general african studies - wordpress.comgeneral african studies (key points with questions) course...

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GST 201 GENERAL AFRICAN STUDIES (KEY POINTS WITH QUESTIONS)

COURSE OUTLINE

Traditional Medicine in Africa Dr. Samuel Adejoh Culture and Society in Africa Prof. Fatai A. Badru African Language and Literature Prof. Fatai A. Badru Social Organization Dr. Michael Kunnuji Social Change Dr. Waziri Babatunde Adisa Race and Identity Dr. Khalid Adekoya Geography of Africa Dr. Ayeni A. O & Adeaga O. A

KEY POINTS ON GST 201 (Exhaustible and Rich With Questions)

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COURSE OUTLINE 1: TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN AFRICA

By: Dr. Samuel Adejoh

E. H. Ackerknecht (1942), primitive medicine is not a queer collection of errors and superstitions but a number of living unities in living cultural patterns.

Traditional medicine is also referred to as folk or indigenous medicine. It is a systematic knowledge system that developed in Africa before the advent of modern medicine. Some scholars have described traditional medicine as unsystematic; its usefulness cannot be over emphasized. Traditional medicine in Africa, is considered as holistic means i.e. it involves indigenous herbalism and African spirituality consisting of diviners, traditional birth attendants and herbalist. Practitioners of traditional African medicine lay claim to curing different diseases such as psychiatric disorders HBP cholera cancer epilepsy, fever etc.

In essence traditional medicine can be transmitted orally or in written. WHO (1998) defines traditional medicine as “the sum total of all the knowledge and practices whether explicable or not used in diagnosis, prevention and elimination of physical mental or social imbalance and relying exclusively on practical experience and observations handed down from generation to generation whether verbally or in writing”. Traditional medicine has been in existence often for hundreds of years before modern medicine and is still in use today without any documented evidence of adverse effects. Aspirin, morphine, quinine, atropine etc. were all developed through traditional medicine.

Explicable medicine can be described as “crude scientific” and other minerals for healing. The inexplicable form is “magico – spiritual, supernatural that cannot be scientifically investigated or explained.

WHO estimates that up to 80% of the population in Africa makes use of traditional medicine – leaves, roots as its primary source of medicine. When traditional medicine is adopted outside of its original setting or culture it is known as complementary and alternative medicine. Major disciplines which study traditional medicine include ethno medicine, ethno botany and medical anthropology.

INDIGENOUS HEALERS IN AFRICA

Oyebola (1980) classified traditional healers into 6:

1. Babalawo: Onisegun (or adahunse) Ala sotele (sooth sayer) Olorisa (or Abore)

2. Awon leku – leja (traditional pharmacist)

3. Traditional bone setters

4. Traditional psychiatrists

5. Traditional birth attendants or midwives and the “olola”

6. Miscellaneous group – Afaa (Mallams) and Aladura (spiritual healers).

In South Africa, there are 4 major groups of healers:

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1. Iyangas: They are male (knowledge on curative herbs)

2. Isangomas: They are female (they use ancestral spirit)

3. Umtandazi: They are faith healers or professed Christians

4. Traditional birth attendants: usually elderly women with 15 – 20 years experience.

In Tanzania there are 4 major groups which are known as “fundi” in modern day Tanzania. Before the modern era, they were called “waganga wa kieniyeji” or “waganga wa judi” (Traditional practitioners or doctors).

1. Diviners: they are diagnosticians diviners and spiritualists 2. Herbalist: they use plants, roots and bark as medicines to cure illness 3. Herbalist – Ritualist: they use both herbs and ritual to treat and diagnose 4. Faith healers: use koranic phrases or bible. They sometimes use medicines.

Why people use traditional medicine

1. It is perceived to be holistic in its approach 2. Side effects of orthodox medicine 3. Increased interest in faith and spiritualism 4. High cost of orthodox medicine

Common means of diagnosis in African traditional medicine

Dreams, divination, oracles, possession.

Treatment of disease in African traditional medicine

1. Rational treatment: this involves treatment that is devoid of magic. Illnesses in this category are cured by herbs which are easily accessible within the community. According to Harley (1970) they are household remedies to cure special maladies.

2. Magical or Ethereal treatment: magical diseases are much more complicated and involve the supernatural world. The ancestral gods and ghosts, when offended by a descendant could attract punishment either on the individual or the entire family of the offender.

3. Both rational and magical treatment: this is the mixture of rational and magical process for treating certain ailments. E.g. using a cock broken bone to heal a human being broken bone.

Traditional medicine is relied upon because of its efficacy, accessibility, low cost etc.

Elements of African medicine (both physical and social)

There are 3 main elements of African traditional healing:

1. Prevention and protection from problems 2. Determination of the causes of these problems

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3. Elimination of these problems.

Integration of African traditional healing system with the orthodox therapy

1. The declaration of 10 years (2001 – 2010) tagged “decade of traditional medicine in Africa “(31st of August of every year)

2. Develop policy, legal & regulatory framework & health legislation 3. Promote & conduct relevant scientific research on herb efficacy 4. Register traditional medicine with WHO 5. Establish economic production of traditional medicine and industries.


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COURSE OUTLINE 2: AFRICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

By: Prof. Fatai A. Badru

Although written African literatures are now developing in many indigenous African languages such as Swahili, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. These literatures have not developed as they should because the early colonialist discouraged indigenous language for imperial reasons. The use of European languages by African writers was not only due to the colonial heritage, but was perhaps dictated by the fact that no African language is even now universally used in Africa. Indeed, a piece of literary work written in a non – indigenous language can justifiably be regarded as African only if it mirrors African culture, thought and perception of the world, life and existence.

Major African languages

Grimes (1996) puts the number of African languages at 2035; this number is not fixed, as some languages are still being discovered, while others with few speakers are eliminated. The languages are divided into 4 phyla:

by Joseph Greenberg (1950) classification of Africa languages:

1. Niger Congo – 500 members 1436 languages: it is classified into 2 groups. A & B and it constitute one of the world’s major language families and African largest in terms of geographical areas. it makes use of noun class systems. *Niger – Congo language by number of speakers are: Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani and Shona. *Widely spoken by total number of speakers is “Swahili”. They have some common features such as: Phonology, consonant and vowel systems, nasality, tone etc.

2. Afro – Asiatic – 371 languages: it was coined by “Maurice Delafosse (1914). It is one of the 4 language families of Africa identified by Joseph Greenberg in his book The Language of Africa (1963). It is one of the world largest languages families with about 375 living languages and more than 350 million speakers in North Africa Horn of Africa, South West Asia parts of Sahel and East Africa. The most widely spoken Afro Asiatic language is ARABIC with 230 million speakers it include several ancient languages such as ancient Egyptian, Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian. Geographic distribution of the Afro – Asiatic language include: Ancient Egyptian and Coptic, Berber (less than 10 languages including Tuareg), Chadic (some 150 – 200 language including Hausa), Cushitic (some 30 – 50 languages including Somalia, Oromo), Omotic (up to 30 languages including wollaytta, kofa, and basket), Semitic (some 20 languages including Amharic, Tigrinya, some Arabic).

3. Nilo – Saharan – 196 languages: it is spoken by some 5o million people in the upper part of Chad and Nile rivers (hence the term “Nilo”) including historic Nubia, North of where the 2 tributaries of Nile meet. It extended through 17 nations, in Northern half of Africa (Mali Benin, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo in South, Sudan – Tanzania in East (Excluding Horn of Africa). Nilo Saharan include the greater Nile basin and central Sahara desert.

4. Khoisan – 35 languages: it is also known as Khoesan or Khossaan languages. They are click language of Africa, which do not belong to other language families. It is indigenous to Southern

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and Eastern Africa. In South Africa their speakers are the Khoi and Bushmen (saan), in Eastern Africa and Sandawe and Hadza. The Khoi language are restricted to the Kalahari desert primarily in Namibia and Botswana and to the rift valley in central Tanzania. The only widespread Khoisan language is Nama of Namibia, with ¼ of million speakers sandawe 2nd in Tanzania with about 40,000 monolingual and juu language spoken by 30000 people. Diffusion of language happened between the Arabs, Hausa and the Berbers which manifested between the 14th and 18th century due to relations and the introduction of Islam.

Official languages in Africa

Language is the process of communicating thought and feelings through the use of sounds or symbols. Official language is the mainstream language of any country. It is used in every social setting such as school, media, and organization and at individual level.

French is the 2nd most studied foreign language in the world, after English. French is an official language in 30 countries and it is called La Francophone. Swahili is a national or official language of 3 nations: Tanzania, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Portuguese language is one of the romance languages, which developed from Latin. 5 African countries speak Portuguese. Arabic is a name applied to a group of languages and dialects of central Semitic. Literary Arabic is the official language of 26 states, and the liturgical language of Islam since it is the language of the Qur’an the Islamic Holy Book.

Typologies of Nigerian languages

Nigerian language is part of the Nigerian culture, a citizen of Nigeria that cannot speak his own dialect apart from the central language may not be regarded as a thorough bred (son) of the soil. Without a common language men could never have attained solidarity and consensus; Giddens (1996) says language is a set of rules about how to communicate which is independent of individual.

Brief history of Nigerian language

The documentation of some languages of Nigeria started in the 17th century. The first Nigerian language was kalabari variety of ijaw. Nigeria is a country of 521 languages, 2 second languages without native speakers and 9 extinct languages. Nigeria languages can be broadly categorized into 2 types and they are Niger – Congo languages and Afro – Asiatic languages.

Standard Yoruba came into being due to work of Samuel Ajayi Crowther. Afro – Asiatic language of Nigeria is divided into 3: Chadic, Semitic and Berber. The Chadic languages predominate with 70 plus languages. Hausa is the most well known Chadic languages spoken by 24 million and west 15 million more. Sakkwatanchi spoken in Sokoto, Kastinanchi spoken in Kastina, Arewanchi spoken in Zamfara.

In Nigeria, it shows that Taraba speaks 73 languages, Bauchi speaks 60 languages and Adamawa speaks 58 languages. While states that speaks 60 languages and Adamawa speaks 58 languages. While states that speaks the least languages include Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Zamfara which speaks only 1 language.

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Yoruba and Egun are Lagos state languages traditionally. Yoruba is the language only for Ogun State and Abuja has 9 Languages. Yoruba is a Niger Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million people origin of oduduwa. Efik is the major member of the Benin – Congo language family called

cross – River. Ibibio language is spoken by about 3

million people of Akwa – Ibom and Cross River state

making it the 6th largest languages. Efik trade about 2 million 2nd language speakers.

Hausa is the most well known Chadic language in Nigeria and it is spoken by 24 million people and the 2nd language of 15 million more. Hausa is written in a modified Arabic script known as “Aiami” – Barikanchi is a pidgin formally used in the military. Kanuri is spoken by some 4 million people of Nigeria in 1978 it belongs to the western Saharan sub – phylum of Kanuri. It is associated with kanem and Borno empires which dominated the Lake Chad region for a thousand of years Kanuri extends through 17 nations in northern half of Africa.

Igbo are approximately 20 million speakers in Nigeria. There are over 20 Igbo dialects, a standard literary language was developed in 1972 based on the Owerri and Umuahia dialects and the most divergent is Ekpeye.


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COURSE OUTLINE 3: SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

By: Dr. Michael Kunnuji

The word social has 2 major meanings: the first is “found or living in groups” or “not alone”. One may conclude that animals are social animals since they are naturally found living together. The 2nd meaning suggests connection to society and the way it is organized.

Scott and Marshall (2005) defined society as the network of inter – relationships among members of a group who share a common culture, occupy a particular territorial area, and have a feeling that they constitute a unified and distinct entity.

Organization means arrangement and coordination. Social organization can be defined as the manner or way in which different parts of a society are arranged and made to function together to ensure order and the achievement of goals they consider worthwhile.

Family and kinship structural varieties

The family is a common way in which societies are organized. Burgess and Locke (2006) defined the family as a group who are united with the bond of marriage, blood, or adoption and comprising a single household tat interact and intercommunicate with one another in their various social roles of husband and wife etc. and creating a common culture.

Murdock (1949) defined family as a group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. Murdock identified 4 key roles played by families:

i. Sexual relationship ii. Economic cooperation

iii. Reproduction iv. Socialization

Murdock definition can be countered because there are gay families, conjugal families and macro families (extended family). The family of orientation is ones family when one is born into; while the family of procreation is the family when one creates his own family after leaving his family of orientation. Extended family combines at least an individual family of procreation and his family of orientation.

People who descend from a common ancestor are categorized under kinship ties. Kinship exist between people who have consanguineous ties or ties of affinity. In many parts of Africa, kinship groups served as political units in the absence of nation – states in the pre – colonial era. Kinship groups serve as the basis for inheritance, succession and regulation of sexual relationships.

The unilineal descent is either matrilineal or patrilineal, but not both. Scott & Marshall (2005) posit that the bilateral or cognatic descent establishes descent through both the patrilineal and matrilineal system. In Africa, patrilineal kinship groups are in the majority. (Igbo, Fulani, Nuer of Sudan, the Zulu, & Swazi of South – Africa) etc.

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Marriage and typologies of marriage in Africa

Marriage is legally recognized relationship between a man and a woman, which confers on them certain rights and demands certain obligations of them (Scott & Marshall 2005). Marriages can be categorized into 2: monogamy and polygamy (which is sometimes referred to as plural marriage).

Monogamous marriage by divorcing ones partner and remarrying is referred to as “serial monogamy” (Scott & Marshall 2005).

Polygamy has two major variants which are polygyny and polyandry. Polygyny is marriage of a man to two or more wives, while polyandry is marriage of a woman to 2 or more men or husbands, and it is common in Africa and it is for economic function of the family. In addition to this, marriage plays the role of satisfying sexual desires. Since it is considered unhealthy for women to resume sexual activities immediately after child birth, the man’s sexual desires are still met while one’s wife recuperates.

Levirate marriage is a situation where a dead man’s brother or closest male relative is married to the wife of the dead brother to raise children in the name of the dead husband. A similar practice is “widow inheritance” here the brother or closest male relative raises children for himself not the dead man.

In Sororate marriage a man marries the sister of his deceased wife. If a man marries both sisters concurrently, this can be described as sororal polygyny or concurrent Sororate marriage.

In ghost marriage a woman pays the bride wealth to marry another woman, and also provides a man (known as the consort or genitor). A common rule is endogamy which requires that an individual marries within a defined category while exogamy is a rule that requires an individual to marry from outside a group. Homogamy requires that an individual marries someone who is culturally similar to him or her. Homogamy may mean same – gender marriage. i.e. homosexual marriage.

Antecedents of marriage and family

The origin of the family remains unclear. Engels suggests that the family has passed through several stages before taking the shape it does in contemporary society. Punaluan family, which precludes sexual relations between brothers and sisters (i.e. people born of the same mother). Lele of Western Congo acquire hohombe i.e. village wife.

Rules of residence and descent

Societies have rules that guide where a married couple resides after marriage. Patrilocal residence is a rule of residence that requires a man and his family of procreation to reside with the man’s father. (This is the commonest rule of residence in Africa). Matrilocal residence, on the other hand, requires the couple to establish their home near or within the bride’s mother’s home or compound. Avunculocal residence requires the new family to reside near the house or in the compound of the groom’s maternal uncle. The Bilocal residence allows the couple to live with either of the spouse’s parents. Ambilocal residence rule is a form of Bilocal which the couple shifts from residence with the room’s kinship group to residence with the

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bride’s kinship group. Matri – Patrilineal residence is a form of Ambilocal residence. Here, the new family resides with the brides group for a while and then move to live with the groom’s family indefinitely. Duolocal means that the new family has no common residence and they remain in their family of orientation. Neolocal residence has become very popular. This rule of residence requires the new family to live in a new residence, away from the groups of the groom and the bride. Since modernization has being a threat to many traditional rules of residence etc. today, the neolocal residence has spread across the greater part of Africa.

Pre – Colonial economic and political arrangements including dispute resolution

The family served as an economic institution in most African cultures and territories before they were partitioned into colonies of western powers. Subsistence farming took place among all the people of Africa to varying degrees. Another was pastoral farming. Herdsmen are mostly nomadic since they must move to get pasture and food for their animals. People in coastal areas and around river basins are involved in fishing as a major economic activity.

The political systems of the people of Africa vary from society to society. There were acephalous/stateless groups as well as state groups. Temne of Sierra Leone, Igbo, Luo, Maasai & Nandi of Tanzania and Kenya, galla of Ethiopia are examples of acephalous (fyle, 1999). Oyo empire, Zulu empire in South Africa, Lunda empire of East Africa and Ashanti kingdom of Ghana. These states had highly developed political systems with political roles attached to offices. In stateless societies, disputes were settled by family heads or village heads (fyle, 1999).


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COURSE OUTLINE 4: SOCIAL CHANGE

By: Dr. Waziri Babatunde Adisa

Social change is one of the permanent features of every society on earth. Human life is not static. This change may be planned or unplanned revolutionary or peaceful, sudden or gradual, quantitative or qualitative. Social change is inevitable in human history (Giddens 2006; Ritzer 2007). Social interaction and mass communication across borders of different countries that used to take a longer time, in the 19th century, are now carried out today, within few seconds. As new nations are springing up, so also are new ideas on how to manage the changes are developing faster, often threatening to consume those who are generating them. Human beings are now living in a world that promises good future, and at the same time poses many dangers. Most of the third world nations are still at the periphery of the international capitalist system or what Wallenstein called the world system.

An overview of the concept of social change

The word social change emerges from 2 different words:

1. Social (meaning groups, interaction, companion) 2. Change (noticeable transformation in the life span of an object organic or not)

Social change may be defined as that alteration in the social structure of society, which evolves from the social interaction of people in the society. It may be a change in the culture, value systems, beliefs, customs, laws, practices, social organizations, social institutions and technologies of a people. Vago (1996) has this to say that: “social change may be defined as the process of planned or unplanned qualitative or quantitative alterations” in social phenomena that can be analyzed in terms of the following interrelated components: identity, level, duration, magnitude, and rate of change. Individuals who want to conduct researches on social change will want to know the basic objects they have to look out for on the field of research. Harper (1998) states that “social change is the significant alteration of social structure and cultural patterns through time.” Afonja and Pearce (1984), the concept of social change, at least in sociology, is derived from the idea of evolution. In this context, social change is therefore, taken to mean the ability of a society to achieve social order, progress, growth, equilibrium, differentiation, adaptation, and integration through a transition from level of development to a higher level of development. According to Afonja and Pearce, social change was first systematically analyzed with the concept of evolution by Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer.

Vigorously, the development economists of the Liberal school advanced and sold these new concepts to the 3rd world such as: modernization, economic growth, development, underdevelopment, political change, technological revolution, industrialization, urbanization etc.

Human history, social change and the social sciences

The history of man is simply a compendium of social changes. Man and his society evolved from social change. 2 significant events facilitated this process of social change in human history:

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1. The industrial revolution of 1750 – 1860. This revolution according to stark (1992) and Ritzer (2007) helped man to shift his mode of production from agrarian to industrial mode of production.

2. French revolution of 1789. It was the interplay of forces in these two revolutions which laid the foundation of modern liberal democracy, nationalism, political freedom in Europe and later the rest of the world.

N:B – the history of social change in human evolution should not however be restricted to these 2 significant human achievements.

Theories of social change

7 theories of social change will be examined namely

1. Evolutionary theory: this approach has its roots in Darwinian Biological evolution of man and his society. Every human society must pass through certain stages of development usually from primitive stage to age of civilization. For instance, Comte argues that in his laws of human progress there is a process of evolution of human mind and of human society through 3 stages: theological, metaphysical and positive stage. Emile Durkheim in his book “The Division of Labour in Society” where he describes traditional societies as societies with mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity. Ferdinand Tonnies: “human society must undergo Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft”, Talcott Parsons: particularism to universalism and Karl Marx’s feudalism – capitalism – communism. Most proponents of evolutionary theory, except Marx, believe so much in social order and social equilibrium.

2. Functionalist theory: social change is meant to explain the functions performed by social institutions and implications of this performance for social order. to Durkheim “to explain a social fact, it is not enough to show the course in which it depends, we must also show the functions in the establishment of social order. According to Afonja and Pearce (1986), most functionalist are of the opinion that each institution in society has certain functions it performs, and it is in the process of performing these functions that social change occurs. Durkheim talked about the “role of religion, division of labour, and suicide in the French society of his time”.

3. Conflict theory: 2 types of conflict is a necessary precondition for growth of human society. (Capitalism – feudal lords, replaced with the bourgeoisie). Ralf Dahrendorf believes just as consensus is necessary for social change to occur sp also is conflict needed.

4. Modernization theory: it is a 1960s version of functionalism, which sought to explain the factors that were responsible for the differences between the development of western societies and non – western societies. Economists were among the social scientist who vigorously prompted this theory. Rostow demonstrates the processes of these changes in his book “the stages of economic growth: A non – communist manifesto” (1960). Rostow identified 5 stages that the developing countries will undergo before they could witness modernization: Traditional society, pre – conditions for take – off to self – sustained growth itself, the drive to maturity and the age of high mass consumption. This theory did not explain the role of the colonial masters in the underdevelopment of Africa.

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5. Dependency theory/Peripheral political economy: this is a set of idea, meant to debunk modernization theory. Proponents of this approach to development wanted the whole world to see the causes of underdevelopment in the developing countries. They include Andrew Gunder Frank, Samir Amir, Frantz Fanon, Claude Ake etc. they argue that it is not that Africa does not have the capacity to develop but that it is hamstrung by its dependency status, and its peripheral position in the world system. Samir Amin demonstrates how colonialism served as a tool of accumulating Africa’s vast resources for the benefits of Europeans. Frantz Fanon in his book “the wretched of the earth” demonstrates how Africa, particularly Algerians were oppresses and exploited by the colonial masters.

Types of social change

1. Progressive social change (positive or developed) 2. Retrogressive social change (negative or underdeveloped) 3. Mixed social change (both positive and negative) 4. Planned social change (preferred by the government) 5. Unplanned social change (exogenous or endogenous)

Sources of social change

In social science literature, it has been argued that many factors may be responsible for the emergence of social change (Vag0, 1996). Some of the factors which have been given scientific attention in social change literature include. Technology, ideology, competition, conflict, revolution, social structure, polity, economy, population increase or demographic changes.

Agents of social change

1. Family 2. Social groups 3. Social actors 4. Government 5. Mass media 6. Schools 7. Gender groups

Targets of social change

1. State 2. Institutions of governance 3. Citizens 4. Structure and culture of society

Social change in Nigeria: A discussion of major factors

1. Colonialism: European had their first contact with Nigerians during Atlantic slave trade, abolition of slave trade was in 1807 and colonialism brought western pattern into Nigeria.

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2. Western education: In 1859 the CMS missionary introduced the first secondary school in Nigeria in Lagos state. In 1909 the British introduced the kings college in Lagos state, in 1938 the first tertiary institution i.e. Yaba College of Technology was established. University of Ibadan was the first University College in Nigeria. (Hence University of Lagos was established a University before University of Ibadan).

3. The emergence of new class of elites: the first groups of elites were British administrators. The 2nd groups were the European bourgeois class with the occupation of Royal Niger Company in 1889. The 3rd were the Nationalist.

4. Military rule: they seized political power from the civilians on January 15th 1966. It led to the sub – version of the rule of law, creation of new states.

5. Bureaucratization: it started in Nigeria during the colonial era. Public first followed by private bureaucracies. The 1st bureaucracies were the civil service, courts and the police. 1st supreme court in Nigeria was established in 1862 (Supreme Court of Lagos), NPF in 1930.

6. Economic growth and development: it is vital for national development. Oil discovery brought hope in early 1970s. by 1980s mid it has dwindled. There were closures of many universities in 1986. Hitherto Nigeria has no viable manufacturing sector.

7.


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COURSE OUTLINE 5: CULTURES AND SOCIETY IN AFRICA

By Prof. Fatai A. Badru

During colonialism in Africa, Europeans adopted the attitudes of superiority as a sense of mission. They live in special areas (GRA) and go to special schools. The French were able to accept an African as French, if they gave up their African culture and adopted French ways. Kenya social commentator Mwiti Mugambi avers that the future of Africa can only be forged from accepting and mending the socio – cultural present. Karenga states that our culture provides us with ethos we must honour in both thought and practice.

African Arts and Crafts

African arts and crafts find expression in a variety of wood – carvings, brass, leather and pottery art works, etc. it also include sculpture, paintings, pottery, ceremonial and headgear and dress. Maulana Karenga states that all art must be revolutionary, collective, committing and functional. Masks are used in various ceremonies depicting ancestors and spirits, mythological characters and deities.

Folklore and religion

Culture and religion share space and are deeply intertwined in African cultures. Religion serves a number of functions for Nigerians.

Clothing

Many indigenous fabrics are hand woven. Tie and dye in Abeokuta, Aso Oke in Iseyin etc. in Ethiopia women’s traditional clothes are made from fabric called shemma and used to make habeshagemis about 90cm wide. Men wear pant like cloth and a knee length shirt with a white collar and a sweater. In West Africa, many of the indigenous attire are influenced by Islamic tradition.

African Cuisine

The African cuisine is a combination of traditional fruits and vegetables, milk and meat products. Cassava and yams are the main root vegetables. North Africa, along the Mediterranean from morocco to Egypt has different food habits that Saharan Africans who consume subsistence diet. Tej is the most familiar alcoholic drink in the interior Africa. Cattle and goats were regarded as a form of currency, and are not generally consumed as food.

African Music

Traditional sub – Saharan African music is as diverse as the region’s various populations. Sub – Saharan African music is that it is rhythmic music weaved around drums (Niger – Congo). African music have been neglected by the youth and rapidly been replaced by the imported music. Modern sub – Saharan African music has been influenced by music from the new world.

Languages: There are many language in Africa, both written and unwritten. The main ethno – linguistic divisions are Afro – Asiatic, Niger – Congo, Nilo – Saharan in parts of the sahel and parts of eastern Africa and southern Africa. FESTAC was held in 1977.

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Sub cultures are groups (area boys) that are part of a larger society. Class sub culture is based on differences in the ways of life of the different socio – economic classes. Ethnocentrism have been termed as racism and tribalism. Through cultural diffusion, it should be noted that culture is learned through the socialization process.

Components of Culture

Chinoy (1967) identifies 3 main groups of the components of culture.

a. Institutions b. Ideas c. Material products

Culture patterns

The term culture pattern refers to a cluster of related ways of behaving found in a given culture (Beal & Hoijer, 1971). Culture patterns can be divided into 2 broad types: ideal patterns and behaviour patterns.

Culture Areas

The concept ‘culture area by Herskovits (1924)’ is an attempt to group together people whose indigenous ways of life are similar to a great degree. It should be noted that efforts to sketch a culture area map of Asia persisted into the 1950, as a move to complete the world picture. Organization of data in culture areas terms persist in standard Anthropological works hitherto.

Fundamental Assumptions of the Concept “Culture Area”

1. There are culture centres in culture areas 2. Culture traits from culture centres tend to diffuse to periphery areas 3. There are peripheries of least concentration of traits 4. Culture areas have similar environment conditions 5. Age area concept i.e. the oldest traits will dominate particular areas.


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COURSE OUTLINE 6: RACE & IDENTITY

By: Dr. Khalid Adekoya

A blood type (also called a blood group) is a classification of blood based on the pressure or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). Blood types are inherited and represent contributions from both parents.

The 2 most significant blood group systems were discovered by Karl Landsteiner, a Viennese physician and a Nobel prize winner during the early experiments with blood transfusion: the ABO group in 1900 and in cooperation with Alexander S. Wiener the Rhesus group in 1940. 30 human blood group systems are recognized and registered by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) and Over 600 blood group antigens have been found. Out of the 30 blood group systems 14 are mostly detected:

1. ABO – 1900 2. MNSs – 1927 3. P – 1927 4. Rh – 1940 5. Lutheran – 1945 6. Kell – 1946 7. Lewis – 1946 8. Duffy – 1950 9. Kidd – 1951 10. Diego – 1955 11. Yt – 1956 12. I – 1956 13. Xg – 1962 14. Dombrock – 1965

Blood Types

The common cause in blood type change is a bone marrow transplant. E.g. if a type A bone marrow is given to type O, the patient’s blood type will eventually convert to the donor’s type.

The ABO System

It is the most important blood group system in human blood transfusion. ABO Igm antibodies are produced in the first years of life by sensitization to environmental substances such as food, bacteria and viruses. The O in ABO is often called zero or null in the other language. The ABO system was shown by Bernstein in 1925 to consist of 3 alleles of a single gene, Isoagglutinogens, IA, IB & IO, forming 4 different phenotypic groups A(IAIA or IAIO), B(IBIB or IBIO), AB(IAIB) and O(IOIO).

Phenotype Genotype A AA or AO B BB or BO

AB AB

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O OO Rhesus (Rh) blood group system

The Rh system is the 2nd most significant blood group system in human blood transfusion with currently 50 antigens. It plays an important dominant role in a condition known as haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). Rh was discovered in Rhesus monkeys. There are Rh+ and Rh–. Rh+ individuals make an antigen that is present on the cell surface, Rh– does not. HDN is a disease that begins during fetal development and results from an immunologic incompatibility between mother and fetus when the mother is Rh– and the fetus is Rh+. If a subsequent pregnancy involves an Rh+ fetus, antibodies present in the Rh– mother cross the placenta and destroy the red blood cells of the fetus. This causes anaemia, jaundice, cerebral damage, mental retardation and death. It is a condition known medically as erythoblastosis fetalis.

Society and Culture

A popular belief in Japan is that a person’s ABO blood type is predictive of their personality, character and compatibility with others. The theory reached Japan in 1927 psychologist’s report. The theory has long since be rejected by scientist, but it was revived in the 1970s by Masahiko Nomi, a broadcaster who had no medical record.

Blood Transfusion

Much of the routine work of a blood bank involves testing blood from both donors and recipients to ensure that every individual recipient is given blood that is compatible and is as safe as possible. In cross checking if agglutination occurs, the particular donor’s blood cannot be transfused to that particular recipient. In a blood bank, it is vital that all blood specimens are correctly identified, so labeling has been standardized using a bar code system known as ISBT 128. Frontline German Waffen – SS had blood group tattoos during World War II. In Nigeria drivers licenses issued by FRSC now carry the individual’s blood group of ABO and Rhesus.

Paternity Testing

Apart from transfusion, blood group can also be employed in legal medicine. This is achieved by matching the blood of individuals involved in the cases using the Isoagglutinogens, the result may solve it out rightly or other parameters will be applied such as DNA, fingerprinting and molecular diagnostics e.g. an AB individual cannot be the parent of an O individual, two A’s individuals may be the parents of an O individual if both are AO.

Sex Determination in Humans

There are obvious phenotypic differences between sexes, known as sexual dimorphism.

Sex Chromosomes

In human there are 23 pairs of chromosomes in each of the cell except the sex cells that have 23 units. Among the 23 pairs, 22 pairs constitute the autosomes, the last pair is called “sex chromosomes” and responsible for the determination of sex. It is designated as X and Y chromosomes.

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XY Mechanisms

What determines maleness or femaleness is a complex interaction between genes and the environment. In human, on the other hand, sex determination is primarily associated with sex chromosomes (XX) and males have an X and a Y chromosome (XY). Because the male makes 2 kinds of gametes, he is referred to as heterogametic, and the female is homogametic, since she makes only 1 type of gamete. Clearly, it is the male gamete that determines the sex of the offspring. Turner syndrome are female 45X and they are tending towards masculine shortness, wide chested, underdeveloped breasts and they lack ovarian development klinefelter syndrome are male with 47 XXY with abnormal numbers of sex chromosomes.

Sex Ratio

The sex ratio at conception, known as the primary sex ratio, should be 1:1. It is thought that the Y – bearing sperm are lighter and can swim faster and farther than X – bearing sperm. The laboratory methods for separating X and Y bearing sperm called centrifugation on the basis of weight have been successful and can be used in conjunction with artificial insemination to produce male and female offspring of choice 75% of the time.

The sex ratio at birth known as the secondary sex ratio is about 1.05 (105 males for every 100 females). The tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of adults. At 20 to 25 years of age, it is 1:00; thereafter females out numbered the males in ever increasing proportions. Also accident lead to death among males age 15 to 35 years, some are environmental & genetic factors.

Pre – Determination of Sex

Apart from billing’s method, it is scientifically possible to determine sex of a child:

1. Amniocentesis 2. Artificial insemination with choice sperm 3. Sperm banks.


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COURSE OUTLINE 7: THE GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA

By: Dr. Ayeni, A. O Ph.D & O.A Adeaga Ph.D

Africa is the world’s 2nd largest and 2nd most populous continent after Asia. It has 62 political territories, representing the largest of the great South ward projections from the main mass of earth’s surface. An area of 30,368,609 (11,725,385 Sq. mi), adjacent islands covering 6% of the earth total surface area and 20.4% of the land total area with 1.0 billion, it accounts for about 14.75 of the world’s human population South and North.

The Sahara desert stretches across North African from West to East, containing the mountain massifs of Hoggar and Tibesti. Mediterranean Africa lying North of the Sahara includes the sharply folded and eroded Atlas Mountains. South of Sahara Africa may be divided by 3000ft contour line running from the South – West (Angola) to the North – East (Ethiopia). The rift valleys of East Africa extended South from the dead sea down the red sea across Ethiopian highlands through Kenya to the sea near the mount of Zambezi. Lake Tanganyika, Turkana and Nyasa are the largest. The rift valleys are also associated with great snow capped peaks Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. South and West of Zambezi lay the Kalahari and Namib deserts and the dry highlands of Namibia.

Africa is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea from much of Asia by the Red Sea, Africa joined to Asia at its North – East extremity by the Isthmus of Suez, 130km (81mi) wide. For geopolitical purpose the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt East of the Suez Canal is often considered part of Africa.

The continent is also surrounded by bodies of water namely: Mediterranean Sea to the North, both the red sea and the sue canal along the Sinai to the North – East, the India ocean to the South – East, and the Atlantic ocean to the west. Arms of the oceans include the Gulf of Aden, the Mozambique Channel and the Gulf of Guinea. The continent has 54 Sovereign states. Madagascar is the largest island in Africa and the 4th largest on the earth after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro 5,891.8m (19.330ft) in Tanzania. The lowest point is Lake Asal, 153m (502ft) below sea level in Djibouti.

Physical Characteristics

Africa is the most tropical (hot) of all continents. Sahara desert is the largest of approximate 18ookm (North to South of over 10.4 Million ), 5600km East – West. Assal’s basin 512ft (156m) below sea level. Namib Desert is very barren and extremely dry and considered the oldest in the world.

Geology. Relief and Drainage

The continent is made up of very old crystalline, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks of great hardness. The African plateau is underlain primarily by Precambrian rock that dates back to more than 600 years. Africa’s coastline is generally straight and relatively short compared with other continents. The only place with an extended continental shelf is the Agulhas Bank (320 km or 200 miles off shore).

Rivers cut through all parts of the continent except the Sahara, where it barely rains. The only large natural lake outside Eastern Africa is Lake Chad, on the Southern edge of te Sahara. Some of the world’s largest

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and longest rivers are found in Africa. These rivers are not effective as transportation routes due to the existence of a large amount of rapids and cataracts (a large water fall). Despite being impediments to transportation most of the rivers provide a great potential for the production of hydro – electricity. The calculation of the areas of African drainage systems by Dr. A. Bludau.

Africa has number of island which are structurally different from the mainland. Major islands are Madagascar, Zanzibar and Pemba; the Comoros; Mauritius; Reunion; Seychelles (in India); Cape Verde, Fernando, Principe, Sao Tome and Annobon (all in Atlantic). Africa linked to Asia by an isthmus that was cut into a canal in 1869.

Climate and Vegetation

Africa is the most tropical of all continents (very hot). Inter tropical coverage zone (ITCZ). There are very warm and very cool climates also continental climate when air temperature decreases at an average of 3. per 1000ft it is called the LAPSE RATE. Africa climatic zones fall into 3 broad categories: humid equatorial, dry and humid temperate.

Vegetation and Ecology of Africa

1. Tropical Rain Forest


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EXERCISES – CONFIRMED GST 201 QUESTIONS WITH SOLVED ANSWERS BELOW.

1. The author of the chapter on Cell Biology and Genectics in the book Fundamentals of General African Studies is:

a. Badru b. Adejoh c. Adekoya d. Ayeni

2. The name of the anthropologist who gave the classical definition of culture is:

a. Tailor b. Tylor c. Weber d. Durkheim

3. The editors of the book “Fundamentals of General African Studies” is:

a. Badru & Ninalowo b. Ayeni & Adeaga c. Adejoh & Adisa d. Ninalowo & Badru

4. The scholar that espouses the culture area is called:

a. Otite b. Deseiyi c. Herskovitt d. Malinowski

5. Wife hospitality is a custom of the people below:

a. The Urhobos b. The Ijaws c. The Tivs d. The Yorubas

6. Iria practice is a fattening process for the betrothed among:

a. The Urhobos b. The Jukuns c. The Okrikas d. The Efiks

7. Which of the following is a type of society in Africa?

a. The Hunters and Gatherers b. The Dancers c. The Pipers d. The Boko Haram

8. The following constitute a tangible element of culture

a. Ideas b. Values c. Customs d. Artifact

9. A marriage between a man and more than one woman is called:

a. Polygamy b. Polygyny c. Polyandry d. Bigamy

10. That culture is dynamic means that:

a. It is static b. It is stable c. It is powerful d. It changes over time

11. The manner or way in which different parts of a society are arranged and made to function together to ensure order and the achievement of goals is ……………………….

a. Social hierarchy b. Social order c. Social harmony d. Social Organization

12. What is the most fundamental feature of social organization?

a. Solitary living b. inter – individual feature c. Socialization d. Social conflict

13. What major factor determines how people relate to one another in society?

a. How they are born b. Where they are born c. How they are related d. Their children

14. The family into which an individual is born is his/her ………………………..

a. Family b. Kinship group c. Family of orientation d. Family of procreation

15. People who are related by blood are …………………

a. Relatives b. Affines c. Consanguines d. Kinsmen

16. People who are related either by blood or marriage are …………………

a. Kins b. Relations c. Social Organization d. Consanguines

17. The primary factor in determining kinship ties is relationship by ………………..

a. Marriage b. Adoption c. Blood d. Inheritance

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18. What is the commonest descent type in Africa?

a. Matrilineal descent b. Patrilocal residence c. Duolocal residence d. Patrilineal descent.

19. Which of these groups has a different descent type?

a. Bemba b. Ashanti c. Tuareg d. Swazi

20. Another word for plural marriage is ………

a. Polyandry b. Polygyny c. Polygamy d. Levirate marriage

21. Which ethnic group in Africa is known for practicing polyandry by acquiring a hohombe?

a. Ashanti of Ghana b. Lele of Congo c. Zulu of South Africa d. Massai of East Africa

22. What is the reversed form of sororal polygyny?

a. Fraternal polyandry b. Sororal polygyny c. Fraternal polygyny d. Concurrent Sororate marriage

23. According to the Marxian evolution of the family, what type of family replaced the consanguine family?

a. Hunting and Gathering groups b. The pairing family c. The modern family d. The Punaluan family

24. What form of descent suits uxorilocal residence?

a. Patrilineal descent b. Matrilineal descent c. Bilineal descent d. Adoption descent

25. In terms of traditional economic activities, which of these peoples is different from the rest?

a. Ewe b. Luo c. Gun d. Temne

26. The Fulani people are found in all of these countries but one

a. Mauritania b. Mali c. Beni d. Democratic Republic of Congo

27. Traditional medicine in Africa consists of the following except?

a. Diviners b. Traditional birth attendants c. Wards attendants d. Herbalists

28. Traditional medicine in Africa is transmitted either …………… or …………….

a. Oral b. Written c. Print media d. Both A & B

29. Traditional medicine provides treatment for the following except?

a. Physical b. Emotional c. Psycho – spiritual d. Mon of the above

30. What percentage of population in Africa makes use of traditional medicine according to WHO?

A. 50% B. 40% C. 80% D. 100%

31. Traditional healer makes use of all the following except?

a. Vegetables b. Animal c. Mineral substances d. Drugs

32. When traditional medicine is adopted outside its original setting or culture, it is called

a. Adopted herbs b. Folk medicines c. Complementary and alternative medicines d. Imported herbs

33. Oyebola (1980) classified traditional healers among the Yoruba into?

a. 10 b. 8 c. 6 d. 2

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34. There are four major groups of healers in South Africa.

a. True b. False c. Don’t know d. None of the above

35. How many groups of healers are in Tanzania?

a. 2 b.3 c. 4 d. 5

36. Which of the following is not a reason why people still use traditional medicine?

a. Perceived to be holistic b. Rise in chronic diseases without cure c. Side effects of orthodox medicine d. None of the above

37. Which of the following is not a merit of Africa traditional medicine?

a. Readily available and accessible b. Patients feel more comfortable with traditional healers c. May require immediate payment d. it is relatively cheaper

38. Which date is observed as the African traditional medicine in all countries of Africa?

a. 31st of August of every year b. 31st of July of every year c. 31st of January of every year d. 31st of September of every year

39. Africa is the world’s …………… and second most populous continent

a. Largest b. Second Largest c. Smallest d. Second smallest

40. The Sahara Desert is ………………

a. Over 10.4 million b. About 7.4 million c. Approx. 100.4 million d. About 5.4 million

41. One reason the cultures of North Africa developed differently from the cultures of the

rest of Africa was that these areas of Africa was that these areas of Africa were separated by the:

a. Congo River Basin b. Great Rift Valley c. Sahara Desert d. Arabian Sea

42. The longest river is:

a. Nile river b. River Niger c. River Volta d. Congo River

43. Most of the highlands and mountains are the result of recent ………….. Activities:

a. Volcanic b. Plutonic c. Human and economic d. Hurricane

44. The chief river of Western Africa is …………

a. The Niger b. The orange c. The Zambezi d. The Limpopo

45. In the deserts themselves, rainfall is extremely scarce and temperatures are ………….

a. Very low b. Very extreme c. Inconsistence d. Not experience at all

46. ………………… is characterized by short grass and plants adapted to a brief growing season but there are considerable differences due to altitude:

a. Temperature grassland or veld b. Savannah c. Mediterranean woodland d. Tropical rain forest

47. In many parts of Africa colonialism led to economic development that generally advanced ……………… objectives, which were not necessarily suited to the needs of Africa itself:

a. American b. European c. Traditional rulers d. Asian

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48. The discovery of diamonds in southern Africa in the …………. Century signaled Africa’s rise as a major mineral producer:

a. Late 18th b. Early 19th c. Late 19th d. Early 20th

49. In the early 21st century, Africa saw the fastest growth in the …………. Telephone market in the world:

a. Nokia b. Cellular c. LG d. Blackberry

50. ……………. Is the author, who defined social change as a significant alteration in the social structure and cultural patterns of society through time?

a. Charles Harper b. Steven Vago c. Amital Eztzioni d. Simi Afonja

51. The authors of the book Social Change in Nigeria are …………… and ……………………..

a. Steven Vago and Charles Harper b. Simi Afonja and Tola Olu Pearse c. Simi Afonja and Carolyne Dennis d. Funmi Oluruntimehin and Ladun Anise

52. …………. Is the radical form of social change, which often leads to a total transformation of the structures and culture of a particular society.

a. Ideology b. Revolution c. Companion d. Religion

53. ………………… is the type of social change which indicates a sustained progress in the development of society.

a. Mixed social change b. Progressive social change d. Retrogressive social change d. Social harmony

54. All of the following concepts are often used in social sciences to describe social change except one

a. Social evolution b. Progress c. Growth d. Gravitation

55. ………….. is a theory of sociology that believes every human society must evolve from homogenous stage of development to a heterogeneous stage

a. Diffusion b. Acculturation c. Adaptation d. Evolution

56. ………….. is the author of the book Origin of Man

a. Thomas Malthus b. Charles Darwin c. Karl Marx d. Max Weber

57. Lagos was ceded to the British Empire in London in ……………..

a. 1818 b. 1865 c. 1861 d. 1872

58. The Headquarters of Colonial British Administration in Nigeria was first cited in ……

a. Calabar b. Lagos c. Ibadan d. Kaduna

59. The full meaning of ISBT is ?

a. International Society for Blood Transfusion b. International Society of Blood Transfusion c. International Sovereign Body of Transfussion d. International Sovereign Body for Blood Transporters e. None of the above

60. How many different blood group antigens have been found in Man?

1. 150 b. 300 c. 200 d. 600

61. In human, 14 of the blood group systems are commonly detected, which of these is not one of them?

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a. Lewis b. Epselon c. ABO d. Rhesus e. MNSs

62. Which of the following was the last to be discovered amongst the human blood group system and in what year?

a. Lewis, 1965 b. Dombrock, 1965 c. Lewis, 1975 d. Dombrock, 1975 e. None of the above

63. Which of the following is not likely to change an individual blood type or group?

a. Transfusion b. Infection c. Malignancy d. Autoimmune diseases e. Bone marrow transplant.

64. Which antigen is sometimes associated with McLeod syndrome?

a. Rhesus b. D c. A d. Kell d. Duffy

65. An individual with O blood group can be genotypically represented as all the following except?

a. OO b. II c. d. e. None of the above

THIS WORK IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY AJI. IT IS FREE FOR ALL OFFERING THE COURSE. !! NOT FOR SALE !! !!! NOT FOR SALE !! GST 201 – GENERAL AFRICAN STUDIES FOR MORE ENQUIRIES CONTACT AJI THROUGH PHONE: +234 – 706 – 603 – 173 BBM: 3324D0BF

QUESTION PART II – ANSWER ALL

1. The scholar who coined the word sociology is

a. Herbert Spencer b. August Conte c. Saint Simon d. Auguste Comte

2. One of these is not a characteristic of culture

a. It can be learned or acquired by man b. It is transmitted from generation to generation c. It is static d. All of the above

3. A scholar whose theory of social change is based on technological determination is ….

a. Durkheim b. Hobbes c. Sayer d. Vebien

4. A scholar whose theory of social change is based on conspicuous consumption is …

a. Durkheim b. Hobbes c. Sayer d. Vebien

5. The Vive Chancellor of UNILAG in whose regime the Multi – purpose Hall was conceived and executed is:

a. Eni Njoku b. Nurudeen Alao c. Jelili Omotola d. Ibidapo Obe

6. Consanguity refers to

a. Conjugal family b. Herbert union c. Blood relation d. Constant unit

7. Matriarchy is authority within the family exercised by …….

a. The son of the female head b. The husband c. The head of the whole family d. The eldest female of the family

8. The rule of residence which the family of the groom established is called ….

a. Matrilocal b. Bilocal c. Patrimatrilocal d. Patrilocal

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9. The practice whereby a woman marries men from family of orientation is called ….

a. Non – fraternal polyandry b. Fraternal polyandry c. Sororal polyandry d. Non – sororal polyandry

10. Endogamy rules

a. Forbid marrying within the same lineage b. Forbid marrying within the same village c. Encourage cousin marriage d. Forbid marrying from outside the village

11. When the newly married couples set up their homes in a location of their parent it is called

a. Patrilocal b. Bridolocal c. Groomolocal d. Neolocal

12. Which of these is not a material culture?

a. BlackBerry phone b. Artifacts c. Proverbs d. House

13. The scholar who wrote a masterpiece on division of labour in society is

a. Adam Smith b. Herbert Spencer c. Emile Durkheim d. Auguste Comte

14. The scholar famous with the idea of ‘Iron Law of Oligarchy is ………

a. Mosca b. Titmus c. Spencer d. Mitch

15. One of the following aptly specifies the raison detre for Genera African Studies

a. The race for the supremacy of the African race b. To gain international sympathy for Africa c. To represent objectively African cultural peculiarities d. None of the above

16. One of the following is an effect of the peculiar tropicality of African continent

a. Narrow continental sea self b. A generally low diurnal and annual range of temperature c. The massive concentration of crude oil deposits along the coast d. None of the above e. All of the above

17. One of these is not an example of social institution

a. Religion b. Marriage c. Education d. None of the above

18. The rationale for the inclusion of the Geography of Africa in the General African Studies syllabus is two fold, namely;

a. The global environmental concern and the increasingly prospects and practice of development activity at supra natural level b. The concern about environmental and Nigerian sovereignty c. The concern about African cultural refocusing and reparation d. All of the above.

19. The assessment of African Geosophical worldview is a theme in culture analysis subsumed under

a. Man’s standard of expression b. Material artifact c. Ideational worldview d. All of the above

20. One of these espouses the classical definition of culture

a. Tailor b. Durkheim c. Tylor d. White

21. Social Organisation in the Fundamentals of General African Studies is written by

a. Badru b. Adisa c. Ayeni d. Kunnuji

22. When ancestry is traced from female lines, it is called?

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a. Matrilineal b. Biblical c. Patrilineal d. Bilineal

23. Levirate occurs when a man marries

a. The widow of his late elder brother b. The widow of a senior member of the society c. The widow of a dead clan mate d. The widow of his late uncle

24. …….. is the official language in Republic of Tanzania

a. English b. Swahili c. Hausa d. French

25. The form of marital arrangement where a woman is married to two or more husbands is found commonly among

a. Nigerians b. Chinese c. Americans d. The Southern Indians

26. The topic traditional medicine in Africa was written by ………….

a. Badru b. Adejo c. Badruu d. Adejoh

27. The word folkways was coined by

a. Blumer b. Spencer c. Sumner d. Summer

28. The family into which an individual was born is known as

a. Family of recreation b. Family of orientation c. Family of procreation d. Genetic family

29.Another word for stateless societies is

a. Monarchical societies b. Chiefdom societies c. Acephalous societies d. None of the above

30. Which of these is not true of traditional medicine

a. It has methods for diagnosing illness b. The practices are all the time explicable c. It is

handed down from generation to generation d. It is used to cure mental illness e. a &b

31. A traditional health practitioner is a person who is

a. Recognized by the WHO b. Acceptable to the Nigerian Medical Association c. A self professes healer d. Recognized as competent by the community where he practices e. a & b

32. Traditional medical practitioners in China are called

a. Bare hand doctors b. Doctors without stethoscope c. Barefoot doctors d. Local doctors

33. The term ‘Indigenous health are practitioners’ is preferred over the term ‘native doctor’ because the latter is:

a. Pejorative b. Ethnocentric c. Colonial in Origin d. Calculated to bring traditional medicine to disrepute e. All of the above

34. What are incantations?

a. Songs of praise to the deities b. Songs of self praise c. Poetic verbal expressions to conjure up forces with medical powers d. Medical songs peculiar to Africans e. Speaking in tongues to conjure spirits

35. The indigenous name for Herbal healer among the Igbos is:

a. Dibi b. Dibio c. Dibie d. Dibia

36. Who among these is regarded as the father of Western Medicine?

a. Ibn Khaldun b. Archimedes c. Hypocrites d. Aristotle e. Plato

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37. The meaning of the statement that use of medical plants in Europe was based on the doctrine of signature means that

a. Every doctor were not on any drug prepared by him b. Unsigned drugs were not to be administered c. Heart shaped leaves for heart problems etc d. A relative sign for a patient before treatment e. a & b

38. Knowledge about traditional medical practice in Sub – Saharan African has been handed down from generation to generation mainly through

a. Oral accounts b. Written accounts c. Songs d. Herbal medical schools

39. Which of these is not a legendary theory of the origin of traditional Medical practice?

a. Religious rituals b. Mystical rituals c. Spirits d. Trance revelation e. Experimentation

40. In Yoruba mythology, the first person to practice the art of healing is

a. Karunmi b. Orunmila c. Obatala d. Osanyin e. Sango

41. Disease in traditional medicine may arise from al these except

a. Supernatural causes b. Toxic substances c. Evil spirits d. Witchcraft e. Displeasure of ancestral gods

42. The author of the chapter on African Languages and Literature in the book Fundamentals of General African Studies is

a. Badru b. Adejoh c. Adekoya d. Kunnuji

43. The name of the Anthropologist who gave the classical definition of culture is

a. Tailor b. Tylor c. Weber d. Durkheim

44. The editors of the book Fundamentals of General African Studies are

a. Badru and Ninalowo b. Ayeni and Adeaga c. Adejoh and Adisa d. Ninalowo and Badru

45. The scholar that espouses the culture area is called

a. Badru b. Deselyi c. Herskovits d. Malinowski

46. Wife hospitality is a custom of one of the following people

a. The Urhobos b. The Ijaws c. The Tivs d. The Yorubas

47. Iria practice is a fattening process in culture of one of the following people:

a. The Urhobos b. The Jukuns c. Okrikas d. The Efiks

48. The following constitute a tangible element of culture

a. Ideas b. Values c. Customs d. Artifact

49. That culture is dynamic means that:

a. It is static b. It is stable c. It is powerful d. It changes over time

50. The manner or way in which different parts of a society are arranged and made to function together to ensure order and the achievement of goals is ………………..

a. Social hierarchy b. Social order c. Social harmony d. Social organization

51. What is the most fundamental feature of social organization?

Page | 30

a. Solitary living b. Inter – individual feature c. Socialization d. Social conflict

52. What major factor determines how people relate to one another in society?

a. How they are born b. Where they are born c. How they are related d. Their children

53. People who are related either by blood or marriage are ……………..

a. Kins b. Relations c. Social organization d. Consaguines

54. What is the commonest descent type in Africa?

a. Matrilineal descent b. Patrilocal descent c. Duolocal descent d. Patrilineal descent

55. Which of these groups have a different descent type?

a. Bemba b. Ashanti c. Tuareg d. Swazi

56. Which ethnic group in Africa is known for practicing polyandry by acquiring a hohombe?

a. Ashanti of Ghana b. Lele of Congo c. Zulu of South Africa d. Massai of East Africa

57. What is the reversed of sororal polygyny?

a. Fraternal polyandry b. Sororal polygyny c. Fraternal polygyny d. Concurrent Sororate marriage

58. According to the Marxian evolution of the family, what type of family replaced the consanguine family?

a. Hunting and gathering groups b. The pairing c. The modern family d. The Punaluan family



60. What form of descent suit uxorilocal residence?

a. Patrilineal descent b. Matrilineal descent c. Bilineal descent d. Adoption descent

61. In terms of traditional economic activities, which of these peoples are different from the rest?

a. Ewe b. Luo c. Gun d. Temne

62. The Fulani people are found in all of these countries but one

a. Mauritania b. Mali c. Beni d. Democratic Republic of Congo e. Senegal

63. What percentage of the population in Africa makes use of traditional medicine according to WHO?

a. 50% b. 40% c. 80% d. 100%

64. Africa is the world’s …………… and the second most populous continent

a. Largest b. Second largest c. Smallest d. Second smallest

65. The Sahara desert is ……………..

a. Over 10.4 million b. about 7.4 million c. Approx. 100.4 million d. About 5.4 million

66. One reason the cultures of North Africa developed from the cultures of the rest of Africa was that these Africa were separated by the

Page | 31

a. Congo river basin b. Great Rift Valley c. Sahara desert d. Arabian Sea

67. The African longest river is

a. Nile River b. River Niger c. River Volta d. Congo River

68. Most of the highlands and mountains are the result of recent ………….. activities

a. Volcanic b. Plutonic c. Human and economic d. Hurricane

69. The chief river of Western Africa is ………

a. The Niger b. The Orange c. The Zambezi d. The Limpopo

70. In the deserts themselves, rainfall is extremely scares and temperature are ……..

a. Very low b. Very extreme c. Inconsistence d. Not experience at all

71. ………… Is characterized by short grass and plant adapted to a brief growing season but there are considerable differences due to altitude

a. Temperate grassland or veld b. Savannah c. Mediterranean woodland d. Tropical rain forest

72. In many parts of Africa, colonialism led to economic development that generally advanced

a. American b. European c. Traditional rulers d. Asian

73. The discovery of diamonds in southern Africa in the ………… century signaled Africa’s rise as a major mineral producer

a. Late 18th b. Early 19th c. Late 19th d. Early 20th

74. In the early 21st century, Africa saw the fastest growth in the ………… telephone market in the world

a. Nokia b. Cellular c. LG d. Blackberry

75. …………. Is the author, who defined social change as a significant alteration in the social structure and cultural patterns of society through time

a. Charles Harper b. Steven Vago c. Amital Eztzioni d. Simi Afonja

76. The authors of the book Social change in Nigeria are …………… and …………..

a. Steven Vago & Charles Harper b. Simi Afonja & Tola Olu Pearse c. Simi Afonja & Carolyne Dennis d. Funmi Oloruntimehin & Ladun Anise

77. ……………. Is the radical form of social change, which often leads to a total transformation of the structures and cultures of a particular society

a. Ideology b. Revolution c. Companion d. Religion

78. …………….. is the type of social change which indicates a sustained progress in the development of society

a. Mixed social change b. Progressive social change c. Retrogressive social change d. Social harmony

79. All of the following concepts are often used in social sciences to describe social change except one

a. Social evolution b. Progress c. Growth d. Gravitation

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80. …………. Is a theory of sociology that believes every human society must evolve from homogenous stage of development to a heterogeneous stage

a. Diffusion b. Acculturation c. Adaptation d. Evolution

81. ………………. Is the author of the book Origin of Man

a. Thomas Malthus b. Charles Darwin c. Karl Marx d. Max Weber

82. Lagos was ceded to the British Empire in London in ……………

a. 1818 b. 1865 c. 1861 d. 1872

83. The Headquarters of colonial British Administration in Nigeria was first cited in ….

a. Calabar b. Lagos c. Ibadan d. Kaduna

84. ………… wrote the masterpiece called the positive Philosophy

a. Comte b. Kante c. Conte d. Persons and Durkheim



86. How many different blood group antigens have been found in man?

a. 150 b. 300 c. 200 d. 600

87. In human 14 of the blood group systems are most commonly detected which of there is not one of them?

a. Lewis b. Epselon c. ABO d. Rhesus e. MNSs

88. The term: Afro – Asiatic was coined by

a. Delafosse b. Maurine c. Ayeni d. Greenberg

89. The most widely spoken Afro – Asiatic language is

a. Hausa b. Yoruba c. Swahili d. Arabic

90. The geographic distribution of the Afro – Asiatic language are into

a. 2 b. 4 c. 6 d. 8

91. Greenberg categorized African languages into ……… phyla

a. 2 b. 4 c. 6 d. 8

92. Of the classification of Greenberg ……. Is the largest

a. Afro – Asiatic b. Nilo – Saharan c. Khoisan d. Lagelafia

93. Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani and Shona are under the rubric of

a. Afro – Asiatic b. Nilo – Saharan c. Niger Congo d. Swahili

94. Nigeria is a multilingual country with …… living languages

a. 515 b. 520 c. 525 d. 521

95. ………… is the well known Chadic language in Nigeria

a. Yoruba b. Hausa c. Igbo d. Jukun

THANK YOU & SUCCESS IN YOUR EXAMS. N:B – THIS MATERIAL IS FREE NOT FOR SALE By AJI.

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