The sudden death of a millionaire: conversion and consensus in a Ghanaian kingdom

Africa ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Gilbert

Opening ParagraphThe unexpected death of a citizen in 1977 triggered a series of events in one small Ghanaian kingdom, pointing to confusion in the locally accepted criteria for Christian conversion and to contradictions in the avenues to status and power. Since the deceased was a millionaire businessman, something of a huckster, and a person who was at the centre of an unusually complex constellation of social ties, his death forced the people of his local community to re-examine the relationships between traditional religion and Christianity, and between wealth, religious adherence and the display of status and prestige. There was long and bitter hostility between the two towns to which this man was affiliated by descent. Each town competed for the glory of ; claiming him as a member, and while once he too would have desired that, logically it could not be. There was also perennial conflict between the factions within the kingdom's capital. This enhanced the drama and helped explain the urgency of the respective townspeople's attempts to resolve the underlying structural contradictions which became manifest in the events following the death to their own advantage. At the same time this is the story of a self-made man, unusual largely because of his extreme wealth, who understood conflict and ambiguity, and who manipulated the social structure in which he found himself to his own advantage. The funeral of this one man, who simultaneously entertained contradictory belief systems and juggled opposing attributes of leadership, mobilised the attention of the entire population of both towns. It did so precisely because the ritual of his funeral was used to ‘describe in advance a desired but uncertain state of affairs. It [ritual] is about power and is itself more or less political’ (MacGaffey, 1986: 11, emphasis added).

Africa ◽  
1929 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Thurnwald

Opening ParagraphThe study of the social problems of Africa demands primarily a definite knowledge of the actual state of affairs, of the facts which to-day represent the fundamental conditions determining the direction in which the life of the natives is developing. It is not a question of one single manifestation or another, since whatever we may find anywhere as custom or practice is only part of an entire system, intimately connected also with the intellectual life of the people.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dade Prat Untarti

ABSTRAK: Permasalahan pokok dalam penelitian ini adalah: (1) Apa latar belakang terbentuknya Desa Talaga Besar Kecamatan Talaga Raya Kabupaten Buton Tengah? (2) Bagaimana berkembangan Desa Talaga Besar Kecamatan Talaga Raya Kabupaten Buton Tengah Tahun 1977-2017? Metode sejarah tersebut adalah: (a) Pemilihan topik (b) Heuristik (Pengumpulan Data) (c) Verifikasi (Kritik Sejarah) (d) Interpretasi (e) Historiografi (kritik sejarah). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa: (1) Desa Talaga Besar awalnya hanya dijadikan tempat untuk berkebun atau bercocok tanam, misalnya menanam jagung dan ubi kayu sebagai makanan pokok masyarakat setempat dan pada umumnya masyarakat Buton. Karena seiring berjalannya waktu dan peradaban serta jumlah penduduk semakin bertambah banyak. Pemerintah daerah berinisiatif memekarkan desa Talaga Besar menjadi desa definitif. Faktor-faktor yang mendukung terbentuknya Desa Talaga Besar ini ialah: (a) Adanya peranan pemimpin yang selalu memberikan motivasi kepada warga untuk aktif dalam setiap kegiatan yang sifatnya membangun. (b) Faktor pendukung diantaranya faktor geografis (wilayah), faktor demografi (penduduk), dan faktor ekonomi. (2) Perkembangan Desa Talaga Besar dalam bidang ekonomi, sebagian besar masyarakat Talaga Besar menggantungkan hidupnya di bidang pertanian dan perdagangan yang telah dilakukan dan dikembangkan secara turun temurun. Di bidang sosial, hubungan sosial kemasyarakatan antara warga Desa Talaga Besar cukup harmonis. Di bidang pendidikan, perkembangan pendidikan di Desa Talaga Besar pada khususnya dan Kecamatan Talaga Raya pada umumnya mengalami perkembangan pendidikan yang boleh dikatakan sudah cukup baik dan infrastruktur lebih baik bila dibandingkan dengan keadaan sebelumnya. Kata Kunci: Sejarah, Desa, Talaga BesarABSTRACT: The main problems in this study are: (1) What is the background of the formation of Talaga Besar Village, Talaga Raya District, Buton Tengah Regency? (2) How did the development of Talaga Besar Village, Talaga Raya District, Buton Tengah Regecy Year 1977-2017? The historical methods are: (a) Selection of topics (b) Heuristics (Data Collection) (c) Verification (Historical Criticism) (d) Interpretation (e) Historiography (historical criticism). The results of this study indicate that: (1) Talaga Besar Village was originally only used as a place for gardening or farming, for example planting corn and cassava as a staple food for the local community and in general the Buton people. Because over time and civilization as well as the population increases. The regional government took the initiative to split the village of Talaga Besar into a definitive village. The factors that support the formation of the Talaga Besar Village are: (a) There is a role of leaders who always motivate citizens to be active in any constructive activity. (b) Supporting factors include geographical factors (region), demographic factors (population), and economic factors. (2) The development of Talaga Besar Village in the economic field, most of the Talaga Besar people depend their lives on agriculture and trade which have been carried out and developed for generations. In the social field, social relations between the people of Talaga Besar Village are quite harmonious. In the field of education, the development of education in the village of Talaga Besar in particular and the Talaga Raya sub-district in general experienced a development of education which was arguably quite good and the infrastructure was better when compared to the previous situation. Keywords: History, Village, Great Talaga


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-168
Author(s):  
Trisna Malinda

This study exposes about society changes when the formation and development of Trans Village program from isolation to acculturation. Its purpose is to identify how the community change from isolated to acculturated and changes then forms a social identity in Trans Village. The Theory used in this field is Henri Taifel’s social identity theory that stated the individual concept forms by their experience in the group by acknowledging and applied the social values, participate, and develops their sense of care and pride of their group. This research uses descriptive qualitative research. Data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. This study also uses data analysis techniques by reducing data, displaying data and drawing conclusions. The number of informants used is 9 people filtered through purposive sampling. The results of this study indicate that the process from isolation to community acculturation occurred at the time of the formation and development of the Trans Village in Kurau Village. At first, the transmigrant communities are isolated from the local community so there are no interactions. Then by the time being, Trans Village leads to the transformation of social identity. Social identity is formed starting from the awareness, relationships, collaboration and harmonization among the people. People who were initially isolated have now become acculturated in Kampung Trans. This condition can be seen from the merging of the community, namely the local community and transmigrants in Trans Village which caused mixing between cultures so that new cultures are formed while still preserving old cultures. People live mingled by promoting the values ​​and rules that exist in Kampung Trans.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Chalik ◽  
Jay Joseph Van Bavel ◽  
Marjorie Rhodes

Some moral philosophers have suggested that a basic prohibition against intentional harm ought to be at the core of moral belief systems across human societies. Yet, experimental work suggests that not all harm is created equal—people often respond more negatively to harm that occurs among fellow social group members, rather than between members of different groups. The present two studies investigated how concerns about social group membership factor into the moral judgment system. Adults (N = 111, Study 1) and children (N = 110, Study 2) evaluated instances of inter- and intra-group harm under varying levels of cognitive load. Both children and adults responded more slowly to intergroup harm than to intragroup harm. Furthermore, adults under cognitive load rated intergroup harm more leniently than intragroup harm, but adults who were not under load rated the two types of behaviors similarly. These findings suggest that across development, evaluations of intergroup harm rely more heavily on conscious deliberation than evaluations of intragroup harm. Thus, people's evaluations of harmful behaviors are made in light of information about the social category membership of the people involved.


Author(s):  
Kevin Wiranata ◽  
Lina Purnama

An age where technology develop rapidly, the lifestyle of people began to shift to that of instantaneous gratification. Even though technology provides convenience and accessibility, at the same time it changes the mindset and behavior of the people into that of anti-social. The lack of interaction added up with high working demand in this 21st century may increase an individual’s stress levels. The existence of physical spaces to support social activity is undeniably minimal. Gadgets may create virtual spaces for people to communicate but they fail to make rapport between one individual and the other. Since the past decades, culture had been one of the activities which brought people and communities together. Culture defines activities which are done in routine thus becomes habits and eventually becomes the community’s character. The occurring social activities gave birth to spaces either physical or non-physical which may support the social needs of the people. Up to this day, people tend to have third activities which they done to get rid of working exhaustion. Pinangsia Cultural Place is a place for people to socially interact with each other with the means of cultured daily activities. The method of design applied is pattern language. The main programs of Pinangsia Cultural Place include food court, karaoke, workshop, and common space for people to hangout, procuring event, physical exercises, etc. Not only does this tends to the needs of local community, Pinangsia Cultural Place is convivially open for outsiders who seek joy and rest.  AbstrakMasa dimana kemajuan teknologi berkembang dengan pesat, gaya hidup masyarakat berubah ke arah serba instan. Walau teknologi memberikan kemudahan, namun di saat yang bersamaan mengubah pola pikir dan sikap masyarakat menjadi cenderung anti-sosial. Kurangnya interaksi ditambah dengan tuntutan kerja yang semakin tinggi di abad 21 dapat meningkatkan stress pada individu. Keberadaan wadah fisik untuk menunjang aktivitas sosial pun juga kurang. Gadget menciptakan sebuah ruang virtual untuk berkomunikasi namun tidak dapat mendekatkan pribadi secara langsung. Sejak zaman dahulu, budaya menjadi salah satu kegiatan yang membawa masyarakat atau komunitas dalam kebersamaan. Budaya adalah aktivitas yang dilakukan terus menerus secara rutin hingga menjadi sebuah kebiasaan kemudian menjadi karakter dari lingkungan tersebut. Aktivitas yang terjadi melahirkan ruang baik secara fisik maupun non-fisik yang dapat menunjang kebutuhan sosial masyarakat di dalamnya. Hingga saat ini, masyarakat di tengah pekerjaan masing-masing memiliki aktivitas selingan yang mereka lakukan untuk mencari hiburan di tengah kepenatan. Tempat Budaya Pinangsia adalah wadah untuk masyarakat saling berinteraksi sosial dengan berdasarkan pada aktivitas sehari-hari yang melibatkan seni dan budaya. Metode perancangan yang digunakan adalah bahasa pola. Program utama Tempat Budaya Pinangsia meliputi tempat makan dan bermain, tempat karaoke, workshop, dan common space untuk hangout, pengadaan acara, latihan fisik, dll. Tidak hanya terbatas untuk warga lokal, Tempat Budaya Pinangsia juga terbuka untuk pengunjung dari luar kawasan yang mencari kesenangan dan istirahat.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-296
Author(s):  
Mohammad Thoriqul Huda

A Culture and society are two things that cannot be separated, both are closely related and go hand in hand. Sedekah bumi is one of the cultural agrarian societies that continues to be maintained from time to time, including the culture of sedekah bumi carried out by the people of Pancur Temayang village in Bojonegoro. Sedekah bumi tradition has become a routine part of the routine carried out every year by the Pancur community as a form of appreciation for God who has bestowed His fortune through abundant crops so that people can fulfill their daily needs. In conducting this research, researchers used a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach as a basis for conducting observations in the field because researchers needed to enter directly into the object of research to explore the meaning and value of tradition understood by the Pancur village community in carrying out the sedekah bumi tradition. Explained that sedekah bumi carried out by the people of Pancur village has several value benefits, including sociological values, namely with the existence of these activities, the social ties of people from various groups unite. Theological value, namely the implementation of the sedekah bumi as an expression of gratitude for maintaining good relations with God. Ecological value, the existence of sedekah bumi carried out in the village spring, give confidence to the community that the existence of the village spring must be preserved, and the existence of the surrounding ecosystem must also be maintained. In addition,sedekah bumi tradition also received a variety of responses from the village community, some agreed and some did not agree with the implementation of this tradition. [Budaya dan masyarakat merupakan dua hal yang tidak bisa dipisahkan, keduanya saling erat berkaitan dan berjalan beriringan. Sedekah bumi adalah salah satu budaya masyarakat agraris yang terus dijaga dari masa ke masa, termasuk budaya sedekah bumi yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat desa Pancur Temayang Bojonegoro. Tradisi sedekah bumi sudah menjadi bagian rutinitas rutin yang dilakukan setiap tahun oleh masyarakat Pancur sebagai bentuk pengahargaan terhadap Tuhan yang telah melimpahkan rejeki-Nya melalui hasil panen yang melimpah sehingga masyarakat dapat memenuhi kebutuhan hidupnya. Dalam melakukan penelitian ini, peneliti menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan etnografi sebagai pijakan untuk melakukan observasi di lapangan hal ini dikarenakan peneliti perlu masuk secara langsung ke objek penelitian untuk mendalami makna serta nilai tradisi yang dipahami masyarakat desa Pancur dalam melaksanakan tradisi sedekah bumi, adapun hasil penelitian menjelaskan bahwa sedekah bumi yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat desa Pancur mempunyai beberapa manfaat nilai, diantaranya adalah nilai sosiologis, yakni dengan adanya kegiatan tersebut, ikatan social masyarakat dari berbagai golongan bersatu. Nilai teologis, yakni pelaksanaan sedekah bumi sebagai ungkapan syukur untuk menjaga hubungan baik dengan Tuhan. Nilai ekologis, keberdaan sedekah yang dilaksanakan di sendang desa, memberikan kepercayaan pada masyarakat bahwa keberadaan sendang desa harus tetap dilestarikan, dan keberadaan ekosistem di sekitarnya juga harus dijaga. Selain itu tradisi sedekah bumi juga mendapatkan respon yang beragam dari masyarakat desa, ada yang setuju dan ada juga yang kurang setuju dengan pelaksanaan tradisi ini.]


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-144
Author(s):  
O. Olasupo Thompson ◽  
S. Abiodun Afolabi ◽  
Onyekwere George Felix Nwaorgu ◽  
Rebecca Remi Aduradola

Burial of human beings in houses or within residential premises is a common occurrence in developing countries. Despite the negative impacts it has on the social and economic lives of the people and society at large, particularly on public health, this norm has continued. However, this area has not been given adequate attention in recent scholarship. Against this backdrop, this article traces the development, appropriation, and misappropriation of burial sites and public cemeteries among the indigenous people of Egba land. It also examines the responses of the government to this phenomenon. This study was done through the use of archival sources, extant literature, media reports, pictographs, and interviews. The study reveals that the misappropriation of burial sites and cemeteries is a result of indigenous belief systems, illiteracy, inadequate lands for burial and cemeteries, cost and proximity of burial sites, and insecurity, among other things. It also finds that the few who appropriate burial sites and cemeteries were educated, enlightened, and averagely wealthy individuals, socially placed individuals. It recommends that governments at both state and local levels, particularly local levels that are vested with the maintenance of burial sites and cemeteries, should be strengthened to adequately appropriate cemeteries and burial sites in Egba land, south west Nigeria, like most indigenous people.


Africa ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
Nicholas S. Hopkins

Opening ParagraphDuring the decade from 1958 to 1968 when Mali was ruled by a socialistically inclined, modernization-oriented party, the Union Soudanaise-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain, the Malian theatre was one of the principal ways in which the ideas and programmes of the government were put forward. The purpose of this article is to explore the relations between the theatre as an art form and as a channel for ideas in Mali, and to evaluate the consequences for action of the ideas contained in the theatre. My data are based on my observations of the theatre in a provincial town; my theme is that the Malian theatre was consciously didactic, reflecting the propaganda ends of the government, but that the tradition of stagecraft on which the theatre was based emphasized satire. The gap between the didactic language sought by exponents of the government and the satirical language favoured by the people in the audience was frequently covered by combining the two, often to the detriment of the theatre itself. To understand this we have to look at the content of the plays, as well as at the social context in which they occurred, and at the form of the vehicle. The processes of combining form and content into a cultural entity that would unify rather than divide are what makes the study of the theatre rewarding for the anthropology of aesthetics and creativity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-213
Author(s):  
Ziman Ziman Ziman

   This study discusses the philosophical and spiritual values contained in the baumo tradition of the people of Batin XXIV district, Batanghari Regency. The baumo tradition that has been going on for generations in the modern era is starting to be displaced by modern agricultural culture. Not only its existence has begun to be eroded by modern culture, but also the values contained therein have begun to be forgotten by the local community. Even though the baumo traditional values contain local wisdom values, environmental conservation values, spiritual values, and wisdom values that are very relevant in today's modern life. The method that I use in this research is a qualitative research method, to explore and understand the social and cultural phenomena that exist in society. The data collection method that the writer uses is through direct observation into the field, interviews with Umo farmers, community leaders, and traditional leaders, and documentation by examining documents related to the object of research, including Jambi Malay cultural texts. The results of this study indicate that: First, epistemologically, the community's knowledge in carrying out the baumo tradition is based on Jambi's traditional law and Malay culture, namely the syara' jointed tradition and the syara' with the Kitabullah jointed. Apart from that, the baumo tradition is also based on empirical knowledge or people's experiences in terms of natural phenomena. Axiologically, the baumo tradition contains environmental and ethical values in living life. Meanwhile, the baumo tradition also contains spiritual values in the form of belief in the soul of rice, basokat after harvesting umo as a form of belief in religion, and ethics in treating rice as a form of belief in the existence of God.   Penelitian ini membahas tentang nilai filosofis dan nilai spiritual yang terkandung dalam tradisi baumo masyarakat Kecamatan Batin XXIV Kabupaten Batanghari. Tradisi baumo yang telah berlangsung secara turun temurun itu di era modern saat ini mulai tergeser eksistensinya oleh budaya pertanian modern. Tidak hanya eksistensinya saja yang mulai tergerus budaya modern, tetapi juga nilai-nilai yang terkandung di dalamnya pun mulai dilupakan masyarakat setempat. Padahal pada nilai-nilai tradisi baumo tersebut terkandung nilai kearifan lokal, nilai konservasi lingkungan, nilai spiritual dan nilai kearifan yang sangat relevan dalam kehidupan modern saat ini. Metode yang penulis gunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian kualitatif, dengan tujuan untuk menggali dan memahami fenomena sosial dan budaya yang ada di masyarakat. Adapun metode pengumpulan data yang penulis gunakan adalah melalui observasi langsung ke lapangan, wawancara kepada para petani umo, tokoh masyarakat dan tokoh adat, serta dokumentasi dengan meneliti dokumen-dokumen yang berkaitan dengan objek penelitian, termasuk naskah-naskah budaya melayu Jambi. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa: Pertama, secara epistemologis pengetahuan masyarakat dalam melakukan tradisi baumo didasarkan pada hukum adat dan budaya melayu Jambi, yaitu adat yang bersendi syara‟, dan syara‟ yang bersendi kitabullah. Selain itu, tradisi baumo juga didasarkan pada pengetahuan empiris atau pengalaman masyarakat dalam hal gejala-gejala alam. Secara aksiologis, dalam tradisi baumo terkandung nilai etika lingkungan dan etika dalam menjalani hidup. Sementara itu, tradisi baumo juga mengandung nilai-nilai spiritual berupa keyakinan pada adanya jiwa padi, basokat saat usai memanen umo sebagai wujud keyakinan pada agama, serta adab dalam memperlakukan padi sebagai bentuk keyakinan pada adanya Tuhan.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Riskawati Riskawati ◽  
Ahmadin Ahmadin ◽  
Bustan Bustan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan Petani Kopi di Desa Ujung Bulu 1986-2018 dengan memaparkan latar belakang petani kopi di Desa Ujung Bulu, dinamika pertanian kopi di Desa Ujung Bulu tahun 1986-2018, serta kehidupan sosial dan ekonomi Petani kopi di Desa Ujung Bulu. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sebelum tahun 1986 sudah ada tanaman kopi yang tumbuh di Desa Ujung Bulu, masyarakat yang ada disana menyebutnya dengan Kopi Arabika Bantaeng. kopi yang kini dibudidayakan oleh masyarakat setempat adalah Kopi Arabika Gowa yang dibawa Oleh Bapak Lompo pada tahun 1986. Pembudidayaan kopi Arabika Gowa dimulai pada tahun 1989 dan pada tahun 1990an mulai banyak masyarakat setempat yang beralih profesi menjadi petani kopi. beralihnya masyarakat di Desa Ujung Bulu menjadi petani kopi disebabkan karena harga jual kopi lebih tinggi dibandingkan tanaman yang mereka tanam sebelumnya. Proses produksi dan pemasaran kopi arabika di Desa Ujung Bulu membutuhkan waktu yang lama dan proses yang tidak mudah. Produksi kopi di Desa Ujung Bulu tidak menetap atau mengalami peningkatan dan penurunan hasil produksi. Hal ini disebabkan oleh beberapa faktor, salah satunya adalah mulai masuknya bibir bawang merah di desa ini pada tahun 2015.Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa pembudidayaan kopi Arabika di Desa Ujung Bulu memberikan dampak baik dalam bidang sosial maupun dalam bidang ekonomi terutama dalam mensejahterakan kehidupan masyarakat yang ada di Desa Ujung Bulu.Penelitian ini dilakukan melalui wawancara dan kajian pustaka dengan menggunakan metode penelitian sejarah dengan menempuh beberapa tahapan yaitu heuristik, kritik, interpretasi, dan historiografi. Wawancara dilakukan dengan aparat Desa Ujung Bulu dan beberapa Petani kopi di Desa Ujung Bulu.This study aims to describe the Coffee Farmers in Ujung Bulu Village 1986-2018 by describing the background of coffee farmers in Ujung Bulu Village, the dynamics of coffee farming in Ujung Bulu Village in 1986-2018, and the social and economic life of coffee farmers in Ujung Bulu Village. The results showed that before 1986 there were coffee plants growing in Ujung Bulu Village, the people there called it Bantaeng Arabica Coffee. coffee which is now cultivated by the local community is Gowa Arabica Coffee which was brought by Mr. Lompo in 1986. The cultivation of Gowa Arabica coffee began in 1989 and in the 1990s many local people began to switch professions to become coffee farmers. the conversion of people in Ujung Bulu Village into coffee farmers was due to the higher selling price of coffee compared to the crops they had planted before. The process of producing and marketing Arabica coffee in Ujung Bulu Village takes a long time and is not an easy process. Coffee production in Ujung Bulu Village does not settle or has increased and decreased production yields. This is caused by several factors, one of which is the entry of onion lips in this village in 2015. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the cultivation of Arabica coffee in Ujung Bulu Village has an impact both in the social and economic fields, especially in the welfare community life in Ujung Bulu Village. This research was conducted through interviews and literature review using historical research methods by taking several stages, namely heuristics, criticism, interpretation, and historiography. Interviews were conducted with Ujung Bulu Village officials and several coffee farmers in Ujung Bulu Village.


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