◄UNIT 10:Scientific Research, Health and Well BeingUNIT 12: Gender and Society►

UNIT 11:Heritage and Culture

  • UNIT 11:Heritage and Culture

    Key unit competence: To be able to appreciate national heritage,

    cultural preservation and recognise their impact on lifestyle.

    Introduction

    As Rwandans, there are things that belong to us by virtue of being born in

    Rwanda. There are also historical events or processes that have a special
    meaning in our memory. Then there are sites that are of great significance to
    us all and which have been registered by the government as being of national
    importance to the history of the nation. All these things are what we can
    collectively refer to as our heritage. This unit explores national heritage, the

    elements that characterise it and ways in which it can be preserved.

    Activity 1

    Study the pictures below. Say what is shown in each picture.

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    11.1 Elements of national heritage

    In Activity 1, you identified some things that are specific to us as Rwandans.
    These form a part our national heritage. Our national heritage includes all
    those cultural aspects or traditions that have been passed down through
    generations. Broadly, there are three elements of national heritage. These

    are:

    1. Fabric
    2. Stories

    3. Culture

    1. Fabric

    Activity 2

    What do the following pictures show about Rwanda?.

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    The pictures above show different fabrics that identify us as Rwandans: the
    national flag, the umushanana dress code and the modern dress. However,
    the national fabric goes beyond just our dress. It involves physical structures
    and objects that carry memories and have symbolic meanings to the people.
    These can be greenstones, old bottles, objects left behind by early settlers or
    even reminder of our culture such as the presidential palace in Kanombe and
    the King’s palace in Nyanza.
    It also involves our social fabric: the values we consider important and
    the way we relate with one another. To instill the right values and promote
    social cohesion which strengthens our social fabric, programmes such as the
    following are carried out in Rwanda:
    a. Itorero
    Traditional Itorero was a cultural school where Rwandans would learn
    language, patriotism, social relations, sports, dancing, songs and defence. This
    system was created so that young people could grow with an understanding of
    their culture. Participants were encouraged to discuss and explore Rwandan
    cultural values. The tradition of Itorero also provided formative training for
    future leaders.
    As part of efforts to reconstruct Rwanda and nurture a shared national
    identity, the Government of Rwanda drew on aspects of Rwandan culture
    and traditional practices to enrich and adapt its development programs to the
    country’s needs and context. The result is a set of Home Grown Solutions -
    culturally owned practices translated into sustainable development programs.
    One of these Home Grown Solutions is the Civic Education Program, also
    known as Itorero.
    Itorero was reintroduced in 2009 as a way to rebuild the nation’s social
    fabric and mobilise Rwandans to uphold important cultural values. The
    culture of an intore (a person who has received the teachings of Itorero)
    is regarded highly. Itorero creates opportunities for participants to enhance
    positive values, build a sense of responsibility through patriotism and gain
    professional knowledge.
    The National Itorero Commission is responsible for overseeing the
    implementation of the program and of ensuring that Rwandans from all walks
    of life have the opportunity to take part. Between 2007 and 2012, Itorero
    ry’Igihugu (the National Itorero Commission) trained 284,207 intore including
    teachers, executive secretaries, farmers, community policing committees
    and members of the Rwandans abroad community.

    b. Ndi Umunyarwanda

    Rwanda is a country that has had more divisive politics than mostpostindependence
    African states. It is this division that led to the 1994 genocide
    against the Tutsi in which many lives were lost. Keeping quiet and hoping
    that people will forget this and move on with their lives is likely to pose a
    danger of future recurrence.
    To avoid this, the leadership of Rwanda aims to inculcate true Rwandanness
    (Ndi Umunyarwanda) among all Rwandans, founded upon Rwanda’s national
    philosophy – Agaciro. This is to be done through the Ndi Umunyarwanda
    programme. This programme aims at bringing reconciliation and with it the
    essence of our nationhood. This will lead to national cohesion and unity of

    purpose.

    2. Stories

    Activity 3

    In groups, narrate to each other stories that you have heard from your
    grandparents or older relatives
    Stories, such as the ones you told each other in Activity 3 from a great part
    of our national heritage. They are an easy way of communicating societal
    norms, values and morals. They also describe both real and fictional events
    that have occurred over time explaining happenings over the course of
    history. We often encounter stories through reading, listening from oral
    tradition especially in folk tales and watch them from documentaries that are
    visual records of historical occurrences. They describe and explain history.
    Oral traditions are told with so much creativity and this makes them interesting
    to share. They enhance understanding of the past practices or people’s way
    of life and make meaning of our cultures clearer.
    Apart from oral traditions, stories can be told in other ways: written literature,
    recorded stories as in videos and movies etc. They can be creatively
    constructed or told as real events. Real stories remind us of the people
    involved in major events of our history and the places where these events
    happened as well as the processes involved. Creative stories on the other
    hand, are constructed to represent the real events. They are told in a more
    interesting way. They include legends, songs, plays, folk tales, epics, etc.
    For example in Rwanda, there are the royal myths called lbitekerezo which
    means thoughts and narratives of past events.
    There is also royal poetry known as the lbisigo. This is a record of the deeds
    of the kings in peotic form. It existed from ancient times.
    The ubucurabwenge is a list of the order of kings of Rwanda beginning with
    the reigning king to the first king of man; son of king Shyerezo Nkuba.

    It is through stories that generations pass on their identity and heritage.

    3. Culture

    Activity 4

    Study the following pictures in groups. Explain how they form part of our

    culture.

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    The pictures you studied above form a part of the Rwandan culture. The
    clothes we wear, the foods we eat, the houses we live in, our costumes and
    other items of art, the language we speak and the ceremonies we celebrate
    make up our culture. But culture goes beyond these. It also includes the
    practices, beliefs, values, and symbols that we share, and that are passed
    along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.
    Rwanda is blessed with a very rich culture as shown in the pictures above.

    The following are other examples of the Rwandan culture.

    a. Intore dance

    Intore is a sort of war dance which encourages those who wage war or hunt.
    It is also danced in the royal court to cheer up the king. The carefully selected
    dancers are called intore. Intore means “the elite” or “leader.” Those who are
    part of an Intore troupe are selected for their exceptional physical and moral
    qualities. During their training, not only do they learn to dance but they also
    receive education in moral values. The Intore dancer is characterised by

    elegance and littleness.

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    Intore dancers

    b. Umuganura (Harvest day)

    Umuganura means “Thanks Giving Day”. It was performed by Rwandans
    at the beginning of every harvest. It was a very big event in the kingdom
    as Rwandans celebrated their achievements in terms of harvest both at the
    kingdom and family level.
    Umuganura today has broadened its meaning from formally being agro-based
    harvest to include achievements from other sectors that have contributed
    to the development of the country such as: health, education, ICT, sports,
    mining, infrastructure, culture, tourism etc. The aim, like it was in early days
    of celebrating Umuganura, is to thank God for the harvest and to strategise

    for the next season to ensure that the harvest is good.

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    Participants in Umuganura

    c. Inkinimba

    Inkinimba dance is usually performed by the farmers to celebrate their
    harvest. It can also be performed when telling stories about the Rwandese
    culture, history or when praising the Rwandese heroes and kings. It is the

    symbol of strength and stamina, specifically for cattle farmers.

    11.2 The role of cultural preservation

    Activity 5

    You have already learnt a lot about culture. Why do you think it is
    necessary to preserve culture? Discuss in groups.
    Since times are changing and people are becoming westernised, culture
    has greatly changed. What was culturally acceptable ten years ago may
    not be embraced in today’s cultural context. Therefore it is necessary to
    preserve culture. The following are some of the reasons for preserving

    culture:

    1. It safeguards a community’s traditions, good practices and ways of life
    from being eroded.
    2. It enables in a country to keep its heritage and maintain it.

    3. It guides on performance of cultural practices such as naming of children, payment of dowry and burying the dead.

    How culture can be preserved

    Activity 6

    Discuss ways in which culture can be preserved?
    We can preserve culture in the following ways:
    1. Participating in family traditions. For example sharing religious beliefs
    or customs valued by one’s parents enables one to understand and
    appreciate culture, which causes one to respect and honour that aspect
    of cultural heritage.
    2. Learning to speak the ancestral language that an individual is born into.
    Language comprises idioms, proverbs and music, which express the
    values of a specific group of people.
    3. Sharing knowledge and information about each culture’s way of dress,
    music, art and storytelling.
    4. Keeping traditional artwork in museums as cultural artifacts.
    5. Through social gatherings where songs, proverbs and stories can be
    shared. For example, in Rwanda culture is preserved in oral literature

    such as:

    • Amateka y’Imiryango - histories of major families.
    • Ibyivugo - self praises and heroic poetry
    • Indirimbo z’Ingabo - army music
    • Amaziha y’inka - pastoral poetry
    • Imyasiro - hunting poetry.
    • Imigani - proverbs and sayings
    • Ibisakuzo - riddles and enigmas

    • Inanga - songs by stringed instruments.

    6. Maintaining family history through giving children names of dead

    ancestors in order to keep their legacy and name alive.

    11.3 Impact of differing cultures on lifestyle and habits

    Activity 7

    In your class, look at the various classmate’s favourite sports. If you do
    not know, ask them. Do you find girls to prefer certain games to others?
    How about boys? Do you think their preference has anything to do with
    culture?
    Are men expected to behave in a certain way according to culture? How
    about girls? What are some of these expectations?
    The term lifestyle can mean interest, opinions or habits that define how an
    individual or group of people lives. Lifestyle entails both psychological and
    physical factors. The physical factors that influence life styles include the
    following; the economic status of a person, level of education, geographical
    location, gender, age among others. Psychological factors on the other hand
    include the personal values, preferences and cultural orientations.
    Culture therefore is a major aspect that influences how individuals live in
    other words their lifestyle.
    As discussed earlier, culture can be viewed from the physical symbols of a
    community or mere practices and beliefs. A rural setting promotes a more
    defined culture as compared to an urban setting due to the fact that in the
    rural area the people living there share the values that constitute culture
    while in urban areas there is a mix of cultures as people migrate from various
    cultural backgrounds and come together. In the rural also, there is more open
    space which encourages a social life unlike in towns where the open space
    is limited hence individualism results. This is why most cultural practices are
    widely practised in the rural areas.
    Differing cultures impact on lifestyle and habits in the following ways:
    (i) The food one is likely to prefer is to a large extent determined by how an
    individual has been socialised, that is the cultural background. In most
    cultures, certain food types are meant for men as they are perceived
    to need more heavy meals. This is due to the fact that gender roles in
    the society define the manual works needing more energy as masculine
    roles hence meant for men. The way foods are prepared is also a cultural
    aspect. A lot has however changed in the recent past as the traditional
    cooking methods are gradually being replaced by western ideas on how
    food should be cooked. Food preferences are also changing. People
    seem to be shifting from the natural foods from the farm to processed
    foods. This is especially happening in towns.
    (ii) The mode of dressing is also determined by culture. This is however
    being eroded as people adapt to the western influences on dressing.
    (iii) The kind of houses people live in is another aspect of lifestyle influenced
    by culture. Not only the type of the house but also the way in which
    people share their spaces influenced by culture in various ways. In some
    cultures for example, parents should not share a roof with their children
    who are married. Others have specific positions where individuals
    should have their houses built depending on their status in the family.
    This is also changing over time as contact with other cultures through
    education, urbanisation and media has slowly dissolved these values
    and today a very small space can be shared by all members of the family
    including the in-laws.
    (iv) Cultural setup also shapes attitude among members of a community. For
    example, some cultures exalt men above women and men view women
    to be inferior on the basis of gender. This leads to habits of disregarding
    girls to an extent of denying them education in some places. In the same
    regard, boys grow with the belief that they are supposed to be manly and
    not show emotion. That they should be tough and do the heavier duties
    in the society, play the rough games and pursue the more demanding
    careers. These are however perceptions instilled by culture and should
    not in any way be emulated. Civilisation has brought a positive change
    on the issue of gender equality and more emphasis is being put in
    providing equal opportunities for both girls and boys and enhancing a
    sense of equality in the society. This new culture encourages the view
    that gender roles complement each other and none of them is superior
    to the other.
    (v) Habits are also influenced by the major practices in one’s cultural
    background. For example, you will find certain social groups engaging in
    activities such as weaving, carving, dancing, etc. they draw these habits
    from the cultural activities. Others are culturally hunters, due to their
    geographical locations.
    Language spoken is an aspect of culture. Education is however providing
    optional languages such as English and this is slowly bringing a change
    in a people’s mode of interaction.
    (vi) Religion and spirituality, also impact on a person’s lifestyle and habits.
    Religion more than anything else has a strict sense of right and wrong.
    This means that one can only do what his/ her religion allows them
    to do. Be it matters of what food to eat, how to dress or with whom to
    associate. Communities that have one dominantly shared religion will
    be a very close-knit community. This is because all cultural values and
    associations are commonly believed and preserved. In our country we
    have religious beliefs that hold our society together and it’s a common
    thing for people to be influenced by their religious affiliation.

    Other factors that impact on lifestyle
    1. Migration

    Migration is the movement of individuals from one geographical area to
    another almost always with the intention of starting a new life or because of
    occupational, family or other individual reasons. This means that one leaves
    his original cultural background and will pick up new lifestyle habits from the
    new environment

    2. Education

    Education is the root to civilisation having both positive and negative effects
    on an individual. Education and exposure through television and the internet
    has led to people taking on other people’s culture and beliefs and leaving
    their own culture.

    3. Language

    Language as a means of communication will always help to establish its own
    sense of culture. Where you do not your first language, you may fail to get
    certain aspects of your culture.

    11.4 Influences of culture on what is considered acceptable and
    unacceptable sexual behaviour
    Activity 8

    You have heard of taboos on sexual behaviour in your community, discuss
    some of these taboos.
    A taboo is a prohibited act based on a social custom. They therefore spell out
    what is socially acceptable and what is not. When an individual engages in an
    unacceptable behaviour, then they are liable to a punishment. Taboos differ
    from one community to another. Taboos are meant to curb irresponsible or
    harmful behaviour and what is morally acceptable depends on the society in
    which an individual lives.
    Some of the issues addressed by these taboos include; rape, homosexuality,
    abortion, prostitution, conducting sexually suggestive behaviour in public,
    incest (sexual relations between members of the same family) and sex
    between unmarried people. In some communities, traditionally the young
    woman to be married did not have to give consent; dowry was paid without
    her knowledge and marriage was an arbitrary act where the men took her
    by force to her new home. In other communities, this could be considered as
    aggression and harassment of young girls by forcing them into marriage. In
    the same way, for some communities, there are boundaries to the communities
    from which a man can choose a marriage partner.
    Apart from the traditional taboos, the modern society is organised in such a
    way that citizens of a country are governed by a constitution. The constitution
    is a set of laws guiding the members of the society on what is unlawful and
    how it is punished. In some countries, sexual behaviuor such as homosexuality
    and abortion are outrightly prohibited while in other constitutions it is not. In
    virtually all laws, rape and sexual harassment are totally unacceptable.

    Exercise 1

    Describe harmful social and cultural practices that have a negative impact
    on health.

    11.5 Ways in which culture, human rights and social practices
    influence gender equality and gender roles
    Activity 9

    1. In your family set up, what roles do the female members of the family
    do that would seem inappropriate for the male family members to do?
    2. Who defines the roles that are meant for either men /women?
    Gender is the state of being either male or female. Culture plays a great
    role in socialising people to their respective roles. Since culture is passed
    on from one generation to another, cultural practice that determine gender
    roles are passed on from parents to their children, grandchildren and great
    grand children.
    Even though culture socialises members of the society to particular roles, it
    is important to note that members of a society are equal and whatever roles
    they play contribute to the good of the entire community. These roles; be it
    babysitting or earning for the family, are all equally important

    Human rights and social practices
    Activity 10

    Write a list of the various human rights you know
    Every human being deserves certain things vital for life. The global law
    states that human rights must be observed as they are universal for all people
    regardless of nationality, place of residence, sex, ethnic origin, color, religion,
    language, or any other status. For example: the right to education, food and
    shelter, health among others. We are all equally entitled to our human rights
    without discrimination. These rights are all organised, co-dependent and
    indivisible. They are often determined by the law and universally accepted.
    Article 1 of The Human Rights declares that “All human beings are born free
    and equal in dignity and rights.” This means that it is wrong to consider any
    sex (male/ female), race, ethnic group or other groups inferior as the Human
    Rights Declaration prohibits this and maintains that all people are equal.

    11.6 Unit summary
    Elements of national heritage

    1. Fabric
    2. Stories
    3. Culture

    The role of cultural preservation

    1. It safeguards a community’s traditions and good practices from being
    eroded away.
    2. It enables a country to maintain its national heritage.
    3. It guides in performance of cultural practices within a community.

    Impact of differing cultures on lifestyle and habits

    1. It leads to introduction of different foods to a community.
    2. It introduces varied modes of dressing to a community.
    3. It brings about construction of new types of houses to live and do
    business in.
    4. It shapes the beliefs and attitudes of the people.
    5. Members of the community may form new habits.
    6. A new religion or aspects of another religion may be introduced into
    the existing one.

    11.7 Test your competence

    Describe Rwanda’s national heritage showing clearly the rich cultural
    diversity in the country.

    ◄UNIT 10:Scientific Research, Health and Well BeingUNIT 12: Gender and Society►