Amity global business school, 3rd sem cchrm

assignment

Study of Culture in
any African country
Country chosen - Kenya
Ankita Paul, Avinash Kaur, Kusam Saini, Kalyan Anand,
Ritesh Meena

2010

submitted to - chitra mam

 KENYAN CULTURES AND OUR VALUES

Kenya is a multi-ethnic and multi-racial country. In traditional Kenyan cultures,

people valued the institution of marriage, human life, morality, respect for people's
property, and good leadership.

Marriage

The institution of marriage was highly valued by all the traditional cultures in
Kenya. To a large extent, especially in the rural areas, it is highly valued even
today. The reason for this is that marriage is the foundation on which families are
built.

Human life

Human life is highly valued in the modern world. This was no different among the
traditional Kenyan communities. However, it was permissible to kill an enemy,
just as is the case today. In all other cases, no one was allowed to take away
another person's life. In fact, no distinction was made between murder and
manslaughter; both were considered murder. Murder was punished according to
the principle of compensation.

Morality

Morality is a quality that was highly valued by all traditional cultures in Kenya.
Indeed, moral values formed the bedrock of the education that was given to
children as they grew up. Moral values were also impressed on people who were
about to wed or who were going through one rite of passage to another. Leaders
were also expected to be people of upright character.

Leadership qualities

Traditional cultures in Kenya attached great importance to the qualities of good

leadership. This is in spite of the fact that almost all these cultures did not have
centralized systems of government. At whatever level of leadership, whether as
individuals or members of councils of elders, the leaders had to possess certain
qualities that were acceptable to the people as characteristics of good leadership.
These qualities included seniority in age, wealth, reputation as a warrior and other
characteristics of leadership. Seniority in age was considered to be important
because old age was associated with wisdom. Wisdom was considered important
because one of the main responsibilities of any leader was the settlement of
disputes.

Wealth bestowed prestige and influence on an individual. But, more importantly, it

enabled the individual to offer hospitality to his people, give loans to his relatives
and organize feasts for the community. It was recognized that once in a while,
there would be people in the community who would need assistance from the
leaders, especially in the form of food. Wealth was, therefore, measured in terms of
livestock for the pastoralists, grain for the agriculturalists, and both livestock and
grain for mixed farmers.

Success in warfare served as a means of gaining wealth, and also bestowed

prestige on the individual. Among the Bukusu community, people capable of
becoming leaders were “men who talk gently and wisely and who can make the
people listen and return to reason when they want to quarrel.”18 Among the Gabra
and Borana, leaders were people who were wise, kind, merciful and having full
knowledge of all affairs within the community.

Kenyan Art

The themes in Kenyan art represent the daily life and culture of the people of
Africa which is greatly reflected through their handicrafts, jewellery, clothes,
sculptures, and paintings. In handicrafts particularly, Kenya is known for its
traditional, tribal masks, mats, baskets and other products. The art and craft of
Kenya has a lucrative tourist market.

Music in Kenya

Music in Kenya covers a wide range of styles of both local and international origin
which includes afro-fusion music, Benga music, Kenyan hip-hop and different
styles of folk and tribal music. Language plays an important role in defining the
music of Kenya. Popular instruments used in Kenyan music are guitars and drums
while instruments used for traditional include the African Sistrum Great.

Literature in Kenya

The earliest published writings by Kenyan authors were the result of the
experience of colonialism and the fight for independence. Ngugi wa Thiongo was
one of the best known authors in Kenya whose work, published in both English
and Kikuyu, deals with themes of political social, and personal liberation.

A great deal of literary output was the direct result of the colonial experience in
Kenya. JH Patterson's marvelous tale of "The Maneaters of Tsavo" became a huge
bestseller which led to a new genre of safari and hunting literature.

Cuisine in Kenya

The cuisine in Kenya reflects the cultural diversity of the country and includes
traditional African dishes, tribal delicacies, Arabian, and European delicacies. The
staple diet of the people of Kenya includes rice, Ugali, bread, chapatti with
chicken, mutton, Tilapia and other fish Vegetables.

Kinship: In Kenya and Africa, traditional ethnic groups were determined by

geographical region, language, and common culture. Each ethnic group had its
own social and political organization with a strong sense of kinship. Kinship
controls social relationships between people in a given community, governs marital
customs and laws, and determines the behavior of one individual towards another.

Understanding kinship is important as far as intra cultural (cultural awareness

among Kenyans), cross-cultural (awareness transfer or borrowing from one culture
to another), and intercultural (awareness between different cultures through
interaction) factors are concerned. An awareness of kinship was lacking when
Western education was introduced in Kenya. Exclusion of the indigenous form of
education from formal education in Kenya has led to an alienation of cultural
identity. This is one of the main reasons why many Kenyans feel the education
system needs a complete overhaul in the twenty-first century. Education in Kenya
has been declared dysfunctional because it has failed to address a full range of
economic, social and cultural, political, and psychological perspectives.

In traditional societies, the community took precedence over the individual.

Members owed existence to one another, including both their ancestors and
contemporaries. Marriage was highly valued, as were children. Communities lived
together in villages, which included farm fields and animal sheds along with
houses and shrines. The style of traditional houses varied from community to
community. Some were round in shape, built around the village compound in a
circle or semicircle, while others were rectangular in shape. The houses generally
faced the center of the compound.
Religion: The predominant religion in Kenya is Christianity, adhered to by about
four-fifths of the population. Other faiths practiced in Kenya are
Baha'i, Hinduism, Islam, and traditional African religions.

Christianity was first brought to Kenya in the fifteenth century by the Portuguese
and spread rapidly during the nineteenth century, when it experienced a revival.
Today, the main Christian denominations in Kenya are Protestant confessions,
which make up 45% of the country's religious composition. They include
the Anglican Church of Kenya, and the Presbyterian, Reformed, Baptist, Lutheran
and Pentecostal churches. The Roman Catholic Church represents 33% of the
population.

They do not believe in changing religions. Both the Asian

African community and the dominant Kenyan culture withdraw –on an
interpersonal and intercultural level, and seek to group and associate themselves
with others of similar faith, economic interest or political like-mindedness. This is
a clear explanation why currently a very small number of Asian Africans get
involved in Kenyan politics perhaps due to some form of reverse racism: It is
somehow not acceptable to struggle against black leadership. The lack of
engagement is a real problem for the community, something
that holds back Kenya’s development as a nation. No overview of Kenya religion
would be complete without stating that Kenya is a secular country and as such,
does not have a state religion.

It is in light of this that the country's constitution guarantees its citizens freedom of
worship, a provision which is largely respected by both the government and the
general public.

In general, traditional Kenyan religions involve belief in an eternal, unique and

omnipotent creator God who is distant from mankind, but not out of reach. God
created and maintained the universe, including man, who in many cosmologies was
lowered from some other world. Essentially, the Kenyan concept of God pretty
similar to both the Muslim and Christian ideas. The name given to God changes
from people to people, though those most frequently encountered are Ngai, Enkai,
Akuj, Mulungu and Mungu, and variations thereof. God cannot be seen, and
usually resides in the sky or on high mountains. God is associated with rain (and
by extension grass, certain plants, animals, mountains, rainbows and prosperity), as
well as with the consequences of not providing rain (drought, famine, disease and
death). God is also manifest in the sun, moon, thunder and lighting, stars and in
trees, especially the wild fig tree (also called 'strangling fig'), which is sacred to
many different Kenyan peoples. Sometimes, different names are given to God
according to the manifestation in which he is apparent.

Languages

English is the official language while Kiswahili is the national language. That
means that government and education are in English, while everything else tends to
be in Swahili. And, in actuality, most of government is in Swahili also.

In addition to these two languages, most of the people in Kenya also speak what
they would call their "mother tongue" - the language that they grew up speaking.
While an increasing number of city-dwellers are growing up speaking English,
most rural people still speak their tribal languages when they go home.

Kenya's African population is divided on three linguistic groups:

• Bantu. Concentrations in three main geographical regions - Western Kenya

and Lake Victoria region (Luhya, Kisii), east of Rift Valley, (Kikuyu, Embu,
Kamba) and Coastal belt (Mijikenda).
• Nilotic. Represented by the Luo, Kalenjin, Maasai and related groups. The
Kalenjin linguistic group is concentrated in the area north to south and west
of the central highlands, while the Luos are concentrated in the Lake
Victoria Basin.
• Cushitic. Somali speaking group occupying eastern portions of the arid and
semi-arid north eastern Kenya. Rendille and Orma speaking groups occupy
the north western part.

Over 30 distinct languages or dialects are spoken in Kenya.

Recreation and Change:

Kenyans love to party, and the music style known as benga is the contemporary
dance music that rules. It originated among the Luo people of western Kenya and
became popular in the area in the 1950s. Now in the late 1900, early 2000 Kenya's
hip hop scene has really taken off. Only a few years ago, it was unthinkable for a
Kenyan to earn any money, let alone earn a living from the trade. Well brace
yourself, Kenya’s hip hop scene is among the most vibrant in Africa and with a
rapid rise in its popularity, both in Kenya and worldwide, this hip hop scene will
only get better.

The national dish of Kenya is a cornmeal mush called Ugali. It is cornmeal

cooked with water to a thick consistency and poured out onto a board or plate for
everyone to eat from. Green vegetables are important to the African diet. In Kenya,
collard greens are both cheap and popular. The dish sukuma wiki literally
translates to "stretch the week." True Swahili cuisine is best found at the coast.
Beer drinkers are well supplied in this country. Kenyans love their beer almost as
much as their dancing and there's a thriving local brewing industry.

To many people around the world, the word ‘sport’ and ‘Kenya’ mean one thing:
athletics. Kenya’s world-class middle- and long-distance runners have long
dominated the running tracks of the world. Kenya has also done particularly well at
boxing on an international level. But for most Kenyans, football (soccer) is the
number one sport!

Culture is a complex and ever changing reality. For instance, Kenya has never been
a place simply of wild, exotic beasts with people defined only by their exotic dress.
It has a long a varied history that continues to evolve and respond to the changes in
the wider world. Yet there is the fact that many of the people living throughout
Kenya seem to have differences that they themselves refer to.

Perhaps a starting point is the realization that the practices of many contemporary
"traditional" persons is determined not so much by the reality of a fixed cultural
reality as much as by a need for identity that gets translated into conforming to a
"tribe's" customs. What happens in every society is that individuals "construct"
sharp differences in material and decorative "culture" so as to define themselves
with a group. This is perceived as necessary in order to maintain social structure.
For example, many persons, whether they are aware of this consciously or not,
subscribe to firm rules of kinship interactions and marriage. Over time, various
cliques are created with vested interests in these social structures and they work to
maintain the "purity" of the culture, as any changes would directly affect their own
positions of influence.

However, the one definite truth about "culture" is that for any given group, culture
must change over time. As the world changes, the practitioners of a culture must
respond in one-way or the other.
Some respond by withdrawing and attempting to close out intrusions, closing their
eyes to any changes. While others adapt their practices and beliefs to acknowledge
the reality of external changes, while still holding on to the "spirit" or "core values"
of their "culture."

Kenyan’s attitude towards material factors:

Kenyans don't believe money can buy happiness, but they know it can make the
daily struggles of life more bearable. Kenyans say people can still be happy,
poverty notwithstanding. Some factors that are important in determining happiness
were job satisfaction and knowing you have friends and relatives you can lean on
during emergencies. While more income brings more satisfaction, but they believe
it need not be necessarily accompanied with happiness

Positive feelings, which also increase somewhat as income rises, are much more
strongly associated with other factors such as feeling respected, having autonomy
and social support, and working at a fulfilling job.

It is good that money is not the only determinant of a person's happiness; otherwise
over 90 per cent of Kenyans would hardly afford a smile, a chuckle, or even a
laugh. Though having an unfair distribution of wealth the main factors of
happiness are associated with psychological needs - learning, autonomy, using
one's skills, respect and the ability to count on others in an emergency.

Kenyan Perception towards “Time”

In general, Kenyans have a more relaxed approach towards time and live at a
slower pace. It is not unusual to wait half an hour for someone to arrive for an
appointment and this is seen as perfectly acceptable. Taking care of personal
affairs first is regarded as more important than arriving on time. This being said,
today particularly in the private sector there is a growing trend of punctuality and
observing deadlines.
Working Practices in Kenya

• Business hours in Kenya are from 9:00am to 4:00pm, with a one hour break
for lunch between 1:00pm and 2:00pm. Some businesses also operate on
Saturday mornings.

• Kenyans have a flexible attitude towards time, so don’t be surprised if

business meetings or social events begin late. Punctuality tends to be
expected when dealing with foreigners though, so make sure to arrive on
time.

• Kenyans do not tend to schedule a precise end to meetings. What matters is

not adhering to a schedule but ensuring that everybody involved is satisfied
with the outcome. Therefore make sure to leave enough time in your agenda
when attending a meeting.

• Being a polychronic society, Kenyan business practice focuses on getting

things done by order of priority rather than working to a set time schedule.

• In many businesses the working day will halt at specific times for Muslim
members of staff to pray.