Social studies in child development
Name
DPSY 8573 - Child and Adolescent Health
2022
What’s is meant by the term clan system
A clan is defined as a group of people or families who have common encounter. Clan members
usually share land or live in the same geographical area. They consider themselves relatives;
hence marriage to a person from the same clan is prohibited.
Another definition is that a clan is made of several extended families who claim that their origin
to a common ancestor. Most of the clans were named after their founders. Women upon
marriages became members of their husband’s clans. Formed a tribe or ethnic groups hence the
word clan system from this definition of a clean as its made of several members related forming
a system.
The responsibilities of the clan members varied according to their ages. Boys were taught how to
hunt and look after animals whereas girls took care of the young ones. After initiation the young
men and women were taught their roles and responsibilities of their ager groups in the society.
Every clan member was supposed to respect their clan elders. They had also supposed to how
total respect to their clan. Young men defended their clan as young warriors.
Formation of a clan
Kipsgis
The clan begins with one nuclear family. This usually consisted of powerful members of the
society who married one or several wives, he then had children, some of whom were sons’ .this
sons then got married to women from other communities and in turn they got their own children.
The women who came to clan through marriage automatically became members of the clan. The
grandsons bore to the grew up also got married and in turn bore children. This increased the size
of the family and eventually formed a clan.
When girls in the clan got married, to mean from other clan, theory automatically lost
membership of their clan and became members of the clans of their husbands. Where the same
rules applied. In many African communities members of same clan were not allowed to marry
the same applies in kipsgis community up to now as they were considered to be related by blood.
Clans among Kipsgis grow through marriage and natural population increase. When the clans of
Kipsgis community are put together, they form a traditional nation and his nation was put
together with its own laws, taboos, system of government, and organized armies. It also had its
own economic structures.
When clan members of the Kipsgis community disagreed they broken away and formed clans
elsewhere
Here are some of the reasons why clan members disagreed
Dispute on who should inherit land after death of a clan member
Conflicts of boundaries of family land
Animals belonging to one community destroying crops belonging to another
Jealousy among clan members
Functions of a clan in traditional Kenyan society
In the traditional society the clan played a very important role in that;
It gave individuals a sense of belonging. It created kinship. One felt in the clan because he was
among his kins men, which are brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins. Clan elders helped to
allocate land to individuals and their families. This function was common in agricultural
societies.
b) It fastened unity among the members, the clan often occupied communal land, and members
came to each others aid. In times of needs such as in farming, in house construction, and during
rituals such as marriage, initiation
c) Disputes relating to marriage inheritance, and other land issues were often mediated by the
clan elders.
d) The clan elders had to give consent before a marriage took place. They made decision
concerning bride wealth and wife inheritance.
e) Clan elders were spiritual and religious leaders’ .they officiated at traditional religious
ceremonies, weddings, funerals and rites relating to planting and harvesting.
f) The adult clan members educated the children. This usually took place in and around the
home. They taught them mother tongue, roles, good behavior, respect for older people and
farming and herding skills.
g) The clan members also comforted one another during times of stress and desperation.
h) The members of the ruling family were expected to learn to leadership skills in preparation for
when they take over leadership.
Functions of a clan in modern Kenyan society
The clan still plays an important role as those it played in the traditional society. However the
clan members no longer live together on the same compound. They came together on occasions
such as weddings or during a crisis such as death. In conclusion, urban and industrialized
societies, people re faced with many problems, they have to buy food, pay house rent, pay for
water and electricity and also pay for school fees. As a result families in urban areas have
become nucleated.
Artifacts’ and its uses among the Kipsgis community
An artifact can be defined as a product or material that has been made in African traditional
societies for various uses i.e. beauty products.
Among the Kalenjin society hey made several artifacts those made for practical purposes
included the following;
i. calabash
ii. stools
iii. pots
Pots are traditional items made of clay. These artifacts were common among the kalenjin
community and it was commonly made by women. Through a process called mo
A pot had various functions which includes the following;
a )pots
i. Pots were used to fetch water from the river which was considered the responsibility of
women and young girls.
ii. It was used to store water as they believed water had a cooling effect on the same.
iii. It was used to store food e.g. meat, vegetable hence keeps rodents off.
b) Calabash
this artifact is common among the Kalenjin community and its referred to as `Sotet’ its form of a
plant but its refined before used, this is performed by women and its decorated using beads for
aesthetic purpose the purpose of calabash is preservation and storage of sour milk.
c) Stools
A stool is made of wood and used for sitting. The family and clan members highly respected the
stool; among kipsigis community only father sat on stool which symbolized that he was the head
of the family, the same applied with older who sat on the same while conducted their political
and there social roles in the society.
Defense artifacts
These are artifacts made for decorative purposes, the common one among the Kalenjin
community were the hajjes which were decorated with and acted as a bed since it was folded in
the morning and spread at night .also the calabash decorated with beads and black marking using
charcoal and was hanged on the wall for the purposes of decorating the house
The tradition art were learnt and carried out by specific clans only members of this clan carried
and performed them. Some clans comprised blacksmiths, pottery, hunters, medicemen, and
witchcraft among others.
Def of ceremonies
Are formal acts as set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom for example the
wedding ceremony.
A formal act without intrinsic purpose, an empty form, ignored the ceremony of a sitting for
comments from other members
A convectional social gesture or act of courtesy, the ceremony of shaking hands when introduced
Strict observation of formalities or etiquette e.g. the head of state was welcomed will full
ceremony
Role of ceremonies in traditional African society
1. Ceremonies help to validate the legacy of our loved ones. When a person dies we tend to
highlight the character, qualities and various worth imitating. We choose words that describe the
attribute and behaviors of a person who died describing her as kind, compassionate, brave,
respectful, enthusiastic, generous, fun loving, faithful, warm, peace loving and heroic. Effective
ceremonies provide a socially sanctione3d way for mourners to say to one another what perhaps
what they never found opportunity to share with the deceased one how his or her life actually
imparted the lives of those who are left.
2ceremonies help to confirm the reality of death clinical scholars point out that bereavement pint
out the reality function of funeral ceremonies. even though the death certificate record a precise
moment of death this means every one does not accept that fact emotionally for a loved one
death is much more of a process requiring hours, days or even weeks to fully believe the reality.
3 ceremonies reassure continuation of society they remind us that even though dramatization
changed life will continue in spite of the earth of this individual because life is bigger than this
andividual.one of the most important task in the face of death is the stand at emotional level.
Ceremonies remind us of what still to be done
Marriage ceremonies mark a dramatic change and status for individual, newly weds. In most
social marriage signifies adulthood and potential parenthood..The couple is expected to establish
a new home apart from their natal home
Marriage ceremonies emphasize the importance of the new status and the behavioral expectation
associated with them, both for individual and community.
Ceremonies are often played for by families of one spouse, sometimes both and this emphasis to
the couple their parent’s investment in them expectation that they will rise the next generation in
the family. Much wealth is exchanged between families at marriage. This exchange may take the
of bride price.
References
1) Resource persons (Kalenjin elders)
2) Sources and methods in African history: spoken, written, unearthed - Toyin Falola –
(Macmillan publishers).
3) R A. Okoth & A. Ndaloh, Peak Revision K.C.P.E. Social Studies, (East African Publishers.
