Impact of Globalization on the Maasai Peoples` Culture Research Paper

Introduction

Culture refers to people’s way of life and is subdivided into norms, Values, Beliefs, attitudes and cognitive mapping. Culture is shared and it changes over time. Culture change is driven by globalization among other forces. Barnard et al (2005) define globalization as a series of processes, including diffusion and acculturation working to promote change in a world in which nations and people are increasingly interlinked and mutually dependent. Simply put, globalization refers to the tendency towards increasing interconnection in culture, economy and social life.

Promoting such linkages are economic-political forces, along with modern systems of transportation and communication. The forces of globalization include international commerce, travel and tourism, transnational migration, the media, and various high-tech information flows. This essay will therefore focus on the roles the aforementioned forces have played in changing the culture of the Maasai. Specific examples will be provided where applicable.

Discussion

The Maasai people are found in east Africa mainly in Tanzania and Kenya (“Maasai People, 2009”). They live along the Great Rift Valley mostly in the arid and semiarid zones. The Maasai are pastoralists and they keep cattle, goats and sheep and thus animals make up their subsistence economy. Animals are owned by men yet they are reared by women and children. In addition, the Maasai is a polygamous society and their social structure embraces a patriarchal system. They do not have a formal political system since they are headed by a council of elders who make vital decisions on behalf of the community.

Amin et al (1987, pg. 55) note that ‘the Maasai social organization is anchored on an age-set system.’

A Maasai graduates from one age set to another one throughout life. For instance, we have children who have very little to do for society, Morans or Il-murran who are the warriors and their duty is to defend the community, young married adults and old adults who participate in the council of elders meetings. One joins a new age set after undergoing a rite of passage which is a form of initiation. A passage from childhood to adulthood is a very important rite of passage in society.

It is marked by an elaborate circumcision ceremony whereby both boys and girls who are of age are circumcised.

The concept of private ownership was non-existence in the early days (“Maasai People, 2009”). The land was communally owned and everyone was free to graze his animals in any region that had pasture in plenty. The land was owned by a clan and thus no one would have claimed its ownership. Communal ownership ensured free movements of livestock, especially during the dry season. The Maasai live in a manyatta which is made up of semi-permanent houses which are specifically built by women. The livestock spends the night in a kraal which is fenced using acacia thorns in order to prevent lions from attacking animals at night.

One of the greatest Maasai traditions involves cattle rustling. This is a perfected art whereby the Moran breaks into their neighbor’s kraal at night and runs away with their cattle. This is accepted by the Maasai as one way of adding the number of animals that one has. Its worth noting that among the Maasai wealth is calculated in terms of cattle heads. Additionally, this method should not be confused with stealing from their neighbors. Thus we have to understand their culture from the Maasai worldview.

Now I turn on to globalization and its effect on the life of Maasai. A good example will be provided by an evaluation of the role tourism has played in changing the traditional life of the Maasai. Tourism involves large-scale travel for leisure whereby many people visit animal and game reserves which are situated in the Maasai land. Although globalization has encouraged the growth of tourism which is good for the entire economy, the Maasai have to bear the cost of the negative effects of tourism. (“Globalization”, 2009) commenting on the same theme notes that ‘tourism is providing a deadly mix for the Maasai’ this is because it is affecting their control and access to vital natural resources which determines their survival. Moreover, tourism has resulted in environmental degradation which is putting the Maasai on the brink of extinction.

Tourism is one of the leading sources of employment in the world. It is estimated to be employing 260 million people in the world both directly and indirectly. Therefore governments especially in Kenya and Tanzania are turning on tourism in order to generate revenue which is being used in supporting the economic growth in these countries. Since the government raises a lot of money through tourism it has now been turned into an export strategy and this is where the problem lies (“Globalization”, 2009).

It is worth noting that tourism is no only used as an export strategy by Kenya and Tanzania alone; rather it has been adopted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as one of the key components of the famous Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs). Since Kenya and Tanzania needs financial aid from IMF, they have to implement SAPs because they are requirements needed in order to qualify for aid. Thus these preconditions have slowly linked the two countries to the world economy. The IMF and World Bank (WB) have been very aggressive in advertising tourism because they have recognized its potential in the global market and thus the third world countries can use the money raised through tourism to surface their debts. Moreover, SAPs have opened the doors for multinational companies to invest in Kenya and Tanzania specifically in the tourism sector.

Although globalization and tourism have resulted in tangible effects; economic wise the two have been a curse to the Maasai. It is evident that even before the onset of globalization tourism harmed the Maasai. Therefore globalization came to add fuel to the fire that was already burning. Globalization introduced ecotourism and through it, the Maasai were integrated into the tourism industry (zeleza, 1994, p34). Ecotourism is embraced because it promotes environmental conservation. It involves spelunking, mountain climbing, bird watching, and the Maasai participates either as tour guides or hoteliers.

Ecotourism has resulted in the eviction of Maasai from their motherland, economic dislocation, and environmental degradation and above all the crash of their traditional values (“Globalization”, 2009). For example, the establishment of game reserves and hunting grounds have prevented the Maasai from accessing pasture and water points situated in the game reserves. There is no way the Maasai can survive without animals and these restrictions dislocate them economically. In addition, their traditional practices were very environmentally friendly but since their culture is seen as archaic or primitive and thus destructive, it is being undermined by the international forces. This results in the elimination of all economic opportunities for the Maasai and at the end of the day, they lack education compelling them to abject poverty.

An increase in the flow of motor vehicles in the region has caused pollution, destruction of grass cover which results in the disruption of the ecological balance. Additionally, the Maasai culture has been commercialized in the process and it is up for sale. Through commercialization, the Maasai youths have accepted negative western values as the gospel truth resulting in a loss of Maasai traditional values, norms and beliefs. The youth are also engaging themselves in prostitution and HIV/AIDs has now got its way into the community. Prostitution is a big issue in the region because every woman who visits Maasai land wants to have sex with a Moran.

A heavy presence of very curious outsiders; in the name of tourists, during cultural activities such as circumcision and rituals have affected these people’s culture negatively. Cases of theft and drawing of graffiti in holy places have watered down the reputation of these sites among the Maasai. Additionally, tourists have been caught having sex in the holy mountains during mountain climbing and this is inviting curses to the Maasai.

Zeleza (1994, pg. 36) posits that the idea of private property has been introduced in the community. However, ownership of the prime land is under outsiders who have acquired it through their well-established networks with the politicians and other powerful people in the region. As a result land disputes have become a common thing in the region. At times this dispute escalates into violence where people attack one another and properties are destroyed in the process. Land ownership disputes are no longer settled by elders because the new owners are not conversant with the culture of the Maasai. Instead, they are taken to a formal court of laws thus making the elders powerless.

The governments have also attached so much importance to the wildlife compared to the Maasai. This is because when a Maasai Moran kills a lion or any other wildlife it is treated as a crime and he is charged in a court of law. However, when wildlife attacks the Maasai and their property they are not compensated for the loss they have incurred. This trend has strained the relationship between the Maasai and the animals (“Globalization”, 2009). Nowadays the Maasai avoid the wild animals very much yet they have been coexisting together since time immemorial. The emergence of this strange relationship between Maasai and wild animals has forced the Maasai to start killing wildlife without a good reason.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Maasai have a very explicit culture that has been intact for a very long time. However, globalization is affecting it negatively and within a short period, it may become extinct. Tourism has encouraged a massive flow of people into the game reserves which results in environmental degradation. The youth are also becoming brainwashed and they are slowly abandoning their culture in favor of the western one. With all these problems we need to include the Maasai in all activities that takes place in their native land. This is the only way out and will in the long run preserve their unique and highly appreciated culture from extinction.

Work cited

Ahmed, M., Willets, D. and Eames, J. The Last of The Maasai. New York: Camerapix publishers international. 1987, pp50-60.

Barnard, A. and Spencer, J. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. London :Routledge Taylor and Francis group. 2005, pg 607.

Globalization and Tourism: Deadly Mix For Indigenous People. Web.

Maasai Association: The Maasai. Web.

Zeleza, T. Maasai. London: The Rosen Publishing Group. 1994, 30-48.