Term Paper on Cultures of Africa - World View
The Different Culture of Africa
African cultures are wide and diverse. Each one characterized by its own
culture, language, traditions, and artistic forms. The African culture is full
of rich histories, philosophies, religions, and societies of the inhabitants of
this vast continent. Being the largest continent of the world, Africa’s unique
cultures are quite different from those of America’s. These differences are more
towards the nature of religious and traditions and the beliefs on rituals and
myths. African history is littered with slavery and isolation. The Arab traders
and those from the East have had more influence on the cultural formation of
Africa than the Western countries.
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In African culture, women are generally depicted as mothers nursing their young
ones and as housewives. Men, on the other hand, are often presented both as
elders the traditional community leaders and as successful warriors appearing on
horseback or with armaments. This is one of the basic contrasts between the
cultures of Africa and America. The religions of Africa as in other areas of the
world provide a way of life or belief based on the individuals’ ultimate
relation to the universe or God. Viewed from the perspective of religion as
faith in a divinely created order of the world, there are many differences
between the Africans and the Americas. The African culture has more myths and
rituals prevalent in its culture and traditions than anywhere else in the world.
Even today one can find huge number of spiritual sacrifices in Africa and black
magiz more practiced than anywhere else.
The main reason for the African differences is the primitive religion it has.
The consciousness that a primitive religious practice and knowledge provides is
lost in the Western civilization especially in America. The acts as originated
from the religious beliefs are more consciously done in African than in other
areas due to the still primitive conditions prevalent there. The main feature of
primitive religious consciousness of African blacks is the absence of any sharp
boundary between the spiritual and the natural world, and thus between the human
mind or ego and the surrounding world. Africans treat their world around from
spiritual point of view.
For example, genitals have played a very important role in the beliefs of
primitive Africans. Women still sit on artificial large stone made male organ
and touch its genitals in order to be come mothers. Genitals are thought to be a
sign of power in most African countries. There are many rituals related to women
genitals and any removal of genitals would be viewed as removal from life and
power itself. Rituals are defined as the art forms expressing and celebrating
humanity's meaningful participation in the affairs of the universe and the gods.
And genitals as well as other human organs have always played important roles in
carrying out these rituals.
AFRICAN WOMEN’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE REMOVAL OF GENITALS
Genitals are the usual area of contact in sexual exchanges. Removal of genitals
to avoid such diseases include syphilis, crab lice and vaginal infection caused
by the Hemophilus bacterium, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, lymphogranuloma
venereum, and granuloma inguinale is made necessary but clashes with the
religious and ritual beliefs of the Africans. The more cases of AIDS in Africa
shows the corruption of its culture and the powers of rituals since they result
or are achieved through the sexual activities.
Genitals are usually removed from either the prevention or cure of a venereal
disease or to be able to have safe sex without perceiving child. Venereal
diseases are also called sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. These are
infectious diseases that can be spread by sexual contact. South Africa is the
foremost in the number of sexual activities its people are involved in and has
the record of having most of the AID cases. There are a great number of people
who have genital diseases in most of the Africa. Any removal of genitals from
their body is considered by most African women as a clash between their
ritualistic and religious beliefs as well as their past traditions. Venereal
infections starting at the external genitalia can seep into the internal
genitals. African women do not realize that it is the infection spread and the
resultant diseases of gonorrhea and chlamydial urethritis that cause the
infertility among women. The differences in the cultures can also be seen by the
fact that the Africans are more reluctant to use control devices. They prefer
birth control pills and diaphragms over the usage of condoms.
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