A village chief in a
matrilineal society
was succeeded by his sister’s son, not his own. But many West Africans lived in stateless societies with no government other than that provided by extended families and lineages. … Elders in the extended family had great power over the economic and social lives of its members.
Visual Representation of the West Africa Caste System showing Clerics and Kings on the top of the hierarchy, Farmers and Warriors beneath them, Fishermen on the third layer, Weavers and Leatherworkers on the fourth layer and Smiths and Griots at the bottom layer.
How was African society structured?
Under the system called APARTHEID, social groups were
legally organized into a hierarchy
, with whites at the top, followed by Indians, “Coloureds” (people of mixed race), and Africans at the bottom of the social ladder.
What was the basic unit of village society in West Africa?
Families
were the basic group of village society. Extended families induded grandparents, aunts, undes, cousins, and their families. Extended families often had a male leader who served as a village chief. Sometimes, village chiefs formed a council of elders that led the village.
What is the most important structure in ancient West Africa society?
Probably the most famous class of structure in all Africa,
the Pyramids of Egypt
remain one of the world’s greatest early architectural achievements, regardless of practicality and origins in a funerary context.
The slaves
were the largest strata, one at the bottom among the Soninke like other West African ethnic groups, and constituted up to half of the population. The slaves among the Soninke people were hierarchically arranged into three strata.
Kinship, or connection based on family relationships, was very important to West African society. … Kinship is based on lineage and clan.
Lineages were large groups of people who were descended from the same ancestor
. Families with related lineages formed larger family groups called clans.
How were most communities in sub Saharan Africa organized?
One common social structure among ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa is
segmentary lineage organisation
. Segmentary lineage societies are characterised by the foremost importance of kin relationships in determining individuals’ social and political allegiances, as well as their patterns of residence.
How were early African societies organized?
In these societies, people were
divided into classes and had different rights according to gender
, a division known as social stratification. The government was often very centralized, usually around a single ruler, and controlled resources, trade, and the military.
What are the features of African society?
Characteristic cultural traits— such as
collective and legislative group festivals; poetry, hagiology, and historicity
; and the mobilization of labor for maintenance of the irrigation system—are assembled in a configuration of great continuity (J. Berque 1955).
What are your plans to develop your village?
- Identify people’s needs and priorities.
- Define activities that can mobilize the complete community.
- Use resources from running government schemes.
- Repair and renovate existing infrastructure.
- Strengthen the Gram Panchayat.
- Promote transparency and accountability.
What events brought West African civilization to the world’s attention in the 1300s?
What events brought West African civilization to the world’s attention in the 1300s?
Mansa Musa led a caravan on a hajj to Mecca
. His hajj brought world attention to Mali. Arabs and Europeans were impressed by Mali’s wealth and advancement.
What are the features of a village?
- Bases of social organization: …
- Group of people: …
- Definite locality: …
- Small size: …
- Importance of neighborhood: …
- Community sentiment: …
- Predominance of primary relations: …
- Joint family system:
How were West African families and villages organized?
By the early sixteenth century, most West Africans were farmers. They usu- ally lived in hamlets or villages composed
of extended families and clans called lineages
. Depending on the ethnic group involved, extended fami- lies and lineages were either patrilineal or matrilineal.
What were the most important characteristics of West African society and culture?
What were the key characteristics of West African society? West African societies varied in size from small kingdoms to large empires.
Most people lived by farming
, but there were also many skilled artisans. Religion and family ties were central to West African life.
What is West African society?
West African society was
one of the centers of civilization in the centuries leading up to the Atlantic slave trade
. The vibrant economy and culture in West African society were greatly affected by the slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade was not abolished by the United States until 1809.
What made cultural diffusion in West Africa possible?
As a result of
the gold and salt trade
, cultural diffusion also occurred. The arabic language and Islamic religion were also spread along these trade routes. … -Introduction of the camel in the Trans-Saharan trade boosted the amount of goods that could be transported.
The economy of West African villages depended on the work of families producing crops. Families formed
lineages and lineages formed villages
. Villages formed “ethnic groups” that shared a distinct culture, language, and identity.
Why were masks an important part of ancient West African culture?
Traditional African masks play an important role in certain traditional African rituals and ceremonies. … Some masks
represent the spirits of deceased ancestors
. Others symbolize totem animals, creatures important to a certain family or group.
What is the wealthiest country in Africa?
- Nigeria – $514.05 billion.
- Egypt – $394.28 billion.
- South Africa – $329.53 billion.
- Algeria – $151.46 billion.
- Morocco – $124 billion.
- Kenya – $106.04 billion.
- Ethiopia – $93.97 billion.
- Ghana – $74.26 billion.
In what ways were societies in West Africa shaped by the arrival of Islam?
Islam promoted trade between West Africa and the Mediterranean
. The religion developed and widened the trans-Saharan Caravan trade. The trade enriched the West African and the Muslim traders. Muslims from North Africa came in their numbers and settled in the commercial centres.
What is the key role of the kinship system in African society quizlet?
Kinship groups formed the government of many African societies. … Members of a kinship group
felt strong loyalty to each other
. Clan. Kinship groups with a common ancestor formed larger groups called clans.
How were lineage groups the basic building blocks of African society?
Basic building blocks of African society. All
members could claim to be descended from a real or legendary common ancestor
. Societies in which the descent is traced through the mother, was extremely common in Africa.
What are African societies?
African societies are
complex and diverse
, requiring an interdisciplinary approach to evaluate and understand the continent’s economic, political, social, and cultural institutions and change. … African societies have a philosophical worldview that is borne of the circumstance in which African peoples operate.
How did Africa’s geography shape its history and contribute to its diverse population?
The geography of Africa helped to shape the history and
development of the culture and civilizations of Ancient Africa
. The geography impacted where people could live, important trade resources such as gold and salt, and trade routes that helped different civilizations to interact and develop.
How did family ties shape life in early Africa?
– Explain : How did family ties shape life in early Africa? Men hunted and farmed while women cared for children, farmed, and collected firewood.
Extended families lived together often
. Loyalty to family helped them work together.
How did western culture influence African culture?
The western culture has influenced the
African culture in different domains
. … More so, marriage is a significant part of life in all African traditions as it bestows respect and is the context within which family lines are extended. This is one area where we see a substantial increase of western influence.
What is the significance of the study of African society?
Studying African history and politics gives us
a deeper understanding of world history and especially of current events
. … African Studies are important to students who want to understand their neighbors — and themselves. You become a better-informed global citizen when you study Africa.
Why is western culture better than African culture?
Among several reasons, political correctness aside, most likely western culture is better than African culture just simply based on survival principles:
African culture tend to be past-oriented
(the young are expected to devote their productive years caring for the now unproductive elder), while western culture is …
What are the early African societies?
Some notable pre-colonial states and societies in Africa include the
Ajuran Empire, Bachwezi Empire, D’mt, Adal Sultanate, Alodia, Warsangali Sultanate
, Buganda Kingdom, Kingdom of Nri, Nok culture, Mali Empire, Bono State, Songhai Empire, Benin Empire, Oyo Empire, Kingdom of Lunda (Punu-yaka), Ashanti Empire, Ghana …
How did slavery in the Americas affect African society quizlet?
How did slavery in the Americas affect African society?
Slave labor within Africa became more common, and violence between Africans increased
. To keep up with European demand, how did African slave traders enslave people? They took prisoners of war and raided villages.
What is a village society?
an early form of community organization in which land belonged to the village
, the arable land being allotted to the members or households of the community by more or less permanent arrangements and the waste or excess land remaining undivided.
Some of them are caste, kinship, family, marriage, religion, economy and polity. Found in urban societies as well, these institutions are very rigid in their functioning in the rural society. … The rural social structure includes
all these aspects in social, economic and political institutions
.
How are villages and towns depend on each other?
Different things are produced in different areas or regions. Therefore, every region
needs to get goods from other regions
. … Many goods reach villages from towns, and many other things reach towns from villages. In this way a town and a village become dependent on each other.
How is village life different from city life?
Village life is the representation of a rural lifestyle, whereas
city life represents an urban lifestyle
. … The air and water in the village is less polluted and the village has a cleaner environment, less noise, and fresh air compared to the cities. People in the villages are less busy than those in the big cities.
What economic development has made villages and towns?
Answer:
Growth
in rural areas and district towns will, in turn, fuel the growth in metro cities and help reverse the migration from villages. The recent reduction in corporate tax rate to encourage investments and attract foreign capital will take some time to show results. …
What would you do to develop the surrounding of your village?
- Maintain cleanliness to attract tourists.
- Take up certain initiatives for the development of the village or town.
- Educate the people and teach them.
- Collect certain funds to install new attractive things.
Which of the following statements most accurately describes the habitable part of West Africa?
What statement most accurately describes the habitable part of West Africa?
It is made up of grassland and rain forest
. What is an important difference between Homo habilis and Homo erectus?
How and why did states develop in Africa and change over time?
States in Africa
developed through connections between Asia and Europe
. The spread of Islam through trade routes connected to other countries expanded the diversity of Africa and the independence of communities. With no centralized authority, states were able to develop.
Which brought an end to the great West African empires?
The Kingdom of Songhay came to an end when
the Moroccans invaded
and conquered them. By 1600 CE, the days of the great kingdoms of West Africa were over.
What is the most important structure in ancient West Africa society?
Probably the most famous class of structure in all Africa,
the Pyramids of Egypt
remain one of the world’s greatest early architectural achievements, regardless of practicality and origins in a funerary context.
Families
were the basic group of village society.
