Family’s Heritage of Liberian Family

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Work cited

Introduction

Liberia is a country which is in the western side of the coast of Africa. Liberia is a country that had its independence early in the 18th century in 1847 and is considered as one of the oldest countries in Africa in the acquiring of independence. Most of the inhabitants in Liberia are settlers and descendants of the region. The region is comprised of about sixteen ethnic linguistic groups which are usually referred to as the Niger-Congo family (Ayodeji, p64). There is the Mela group which is compromised of the Kissi and Gola and they are considered the oldest in the region. Other groups include the Mande group who are comprised of the Vai, Gbandi, kpelle, Lorna, Mende, mano and gio. From the time of colonization there lacked a difference between the colonized and the colonizers especially when the indigenous groups started adopting the behavior of the colonizers. There was great integration between the colonizers and the indigenous people and this gave rise to the American-Liberian generation. This group has since dominated the structure of the government and also the activities of the economy in Liberia.

Main body

The most common spoken language among the Liberians is English. Most of the National symbols are reflective of the American culture. This includes the national flag, the language among other activities within the economy. Most of the indigenous people have adopted the culture of the Americans and this has been passed over from generation to generation. This led to most indigenous people to forget about their tribes of origin and incorporate their lives into the western culture. Even though most individuals speak English, the society is basically bilingual and the ethnic groups will speak other languages including French. Other tribes such as the Bassa and the Vai tribes had developed their own vowels, alphabets and had come up with written language before the white came to settle in the region. They were actually among the first black communities to develop their own language (Carrie, p35).

The society is divided into social classes. There is the minority class which is comprised of the American settlers and the indigenous majority. The settlers comprise of both the rich and the poor people. The indigenous people have been in existence since the 19^th century and they are divided into the civilized and the natives. These disparities have been brought up due to the differences in education. Education in the region mainly originated from the missionaries in Liberia who introduced the mission education. The civilized people are more involved with cash matters than the natives. They therefore distinguish themselves from the main economic activities such as the subsistence farming. The women of the civilized communities are usually noticed by their mode of dressing (McPherson, p43). Most of them have adopted the western mode of dressing. Their houses are also furnished in the western styles. The native women on the other hand dress in two pieces of cloth which are normally referred to as lappa. They are normally referred to as the lappa women.

The Liberians staple food is rice. Their meals are normally comprised of carbohydrates. The meals are usually accompanied by sauces. Such sauces are made using fish and meat which is not considered as a part of the main meal. The Liberian families usually start their day with the left over foods of the previous day in addition to some boiled cassavas. Most meals are usually taken during mid- day and also during the evenings. Other foods that are usually taken by the Liberians include fruits such as the bananas, mangoes, sugarcane, coconut among others which are normally consumed any time of the day (McPherson, p51).Their main economic activity is farming where they normally farm rice using the slash and burn method. The farming activities normally involve the labor of all the family members. The men are usually responsible of cutting the forests and burning the bushes. The women and the children then take the role of planting, weeding and harvesting. Rice is not only considered as a staple food but it is also used in other ceremonial activities. Such ceremonial activities include giving offering to the people who died in the recent past, ancestors and also requesting favors from the seniors.

The division of land in country is usually based on the descendants from the paternal side. Both men and women have the right to use land as long as it originated from their forefathers. The land is normally used in periods of seven years due to the nature of the farming in the region. This means that once food is harvested, the land is given a period of around seven years to rest in order to regain its fertility. Such kind of farming has demanded for large tracks of land for farming and it is only suitable when no large populations exists (Claude, p107). The food that is produced is only enough to cater for the families and therefore not involved with a lot of trading. In the division of labor, the women are normally considered as the home makers and they are also given the role of nurturing the children. The labor of women is given high value due to the bride price that is paid for them during marriage. Such kind of system has led to a lot of exploitation for women just because dowry was paid for them. Among the civilized women, they perform the white collar jobs while the native women are the ones involved with the agricultural activities. Other activities that are normally done by women include the fetching of water and also firewood for fuel. The women’s role within the society is basically defined as a productive role while the men are assigned the role of warriors.

The marriage institution is normally polygamous. Most men will have more than one wife. Traditionally the wife is the one who moves from her family and joins the husband’s family. Forced marriages are also common among the Liberians (Carrie, p42). The children belong to the man as long as he paid bride price for the woman irrespective of the biological father. Such bride price is normally paid over a long period of time and most marriages are considered not complete without the children. Children are considered very important in a marriage since they are a source of labor for the family. They are also expected to support their families during their old age. They usually start training to work at very tender ages and learning is by observation and imitating what the others are doing.

Education for children was not highly valued in the past and getting higher education was not considered as important. This however changed when the civilized families started taking their children abroad for further studies. For the Christian families the monogamous marriages are usually valued. The families are however close knit with most family members taking care of their extended families. The children are usually named based on the American- Liberian names. The names that exist are usually a mix of the African and the American names. Due to the polygamous nature of the marriages, conflict is very common especially among the co-wives. Over the years, the marriage institution has been changing especially as women become more economically empowered. Some of them have worked very hard to repay the bride price that was paid for them in order to free themselves from the abusive marriages (Thomas, p29).

Social problems and conflicts are normally solved using the judicial systems that are set within the society. These systems are however considered to be duplicating power amongst the few courts that exist. The Muslim family solves their disputes in the Imam courts. Previously the traditional methods normally referred punishment by ordeal existed. Some communities still believe in this kind of punishment. The punishment itself involves passing the culprits through hot knives or hot oil. In some cases the individuals are forced to take poison which is normally made from the barks of a tree. If one is innocent they just vomit the poison and they survive but if one is guilty they die from the effects of the poison. Religion is considered very important among the Liberians culture. Various denominations exist the most common being Christianity and Islam. About 20% of the population are Christians, another 20% to 30 % are Muslims while the rest of the individuals usually practice the indigenous beliefs (Stephen, p77). Witchcraft is also present among the population.

Socially, the Liberians are considered to be very friendly. Use of gestures is especially commonly used in communication. However the gestures must be very polite. For example the use of fingers in pointing somebody are considered to be polite if they are used four fingers or the whole hand as opposed to the use of a single finger to point at somebody. Liberians are considered very poor in matters of time keeping. They are not very keen about keeping time. A meeting or an event is just fine if it starts like half an hour later than the scheduled time. The children are also considered not to be very polite to their elders. Such situations may actually turn out to be very violent. This is especially seen if they are confronted in front of their peers. It is therefore considered better to solve issues indoors since they are more likely to respond well than when they are in public. The girls are however considered much calm owing to their gender. On getting annoyed they usually withdraw quietly. They also seem to appreciate any help offered to them better than the male gender (Ayodeji, p67).

Liberian culture is normally referred to as the troupe. It comprises of songs and dances that enhance the traditional heritage of the country. President Tolbert was the initiator of the Liberian culture and national arts. Other forms of culture have included the poetry which is highly enhanced. This is accompanied by a lot of literature which has its origins after Liberian independence. Some of the early poetry of the 19^th century includes the Love of Ebony whose author is Charles Cooper. Other poetry writers include R. Tombekai and also Dempster who was the first poet in the country to present poetry in the anthology of Africa. The culture of the Liberians is also comprised of music (Arthur, p49). This music is basically traditional music which is normally referred to as folk music. The music is performed in occasions such as naming ceremonies, weddings and other special events and occasions.

Other songs include the work songs, lullabies and also children songs. Popular music which is very common in West Africa is also highly valued in Liberia. It has its origins in Ghana Liberia and also Sierra Leone during the period of 1950’s. The music was very common amongst the Kru people who were basically sailors. They practiced playing the banjo, guitar, harmonica, mandolin among others. Some of the most popular musicians include Morris Dorley, Yatta Zoe, Princess Hawa daisy moore among others. Over the years music has taken a new course as the Liberians have composed their own English and local songs. Other modes of culture within the Liberian family include weaving and drumming. Drums were common as a sign of war and the sound of such drums are still heard from a distance. The most famous of all is the talking drums because of their nature of changing the sounds through tightening or loosening of the drum heads. Other tribes enhance their music using the horns Rattles and also bells (Verna, p40).

Preservation of the culture in the Liberian communities has been supported by the formation of groups such as the Poro and the Sande institutions. The Poro group was for men while the latter was meant for women. These groups have set norms, ceremonies among other rites which are aimed at teaching the young generations the culture of the community. They believe that teaching or passing of culture to the young maintains the relationship between the past and the present people. This helps to preserve their culture such as the folk music, the dances among other cultures which are continually performed amongst the communities. Sande group is also considered an important institution of helping the young people integrate and this helps to stabilize the structure of the society. Carving is also very prominent among the Liberians and it is upheld in the masking rituals of both sande and the Poro group (Cheryll, p114). The carvings are usually made of sap wood which is the most common carving material among the Liberians. Other woods that are used for carving include the hard woods from cam wood, ebony, walnut and mahogany. Other materials that are used in carving include the soap carvings and the clay carvings that are common among the Kissi community.

The Liberians value family life. They rarely live alone and most of them consider the immediate and the extended family as part of the main family. They however have their own houses. They also value the roles of the family which are divided according to gender. The women normally hold on to their duties of childcare and house hold duties. The men on the other hand consider themselves the breadwinners in the family and the sole decision makers. Women are subordinate to men and they can never be considered as an equal to men (Cheryll, p118). Men are encouraged to shun away from female duties especially the kitchen. The kitchen is considered a female domain and men are encouraged to avoid it. Liberians also value the elderly in the community. The old people are considered the source of wisdom in the community and when they grow old they are normally taken care of by their families. It is rare to find homes for the aged in Liberia. They also value large families and thus polygamy. They get a lot of children who are considered a source of labor for the family. Homo sexuality is illegal in Liberia and the society harshly rebukes those involved in such behaviors.

Most of them are punished for bringing shame to the family. In marriage, dowry is an important part of the marriage negotiations and men usually pay the dowry to the bride’s parents. Some communities and ethic groups value the female circumcision which they consider to be very important as a right of passage to become a woman (Ayodeji, p73). They consider the female circumcision as important in keeping women clean and reducing their sexual urge to remain faithful to their husbands. Education is also considered important especially the informal type of education. In the informal education the girls are taught how to care for the children, perform the household duties and also cooking skills. The boys on the other hand are taught the farming and also the community skills. Children discipline is also an important part of the community. The children can be punished by any body that is outside the family. Physical beating is considered acceptable in Liberia. In extreme cases, whipping and beating is part of the discipline. In health matters, the Liberians value the traditional medicine more than the modern methods. Most of them actually seek the traditional medicine before they can consult a doctor in the hospitals (Carrie, p78). Some illnesses such as mental health are considered a shame in the family. It is an unacceptable disease in the community and it is actually referred to as a sign of weakness in the community.

In conclusion, Liberians have taken a great initiative to preserve their culture which has over the years developed from the influence of the white settlers from the U.S. The culture from all the communities is especially enhanced on the media and they are devoted to preserve their culture. There is also a great interest that has developed between the communities to learn the cultures of other people. Preserving their culture is one of their duties and pride. The local people today best express themselves by the use of their culture such as the songs and dances. Each tribe has its own way of performing their dances and songs. Many of their cultural works are displayed in the national museums (Ayodeji, p75)

Work cited

Arthur Alberts. Songs of the African Coast: Cafe Music of Liberia. Sage publication, 2007, p47-58.

Ayodeji Olukoju. Culture and customs of Liberia. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, 64-76.

Carrie E Kimmel.Culture affairs and tourism. Ministry of information Liberia, 1979, p33-87.

Catherine Reef. The American Settlers and the culture of Liberia Clarion Publishers, 2002, p63-94.

Claude A. III Clegg. African Americans and the Making of Liberia. The University of North Carolina Press, 2003, p104-137.

Cheryll Ann Cody. The Liberian People and Their African Heritage. Journal of Southern History, 2001, p97-122.

J.H.T. McPherson. History of Liberia. McGraw hill publishers, 2008, p42-76.

Stephen Ellis. The Mask of Anarchy: The culture of Liberia and the Religious Dimension. New York University Press, 2001, p75-89.

Thomas Streissguth. The Liberian family heritage. Twenty-First Century Books, 2006, p24-47.

Verna Aardema. Tales from Liberia. Prentice hall, 2003, p21-43.

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Family’s Heritage of Liberian Family

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