Annotated Bibliography
In Kenya Africa there are many different types of cultures. The two cultures I plan to discuss are the Kikuyu tribe and the Turkana tribe. The discussion topic is on marriage and the traditions or customs that are involved, due to their culture and beliefs. The Kikuyu are a Bantu tribe that is located in Mount Kenya. They are known to be the largest tribe in Kenya. The Turkana tribe is the second largest tribe, living in the desert-land of Kenya. The Turkana are very nomadic and much like the Kikuyu rely on cattle and farming for their income. In my paper I plan to cover the similarities of the Kikuyu and Turkana tribes in relevance to their marriage rituals and customs, which involve polygamous marriages and bride-wealth.
Adams, B. N., & Mburugu, E. (1994). Kikuyu bridewealth and polygyny today. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 25(2), 159-166. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9411304416&site=eds-live
The above citation is an article on The Kikuyu tribe and their culture. Within the Kikuyu tribe’s culture, they have certain marriage customs that other cultures do not practice. This article specifically discusses the marriage customs that the Kikuyu tribe practice and how many Kikuyu people still practice them today. The two biggest customs the Kikuyu tribe practice is Polygamous marriages and something known as bride-wealth. Within this article the author also speaks of the advantages and disadvantages of polygamous marriage and their agricultural lifestyles.
Dyson-Hudson, R., & Meekers, D. (1996). The universality of african marriage reconsidered: Evidence from turkana males. Ethnology, 35(4), 301. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=crh&AN=9610234679&site=eds-live
This article speaks of marriage and the importance it has on the African society, especially the Turkana. It explains how the Turkana tribe is very nomadic and depends on the cattle and other animals to survive and bring in their income. The animals are also used for the men to give to their bride or bride’s family as a payment for marriage. Like the article above, the Turkana men court their woman through bride-wealth. They explain the different roles that the woman and men play and how most males do not marry until they are much older, due to the expenses of bride-wealth.
Hetherington, P. (2001). Generational changes in marriage patterns in the central province of kenya, 1930-1990. Journal of Asian & African Studies (Brill), 36(2), 157-180. doi:10.1163/15685210152031217
The source above discusses “three generations of women” that practiced circumcision and polygyny, along with bride-wealth. It explains the changes of the woman throughout each generation and how the women were influenced