Since time immemorial, culture has been the key factor that drives people living in society. Culture can be developed through a geographical environment, beliefs, and also interests which in turn it influences an individual growth in various ways. Whereby culture has its contributions in terms of economy, social development, and formation of an individual. However, culture is acquired through various ways like learning from parents, media, and other perspectives throughout life in society. Through this tit brings differences and variations in various cultures across the world.
Cultural differences are the main theme that brings about the division of cultures globally. Through the differences, it brings a sense that hinders people’s interaction and living harmoniously. There are various types of different cultures that sort themselves depending on certain features like the western culture and the African culture. The difference between the African culture and the western culture is that there is a high rate of variance in that culture of Africa where its norms and practices differ from one community to another making it not similar(Onwuachi et.al 289). Unlike the western culture where there is stability in terms of their culture because it is largely accessed from the British culture. According to social science sense of thinking, the practices of African culture ought to bring ideological difference and disunity among the Africans unlike the western which possesses uniformity.
Perspective about the continuity of time has brought a great difference between the two cultures. Whereby the Africans view the perspective of time differently from the western culture. Western conception of time is that time is money and linear unlike the African culture where time isn’t money but it is cyclical. According to the culture of Africans, the conception of time is that it turns to lie a wheel but it does not turn like a line. In the modern western perspective, they tend to perceive time as present, past, and future whereby it moves in one direction without repetition although events emerge revolving around the same(Onwuachi et.al 250). The African view of time being cyclical is that it regulates when to sleep and when it is the actual time to perform certain activities at a particular time. Scientific thinking between the two cultures is different because the African culture, tend to use outdated sources and form of government policies, where innovations are lagging. Unlike the western culture where science has flourished which has led to further positive growth and developments taking place at a time.
Kinship and family at large are the main chains that bring people together from the perspective of African culture. According to African culture kinship and family is of significance because it is a web of relationships that are woven by marriages and family. However, kinship has affected the traditional relations in the lives of the African people and other existing groups in Africa. Besides this, in African culture, family is significant because it plays a role in the society which shapes the experiences of individuals(Misati Akuma et.al 50). role of the family in the western culture is seen to be of individual benefit whereby the value of a family is just for personal development hence being individually oriented. While the kinship system is essential because it gives the systematic way of the family pattern at large ascertaining unity.
Consequently, both cultures have similarities in kinship and family. As usual, kinship entails a cultural artifact that is possessed by every existing society. According to both cultures, they perceive kinship to be a determinant in the line of family relationships, this is whereby every person in the family is traced according to the family origin under the existence of the ancestors. Also, the similarity of the two cultures ascertains that kinship ought to elaborate on who can marry in the society to avoid inter-family marriages (Furstenberg et al. 14). Through this, it reduces the cases of people from the same family marrying one another. Furthermore, kinship at large brings a sense of unity among various members of the society, and mutuality is asserted. Also, the cultures have the same thing in common about kinship which helps the people at large to recognize the rights of the members of the society in all areas and practices.
Family culture in all societies is essential. Whereby a family culture consists of all the values and priorities that help children or any other person to behave and live according to the customs of the society. A similarity between the western culture and the African culture arrives whereby a family is of importance because it ensures that one’s children know how to do and when to do a particular activity in the right place and time (Misato et.al 5). Also, through this, a behavior of a child is natured in a good way which influences the way each individual feels and acts according to a daily basis. Moreover, family culture is believed by the cultures that it influences traditions, morals, and values that uphold the character of an individual.
Marriages across the world usually vary depending on the diversity. However, these diversities are determined by the culture and religion of a particular group of people. Under this, there are differences between marriage in the African culture and the western culture. An instance the African culture, marriage ceremonies depend on the faith of the individuals and it is of importance because marriage expands the kinship ties in the society(A. R. Nwabude et.al 22). Whereby there is passing and procreation. While in western culture, marriages tend to serve the purpose of the rights of procreation and the responsibility of a person to raise a child. However, there is a great difference between the African culture and western culture because the African way deals with the community but western culture dwells on the individual’s responsibility.
In conclusion, culture plays an important role in both an individual and the society at large. Through this, it acts as a way of storage and transmission through one’s experience. However, it is the culture that serves a larger portion of the society where it tends to shape individuals into who they can be in terms of gaining knowledge, norms, values, and traditions. Culture can be described to be a glue that upholds all the achievements that bring growth and changes in human life as one progresses. B besides this culture helps t generate a variety of many sills where there is cultural involvement and creativity hence making people fully participate and endorse the cultural beliefs and practices. Concerning the African culture and the western culture, there are differences and similarities in terms of how both cultures carry out their activities and the organization of the values and norms. These differences come about in form of education, religion, personality, and experiences.
Works Cited
A. R. Nwabude, Aaron. “Traditional African (the Igbo) Marriage Customs & the Influence of the Western Culture: Marxist Approach.” Open Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 10, no. 02, 2022, pp. 224–239, 10.4236/jss.2022.102016. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.
Furstenberg, Frank F., et al. “Kinship Practices among Alternative Family Forms in Western Industrialized Societies.” Journal of Marriage and Family, vol. 82, no. 5, 19 Aug. 2020, pp. 1403–1430, 10.1111/jomf.12712. Accessed 14 May 2021.
Misati Akuma, Joseph. “Socio–Cultural and Family Change in Africa: Implications for Adolescent Socialization in Kisii County, South Western, Kenya.” Les Cahiers d’Afrique de LEst, no. 50, 1 May 2019, pp. 80–98, 10.4000/eastafrica.296.
—. “Socio–Cultural and Family Change in Africa: Implications for Adolescent Socialization in Kisii County, South Western, Kenya.” Les Cahiers d’Afrique de LEst, no. 50, 1 May 2017, pp. 80–98, 10.4000/eastafrica.296.
Onwuachi, P. Chike. “African Traditional Culture and Western Education.” The Journal of Negro Education, vol. 35, no. 3, 2020, p. 289, 10.2307/2293958.
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