Sub Saharan Africa as Cultural Realm Case Study

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What is “culture”?

Hofstede as cited by Belshek (n.d) defined culture as “…the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group from another” (p.2).On the other hand, Craig et al as cited by Washington State University (2012) defined culture as “…the total of the ways of living built up by a group and passed on from one generation to another” (p.1). It is critical to note that both Hofstede and Craig et al seem to perceive culture from a unique and uniform set of ways or behaviors that distinguish one set of people from another and that are transferable from a group to another.

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Why do you consider your region (sub-Saharan Africa) a “cultural realm”?

To grasp the concept of “cultural realm,” it is fundamental to understand a “culture region”. According to Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) (2012), a “culture region is a portion of the earth’s surface occupied by populations that have recognizable and distinctive cultural characteristics” (p.1). MCCC (2012) defines a cultural realm as “…a set of culture regions showing related culture complexes and landscapes grouped…” (p.1).

Some certain social norms and expectations are widespread among different communities living in Sub Saharan Africa. These norms that are similar among the different communities can be used as a basis for defining Sub Saharan Africa as a cultural realm. Among the Sub Saharan Africans, the concept of initiation from childhood to adulthood is widely practiced in different forms amongst different Sub-Saharan communities.

What difficulties or problems did you have in defining your cultural region?

In the definition of the cultural realm within the context of Sub Saharan Africa and in particular, the parameters used to define the region as a cultural realm, it was felt the contextual scope of such definition was broad and amorphous. Initiation as a parameter of cultural realm definition is broad and is contextually amorphous even in regions where it is being practiced in its traditional forms. This is because initiation as widely practiced in sub-Saharan Africa has greatly changed under modern technology and emerging social medical challenges such as HIV/AIDs scourge.

Are there sub-regions in your cultural realm?

There are sub-regions within the sub-Saharan African cultural realm based along with the major tribal groupings of Bantu, Nilotes, and Cushites. These three major groups of sub-Saharan Africa communities have different linguistic, economic, and religious norms. For example across sub-Saharan Africa, the Bantu communities are largely involved in farming as their primary economic activity. This is in comparison to the Cushitic communities that prefer cattle farming.

What role does “cultural imperialism” play in the formation of your cultural realm? Give specific examples of how your region is the legacy of European cultural imperialism

Cultural imperialism has played a great role in the formation of the Sub Saharan Africa cultural realm. It is critical to note that sub-Saharan Africa was colonized by various European powers that introduced their religion, manner of dressing, education, and medicine amongst other factors. The Sub Saharan Africans were forced to assimilate their master’s norms at the expense of their own. For example, a majority of Sub Saharan Africans have dropped female circumcision after various mostly Western powers thought the process to be barbaric at best.

In modern times the practice was branded Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and depicted as a medical concern for reproductive women. Without going to the merits and demerits of FGM, the wide abhorrence of the practice amongst modern Africans stands out as a clear testimony of cultural imperialism.

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References

Belshek, J (n.d). The influence of culture on the negotiation styles of British students. Web.

Montgomery County Community College (MCCC), (2012). Roots and meaning of culture. Web.

Washington State University (2012).Culture. Web.

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