igbo land for example, many norms
Endogamy, the practice of marrying someone from within one's own ethnic group is the
oldest social regulation of marriage. When the forms of communication with outside groups are
limited, endogamous marriage is a natural consequence. Cultural pressures to marry within one's
social, economic, and ethnic group are still very strongly enforced in some societies in Nigeria and
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Exogamy, the practice of marrying outside the group, is found in societies in which kinship
relations are the most complex, thus barring from marriage, large groups who may trace their
lineage to a common ancestor. Once there is any blood relationship, the engagement is cancelled.
This is where the Igbo surpasses other ethnic groups in enforcing pre-marital genetical counselling.
Marriage in African culture, from North to South, East to West is hands-down one of the
most significant rites of passage. It is the most celebrated ceremony in all African cultures. African
weddings are a spiritual and social family affair and involve the combining of two lives, two
families, and even two communities! There is no great civilization that has ever existed that
Marriage is sacred in Africa and beyond, because it solidifies relationship that enrich
communities and nations by bring forth new life and new hope. African cultures celebrate the
coming of the rains, the first harvest and the birth of a child. Marriage is that cultural process which
ushers in new life. It is a cherished and most celebrated rite of passage since the dawn of African
civilization. But marriage is not a human right: Human rights don’t need licenses or certificates.
Marriage is instead a privilege afforded by communities, between man and woman for those who
Marriage is the only known incubator for the raising of balanced socially functional
children. It is a civilized union of man and woman. The ideal setup for a child to be raised into full
complementary relationship between male and female energies, enshrining in the child sentiments
and values from both sexes. This is the formula which is secured with marriage.
Extended family systems sits in this equation by sharing responsibilities and enshrining
balance. Even if a woman is unable to contribute by having her own biological children her role
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as a mother is expressed in a communal set up. And hence why the Pan-African proverb of it takes
a village to raise a child. Parenting is communal, and the harmony of male and female energies are
In all the communities the bride plays a very special role and is treated with respect because
she is a link between the unborn and the ancestors. A bride might eventually bear a very powerful
child. Women are mothers of civilization which earns them a high status in society, thus protecting
And if a people cannot get the man and the woman into equitable agreement and
commitment– then what about the nation, and the continent? In a good marriage means partners
compliments each other, and makes both parties better. Marriage is a journey through life which
enhances and enriching entire communities. Marriage promotes sharing, tolerance, consideration,
empathy, selflessness, and other virtues. Lack of marriage is the death of a nation and a people.
Communities that fail to recognize marriage become decadent and self-destructive with a range of
Conclusion
In our traditional societies in which the African extended family system remains the basic
unit, marriages are usually arranged by elders in each concerned family unit. The assumption is
that love between the partners comes after marriage and more thought is given to the
socioeconomic advantages accruing to the larger family from the marriage than romantic love. By
contrast, in modern societies that have accepted western lifestyles where Christianity and nuclear
family predominates, educated young adults now opt to choose their own mates. It is assumed that
love determines proper marriage, and less thought is normally given to the socioeconomic aspects
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of the match. However, this has increased divorce rates due to misconceptions of the traditional
values attached to the pre-literate marriage customs that ensured the longevity of marriages.
References
Caldwell, J. C., & Caldwell, P. (1987). The cultural context of high fertility in sub-Saharan
Diamond, J. (2012). The world until yesterday: What can we learn from traditional societies?.
Penguin.
Meekers, D. (1992). The process of marriage in African societies: A multiple indicator approach.
Ukaegbu, A. O. (1976). The role of traditional marriage habits in population growth: the case of