The Maasai society is
divided into two groups "orok kiteng" and "oodo mongi", and
within these two groups the Maasai are further grouped into their own clans in
there communities. Within these clans are smaller families that follow the
patrilineal line of descent. As shown below this means that males and females
both belong to their father’s kin group. This means that only the males pass
down there family identity to their children as woman’s children are members of
the husbands patrilineal line because family identities are only passed down
through the males. Children join the father’s clan while the mother is a part of
her own family’s linage. This is shown in this kinship diagram as the red
indicates how the patrilineal line is passed down through the males. The male has
the most important role in the Maasai household. It is said that the father is
the key figure in the family and his control is absolute only subject to intrusion
by elders in times of crisis. Although it may appear that the Maasai families
are broken up into many clans they are actually very close to each other.
Members of the same clan often live close to each other, living in neighboring houses.
Shown throughout the Maasai as some sections are filled with just members of a single
clan. Families are so close because every tribe and linage is believed to
descend from one common ancestor thus each member of the community considers
one another a distant relative. This is why although it may seem broken up amongst
the families the Maasai are actually very close to each other as a whole.
Economic, Cultural & Physical Barriers for Maasai Education
Education is an important part for any group but for
the Maasai, there are many cultural as well as physical barriers. Formal education is very
expensive and is not something that can be affordable to many of the Maasai
making it impossible for them to go to these schools. It is estimated that approximately
75 percent of the Maasai people are illiterate. This is because of the expenses
involved that make it impossible to afford having children in school. These
expenses include things like uniforms which in themselves are too expensive for
most families but are required to have. Those who are able to afford putting their
children in school are mostly male children. Currently
only 48% of Maasai girls are enrolled in school and out of that, only 5% of
them go to secondary school. This is because The quality of education in the
first school are completely inadequate for teaching and preparing the kids for
passing the national test that allows them to go to secondary school. Since it
is so expensive to put a child through school, if a family can only afford to
have one child attend school it is more beneficial to have a male go instead of
a female for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons are that there are
economic incentives for families such as early marriage that give them dowries
as well as the feeling that they will not benefit from educating their female
child because once they are married she will be part of her husband’s family
and they will receive the benefits. If they educate a male child, when the
child gets married he will still stay near the family as the wife would become
part of their family. Along with this is the idea that a female child won’t be
able to travel the long walks to get to school safely that a male would be able
to do. Because of the immense expanse of educating children this is way many
Maasai choose to educate their sons over there daughters, if they are able to
have the choice to make at all.
References:
Cliff ,
Cadi .
2012."Seen in a Snapshot: The
Maasai." Exploration. http://www.explorationonline.co.uk/article.php?id=814 accessed March 27, 2014.
Dhoruba.
2006.
"The Maasai Nomads." Free Website Builder.
http://www.freewebs.com/themaasainomads/tribelore.htm accessed March 26, 2014.
Maasai
Girls Education Fund.
2012.
"Economic, Cultural & Physical Barriers." Barbara Lee Shaw. http://www.maasaigirlseducation.org/the-need/barriers-to-education/economic-cultural- physical-barriers accessed March 27, 2014.
My Chosen Vessels.
2011. "MAASAI EDUCATION."
MAASAI EDUCATION. http://www.mychosenvessels.com/maasai-education.html accessed
March 26, 2014.
O'Neil, Dennis.
2006.
"The Nature of Kinship: Descent Principles (Part 1)." The Nature of
Kinship: Descent Principles (Part 1).
http://anthro.palomar.edu/kinship/kinship_2.htm accessed March 26, 2014.
There were many things about this tribe that I didn’t know before that I found to be very interesting. The idea of having the male be educated before the females was something I found to be interesting as I didn’t ever think of it compared to how we have our education here. The education for the Maasai makes sense economically how they do it which has a negative effect on the woman of the population I’m sure. Economically speaking it is not affordable for many families to even send their children to school thus if they have to choose which child to send they would obviously chose to send the child that would end up staying close to them and not be part of another family. When I looked into the ideas of kinship in regards to the Maasai I found it to be in a sense like ours which surprised me. Although it is of course different there are similarities between ours and there’s as the male is considered to have he most important role as well as the family all having the males last name which keeps the idea of where your linage going. These where just a few things that I found to be very interesting while researching about the Maasai.
ReplyDeleteI like the kinship post, and how you use the kinship chart to describe patrilineage. I also like the Edication post, but I think in both, and inparticular the latter post (education), you could apply some of the stuff we talked about in class. We talked about two types of literacies, and how one is biased - as seen by anthropologists. You refs are good now, but you have to look at a couple of typos in each of your posts.
ReplyDeleteYou can make changes after your presentation tomorrow, and try to incorporate some of the class content in your reflections. Thanks