Browsing by Author "Zhakata, Petula Pepukai"

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    Risks and benefits of the eradication of African customs by modernity
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Zhakata, Petula Pepukai; Diala, Anthony
    African customs define the African people. Despite their varying cultures, Africans possess similar features which make it easy for them to identify each other. Before colonisation, African tribes sometimes fought amongst themselves. However, they still preserved their customs. The colonial era affected Africans by bringing them under the influence of foreigners who were unaware of the significance of indigenous customs. The colonial experience initiated the eradication of African customs, which is continued by modernity/globalisation. This mini thesis examines the risks and the benefits that modernity/globalization poses to the survival or eradication of indigenous African laws. It argues that there is a link between colonialism, globalisation, and modernity, and their effects on the African continent, specifically on African customs. Modern Western ideals have both positive and negative effects on social and emotional wellness, with some advancing economic progress while others slow it down. The thesis finds that most natives who mindlessly adopted Western ideas are currently experiencing a cultural identity crisis. It suggests that because culture is unique and profitable for communities to progress from a particular stage of advancement to the next, positive aspects of culture such as communal welfare should be protected by African governments.