Positive aspects of cultural values
Positive aspects of our cultural values are crucial for the prosperity and harmonisation of good relations in the society. The following are some of the positive aspects of our cultural values.
(a) Respect for others: This is the practice of high regards for others as human beings with rights and duties. Respecting others is one of the positive cultural values practiced among African societies. Irrespective of the place of origin in Africa, we always find young people greeting their elders, volunteering to help them carry luggage and taking care of them. The same attitude prevailed among parents and the elderly. They do not only take care of the young people but they also make sure that society accords young people all the rights and responsibilities necessary for their material and spiritual well-being. Such state of affairs is a result of centrality of the practice of respect for others in the African culture. Institutions such as families, schools and religions, put a lot of emphasis on the respect for everyone in society.
(b) Sharing: Africa is one of the continents that takes pride in its cultural values including that of sharing. Although in the African traditions there are some people who are wealthier than others, their wealth is not for themselves, but for the whole community. In fact, the spirit of sharing is not only a privilege of the rich and the wealthy, but it is also a practice among the ordinary people. Usually, they share not only the products of labour but also work.
Historically, many Africans lived and worked together, and shared among themselves the products of their labour. Even today, it is common for those employed to share their monthly salary with members of their extended families. The practice of sharing has to be encouraged because it exposes the culture of caring for others and saving lives of the marginalised.
(c) Hospitality’: The cultural value that distinguishes Africans from all other societies in the world is the attitude and practice of hospitality. Africans are very well known all over the world as friendly, kind, generous and good at entertaining guests. This is more evident in African families whereby, traditionally, even though food for the family is prepared by considering the number of members in the family, it cannot be the reason not to allow the guest to join the family for a meal. In fact, if a visitor shows up during a meal, they will be invited to eat with the family, irrespective of whether the food is enough or not. This means that in the African tradition, it is very rare for a person to be denied the means of livelihood.
(d) Compassion: It is the ability to respond quickly to the needs of others or being aware of the feelings and thoughts of people around you. For example, when a person is sick, relatives and neighbours gather to express their sympathy and advice to the patient. When the sick person is admitted their relatives and even neighbours, may volunteer to stay with them in the hospital and others can prepare food for the sick person. When someone dies, the whole community grieves and other activities are postponed. People gather at the house of the deceased to express their sympathy, condolences and compassion to the family which has lost a member. In addition, the community sometimes contributes funds, food and other materials and moral support to the family of the deceased. In short, compassion among Africans creates solidarity and unity among people.
(e) Cooperation: It involves the act of joining others in doing something. A person cooperates meaningfully in any activity if there is a will and the ability. In African culture, participation of an individual or community in social activities is crucial. Nothing is negatively considered than an individual’s failure to cooperate in the social affairs. It is often taken as a sign of bad practice and at times they are considered as ‘witches’. Some of the activities and social events which require involvement and cooperation of healthy and abled members of the community are; marriage, burial ceremonies, and helping the victims of natural hazards, for examples, floods and earthquakes. In these events, members of a particular society are called upon to cooperate in order to support the victims or to rescue lives of the people in danger.
Different societies have different ways of punishing people who do not want to cooperate in community activities. Among the Jita of Musoma, for example, a person who does not cooperate with others should also not expect others in the community to participate in their family affairs. Such people are usually left alone to bury their deceased members of the family or conduct their weddings by themselves.