INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL STUDIES

Culture refers to the whole way of life of a group of people. It is also the sum total of behavior that people have learned over a period of time and defines ways by which people do things.

 

COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

1. Language

• Language is the most obvious difference between cultures. It defines a cultural group even though the same language may be used in different countries.
• Language includes unspoken language such as gestures, which mean different things in different languages

 

2. Religion

• Religion is a major cultural component and religious taboos, customs, holidays and rituals dictate the behavior of a given society.
• For example, Hindus do not drink beverages and can only eat meat slaughtered in a certain way called “Halal” because of religion

 

3. Values and attitudes

• These are a society’s belief system as well as a society’s heart and they are the least likely to change.
• They change very slowly and a society’s belief system guides its attitude to what is considered right and wrong and it is the basis of a society’s way of life.
• Most belief systems are based on society’s central religion

 

4. Education

• Education is an important part of culture since culture is learned behavior.
• There are three types of learning that take place in society. The first type is informal learning in which a child learns by imitating the behavior of its family members, friends, or in homes where there is a T.V the characters portrayed in the films.
• The other type is formal learning in which adults and older siblings teach young family members how to behave in certain situations.
• The third type of learning is technical learning in which teachers instruct the child in an educational environment about what should be done, how to it should be done, and why it should be done.

 

5. Social organization:

• This is the way a society organizes itself. It relates to how a society defines relationships, social institutions such as marriages and status system such as the role of women and children

 

6. Technological and Material culture:

• These refer to society‘s ability to create, design, and use things. Technology and material culture relate to the way society organizes its economic activities.

 

7. Law and Politics:

• These are rules and structures that regulate the behavior of society. The legal rules attract punishment when contravened.
• The laws protect members of society to live in peace, free from fear and inhuman treatment

 

8. Aesthetics

• Society’s perception of what is considered beautiful in art and in persons. It dictates what is acceptable or appealing in that culture.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

Culture is dynamic:

• This means that culture is not constant as it is always evolving and changing. Change in technology is easily accepted rather than a change in the value system of society.
• For example, the use of cell phones has been accepted as part of the Zambian way of life and yet these were not there until the mid-1990s

1. Culture is learned:

• It is passed on from generation to generation. It is taught to an individual by the society in which the individual is born in.
• The way to speak, what to eat, how to heat, how to relate to others, what to believe in is taught.

 

2. Culture is cumulative:

• Every human generation can discover new things and invent better technologies that become part of the culture.
• The new cultural skills and knowledge are added to what is learned in previous generations.

 

3. Cultural is comprehensive:

• It is the sum total of a society’s way of life, therefore it is comprehensive as it requires various aspects which give meaning to life.

 

4. Culture is shared :

• The members of a culture share a set of ‘ideals, values, and standards of behavior” and this set of shared ideals is what gives meaning to their lives, and what bonds them together as a culture

 

5. Culture is based on symbols.

• In order for a culture to be transmitted successfully from one generation to the next, a system of symbols is created and translates the ideals of the Culture to its members.
• This is accomplished through language, art, religion, and money.

 

6. Culture is integrated:

• This means that culture must be integrated in order for it to be transmitted successfully from one person to another.

 

7. People are not usually aware of their culture until they come into contact with other culture:

• This means that people are unaware of their culture because they are so close to it to know it so well.

 

8. People do not know all their culture:

• No one knows everything about his or her own culture.

 

9. Culture gives a society a range of permissible behavior patterns.

• Culture commonly allows a range of ways in which men can be men and women can be women.
• Culture also tells people of how different activities should be conducted such as how one should act as a husband, wife parent, etc

 

10. Cultures no longer exists in isolation:

• Even small out of the way ethnic societies are now being integrated to some extent into the global economy.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE

• Culture contributes to re-enforcing of one’s identity and the ability to critically reflect on that identity.
• Cultural heritage is understood to mean archives, pieces of art, and places of worshipped monuments.
• No development without culture. If culture is interpreted as a whole of beliefs, habits, and customs of a society, hence, culture is the foundation that supports every development.
• The status of culture has evolved dramatically since the adoption of Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which affirmed, for the first time.
• All around the world, the intrinsic virtues and the impact of culture on an individual and community development are being questioned, studied, measured, and hopefully, rediscovered.

 

TYPES OF CULTURE

 

1. MASS CULTURE.

• This is the culture produced from machines and consumed on a large scale, for example, the recording industry, television, or video cassettes.
• It is spread through electronic media and other high technology.

 

2. POPULAR CULTURE

• This is the culture that is a product of changing needs and innovations in people’s lifestyles.
• It is usually in high demand especially from the youth who have new music, fashion other products in the field of entertainment.

 

3. FOLK CULTURE

• It is also referred to as residual culture that is, remains of the past. An example of folk culture was the program of folk music which the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation [ZNBC] played some time back

 

4. IDEAL CULTURE:

• It refers to some kind of dreams and aspirations of where a given people would wish to be.
• Every society views itself in a positive way and has the highest virtues and standards by which it appears to be.

 

5. REAL CULTURE

• This refers to the actual behavior of people in society such as sleeping at a funeral house until the day of burial.

6. SUBCULTURE PEOPLE

• A subculture is a way of life or behaving which a small group of people belonging to the same culture may portray.
• It may arise because of different occupations in society which results in differences in power and prestige

 

7. COUNTER CULTURE

• This represents behavioral patterns, activities or styles of life portrayed by a group of individuals who are generally opposed to the generally accepted standard of behavior.
• Such individuals may refuse to submit to the ways that things are expected to be done and they may develop their own lifestyles.

 

8. CULTURAL HETEROGENEITY

• This refers to a society that contains a variety of groups of different races, beliefs, religions and nationalities.
• The republic of South Africa is a good example. Cultural heterogeneity promotes cultural pluralism, which recognizes and respects the contributions of various cultures to the whole society.

 

9. CULTURAL HOMOGENIETY

• This refers to a common culture of people of a similar race, beliefs, religion, and nationality. For example, North African countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya etc. that have more than 90% of the people of the same race, share the same religion and nationality may be classified as homogenous.

 

ZAMBIA’S SOCIETAL CORE VALUES

• Every cultural group has core values that provide a standard measurement by which it is regarded.
• The word core means Centre and value means the quality of being useful. Core values are shared values that are cherished in any society.

 

ZAMBIA’S CORE SOCIETAL VALUES

1. OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY

• Authority is power invested in a group or an individual who is responsible for other people or manages institutions.
• Persons with authority include civic, political, school, church, police, family, and peer group leaders.

 

2. TOLERANCE

It is the quality of allowing opinions, beliefs, customs, and behavior of other people to also prevail even when one is not in agreement with them.

 

3. MUTUAL RESPECT

This is the value of treating each other with consideration. Mutual respect also works on the idea that if one does not respect other people, that person will not be respected.

 

4. RESPECT FOR PRIVACY

Every person requires time to be on his or her own, away from others. Privacy also has to do with keeping private, information a person does not want to reveal.

 

5. HONESTY

Honesty is the quality of telling the truth, not cheating and not stealing. It is a quality of being trustworthy and straightforward.

 

6. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

It is the right of a person to be heard as long as what they are saying is within the law.

7. INTEGRITY

This is the quality of being honest and morally upright. It goes beyond just being honest as it includes all qualities of goodness.

 

8. COMMITMENT TO THE DEMOCRATIC RESOLUTIONS OF DISPUTES

It is the recognition that sorting out tension, disputes, and differences is best done through dialogue and the acceptance of the majority’s view.

It is a commitment to peaceful resolutions of any form of conflict.

 

9. RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility means doing what one is expected to do without being told, supervised or forced.

 

10. SOCIAL JUSTICE

This is treating everyone in the community fairly.

 

11. COOPERATION

It is working together for the common good of everyone in the community.

 

12. LOVE

Love is the quality of goodwill towards every person. It is a warm kind of feeling and fondness to other human beings.

 

 13.PEACE

This is freedom from stress and physical threat to ones’ wellbeing including war, captivity, and confinement.

 

14. LOYALTY

Loyalty is the faithfulness and truthfulness to people, groups, or organizations that one is a member of.

 

15. TRUST

Is the confidence, belief in the goodness, strength and reliability of oneself and others

 

16. ATTAINMENT OF SET GOALS

This is personal undertaking in whatever one is undertaking.

17. HARD WORK

This is the ability to accomplish difficult tasks as opposed to idleness.

 

18. NATIONALISM

This is a feeling of oneness by a group of people with the same origin and culture.

 

19. PATRIOTISM

This is loving one’s country and willing to sacrifice for its well-being.

 

20. SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT

This is a belief in science and technology as tools to make progress and improvements in one’s social and income problems.

 

CULTURAL PRACTICES IN ZAMBIA

 

1. Respect for Elders

• This is a belief that anyone elder than oneself should be accorded respect in speech and treatment regardless of status, race or blood relationship.
• Elderly people are referred to as father or mother or grandmother of grandfather.

 

2. Extended Family System

• This is the family system that not embraces the nuclear family but also uncles, cousins, aunties, in-laws, nephews, and nieces.
• In Zambia, the term ‘Mother’ is extended to one’s ‘mothers’ sisters and ‘father’ to one’s ‘father’s brothers

3. Rites of Passage

• These are rituals that one undergoes to mark important changes in a person’s position in society.
• These rites of passage include rituals such as the naming of a newborn, initiation, marriage, death, and after-death ceremonies.eg IsamboLyamfwa is a ceremony performed after death.

 

4. Traditional Ceremonies

• Many traditional ceremonies are held to commemorate past events. Other functions of traditional ceremonies include;
• Expressing, reflecting, and reinforcing cultural relationships and values.
• Observing certain rituals
• Connection to the ancestors
• Assertion of local traditional leadership.
• Reconciling inter-group conflicts.
• Celebrating past war victories.
• Harvest ceremonies.
• Religious festivals.
• Ceremonies which move the rhythm of nature such as the rising of the new moon, flooding cycles such as the Kuomboka Ceremony.

 

COMMON PUBLIC CEREMONIES IN ZAMBIA

• Kuomboka Ceremony of the Lozi people.
• Umutomboko Ceremony of the Lunda people of Luapula.
• Ukusefya pa Ng’wena ceremony of the Bemba people
• Kumba ceremony of the Nsenga people.
• Chimurenga ceremony of the Ila people.
• Nc’wala ceremony of the Ngoni people.
• LikumbiLya Mize ceremony of the Luvale people.
• Malaika ceremony of the Kunda people.
• KulambaKubwalo ceremony of the Lenje people

Traditional Attires

• Some Zambian cultures display unique styles of dressing. These include the Lozi, men wear a Siziba (Kilt) while women wear a Musisi.
• The Chewa’sNyau dancers also exhibit different attire from the LuvaleLikishi dancers.

 

The Arts

• Art is expressed in dance, music, paintings, folklore, crafts, etc. Zambians have songs and dances for most occasions. Even most Zambian paintings depict real-life situations.

 

Hospitality

• Traditionally, Zambians are hospitable people because welcoming people and visitors is a very important Zambian societal value and is cherished and practiced.

 

APPRECIATION OF THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN ZAMBIA

• Zambia can be classified as having a broad homogeneous culture, in terms of race and religion. But there exists a variety of ethnic diversity in terms of language, traditions, and customs that give it a heterogeneous characteristic.
• Therefore, in appreciating the cultural diversity that exists in Zambia, people should be mindful of the following aspects that have a bearing on cultural diversity.

 

STEREOTYPING

• This is when one makes an opinion on another purely on the basis of a group membership.eg regarding all females as weak or all young people as irresponsible

 

PREJUDICE.

• Prejudice is an irrational, illogical hatred and suspicion of a particular group, which can be based on gender, age, ethnicity, religion, place of residence or occupation. Stereotyping and Prejudice lead to discrimination.

 

ETHNOCENTRISM

• This is the belief that one’s own culture is the best and judging other people's culture by its standard. People tend to view the customs of others in the light of their own beliefs and values.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

• This means the absence of direct and indirect discrimination in all areas of life.
• It is also a deliberate attempt to view the world as seen by members of other societies.
• It is based on the belief that each group’s way of life is logical to that group’s response to survival issues.

 

Assimilation is a situation when people from minority groups and different classes of society are accepted in major social institutions.

 

Amalgamation is a process of blending minority and majority groups through social bonding such as marriage.

 

PROMOTION OF ZAMBIA’S CULTURAL PRACTICES

 Zambia’s cultural heritage

• Zambia’s cultural heritage includes both tangible and intangible works of artists, architects, musicians, scientists, and writers.
• These works are demonstrated through languages, rites, beliefs, historic sites, monuments, literature and works of art, archives, and libraries.

 

 Culture and democracy

• The enshrinement of an individual’s culture, traditions, customs, and language in the national constitution reinforces Zambia’s signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Articles 27.
• This is because democratic practices without the effective exercise of cultural rights promote true democracy.

 

INSTITUTIONS THAT PRESERVE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN ZAMBIA

 MUSEUMS

• These are administered by the National Museums Board and are responsible for:
• Collection of artifacts.
• Restoration of artifacts.
• Display of artifacts of historical, cultural, scientific, technological, and economic significance to the nation.

 

 The national heritage conservation commission

• It administers immovable heritage such as sites and monuments.
• Its headquarters are in Livingstone and in Livingstone and it has offices in Kasama, Solwezi, and Lusaka.

 

  National arts council

• It promotes artistic and intellectual creativity and Art Education.
• It recognizes that freedom of opinion and expression is essential for reactive activities of artists and intellectuals alike.

 

 INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL COOPERATION

• It is done through International Cultural Exchanges and encounters.
• This contributes to the promotion of global peace, respect, mutual understanding, and cooperation.
• Zambia is a member of the following multilateral Cultural Organizations:

1. World Crafts Council [WCC]
2. International Council of Museums [ICOM]

• International Theater Institute [ITI]

1. Southern African Development Community [SADC]
2. International Centre for Bantu Civilization [CICIBA]
3. World Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO]

 

 ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN ZAMBIA

• The Cultural Sector cuts across a number of line government ministers, which has affected effective communication for the efficient running of cultural affairs.
• Such ministries include:
• The Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health[ Department of Cultural Services/ National Arts Council of Zambia
• Ministry of Home Affairs[ National Archives
• Ministry of General Education[ Training of artists in Colleges
• Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, Administration of Chiefs’ Affairs and Traditions

 

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1.Culture diversity in Zambia has resulted in ethnic grouping which celebrates traditional ceremonies:

1. What is cultural diversity?
2. Mention any three cultural practices in Zambia

• Why are traditional ceremonies important? State five reasons.

2. Outline the components of culture.
3. Identify institutions that preserve cultural heritage in Zambia.
4. With clear examples identify factors that affect the appreciation of cultural diversity in Zambia.
5. Discuss the characteristic of culture.
6. List down the societal core valves and explain each one of them.
7. Give reasons why culture is important.
8. Mention six common cultural practices in Zambia.
9. Discuss global culture.
10. Identify institutions that preserve cultural heritage in Zambia.