Morality and Community Behaviour in Africa

Hellen Sitawa,Daniel Lagat

doi:10.35544/jjeoshs.v5i1.40

Abstract

Societies that thrive are those that have mechanisms for enhancing moral values amongst their growing generations in a sustainable way. This study singled out traditional initiation rites as a mechanism used by the Bukusu people of Kenya to cultivate morality among the youth, with an intention of raising men that are morally upright, and who are able to provide leadership in a similar way. It was envisaged that observance of the lessons and principles given through the initiation process would be effective in sustaining morality and virtuousness in the community. This was an ethnographic study, where 20 participants were interviewed. They were accessed using snowball technique. This study operated with four objectives: (i) to find out how the process of initiation of boys into adulthood was fashioned to inculcate moral lessons; (ii) to explore how the nurture given during initiation process had been helpful in enhancing moral values among the ‘graduates’ of traditional initiation; (iii) to probe areas, if any, where traditional initiation rites resulted in immoral behaviour and why; and (iv) to explore whether the rites had been revised in light of available information in medicine, education, and religion. The study found that while traditional Bukusu initiation rites were designed to raise men that were morally upright and virtuous,and while the traditional process of initiation has been widely successful in the past, unfortunately, this study found that due to lapses in control mechanism of the process, traditional Bukusu rites have sometimes failed to produce ‘graduates’ that were morally upright and virtuous. This study concludes that, while the initiation process remains an important stage for inculcating good morals among the youth, checks and controls should be applied on the system, the process and the mentors, to make sure the purpose of the rites of initiation into adulthood are achieved. The study recommends that the checks and controls should be guided by available information in medicine, education and religion.

Highlights

In many societies in the world, various mechanisms have been put in place, to ensure that boys and girls are initiated into adulthood in a way that responsible living and moral values become the target objectives
In matters related to health, we found that Bukusu traditional initiation tried to remain unchanged, information related to spread of diseases such as Human Immune-Deficiency Virus (HIV) had resulted in the use of one knife per initiate; unlike in the past, where one circumcision knife was used for all the candidates (Wanyama, 2005).It was evident in the year 2020, that in wake of COVID-19 pandemic, where health protocols required keeping social distance between people, circumcision practice among the Luhya community was redesigned, to make sure that the initiates and other people would be safe
This study concludes that, while the initiation process remains an important stage for inculcating good morals among the youth, checks and controls should be applied on the system, the process and the mentors, to make sure the purpose of the rites of initiation into adulthood are achieved

Summary

Introduction

The strength of any society lies in its capacity to raise people that are morally upright, and who demonstrate proper values that promote human development. In many societies in the world, various mechanisms have been put in place, to ensure that boys and girls are initiated into adulthood in a way that responsible living and moral values become the target objectives. Bukusu man was prepared for the roles he would take as an adult man, related to responsible living, leadership, parenting, and husband roles. This preparation took place in the initiation stage, where boys were given a lot of induction and mentorship. The current trend of degradation of social ethics, puts into question the kind of mentorship program that the initiates have received in the recent past

Methods

Results

Conclusion