AFL2602/202/1/2018
Tutorial letter 202/1/2018
Understanding African Management
Practices as Reflected in African Languages
Literature and Texts
AFL2602
Semester 1
Department of African Languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important information
about your assignments.
, AFL2602/202/1/2018
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS
Please note that the feedback on this assignment is included in the following languages in
this tutorial letter: English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, Sesotho, Siswati,
isiNdebele, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
NOTA BENE (NB)
Students are expected to present their own ideas/views/findings which may include among
others the following points. Being a general paper there is no reason to fail a student who
presents and substantiates his/her views.
English
Unique No: 841659
Assignment 20
1. Women exercise great power in African societies with regard to leadership roles.
Discuss this statement with reference to the role of a woman in the management
of an African community. Illustrate your discussion with examples from main
African literary texts. /25/
African women exercise great power in the management of the society. In many
instances this is achieved indirectly through influencing their husbands, brothers and
male children in important matters affecting the management of families, tribes and
nations. In some African societies women can be installed as headmen and chiefs,
whereas some can be head of families. The aunt (a man’s sister), especially the eldest
sister is very important in her family of birth regarding management of the family. For
any important decisions taken in the family, the sister must be consulted. For example,
matters affecting marriage processes, ritual performances and solving family disputes
cannot be finalised without consulting with the sister. The sister has an important role
to play in the management of the tribe and the nation. She is not directly involved with
the running of the tribe or nation, but makes important decisions regarding
management. For example, she is responsible for the choice of a woman who bears the
future chief or king. She resolves problems regarding chieftainship disputes. Together
with the senior people in the royal house she is responsible for the choice of the
successor.
2. African literature abounds stories of repression of children by the head of the
family as far as decision making that affects their lives is concerned. Discuss this
statement with reference to literary texts in your main African language. /25/
Oppression of children
A family is a small group of people united by the ties of marriage, i.e. husband, wife
and children. African families may consist of the man (head of family), wife and
children, and sometimes the extended family
Many families are headed by men, with very few headed by women, for example
single parent families and families of medicine persons.
2
, AFL2602/202/1/2018
Among the duties of the head of an African family, are
the choice of spouses and careers for his daughters and sons.
type of dress for the children.
Commands are not challenged and the children cannot say no.
This role is always accompanied by conflicts in the family.
Children regard this as a form of oppression and respond to this by protesting against
decisions made by their parents.
In most traditional societies children are there to be seen and not heard.
3. Proverbs are aspects of language which have played an essential role in the lives
of the African people. Discuss this statement with regard to the role played by
proverbs in African societies and supporting your answer with relevant examples
from your main African language. /25/
Role of proverbs
Proverbs have many roles to play – they:
Express social approval and disapproval.
Ridicule those who deviate from the norm – people were expected to conform.
Advise, warn, counsel members of the community.
Were a philosophical way of teaching and inducting the young into the society where
they were born. They were moral lessons.
Are source of wisdom – they would quote them in the same way a preacher quotes a
verse.
They were used in courts to sway the verdict.
In African culture, proverbs are also used to express heredity, upbringing, upliftment
and inspiration. A proverb such as a duiker will always bear a duiker reveals that
genetics always shapes its way through genealogy.
Proverbs are a literary genre that was used by African traditions for a lot of purposes
such as providing warning against the dangers of pride, ingratitude, abstinence, lack of
humanness, lack of good moral nature, dishonesty, cunningness as well as
unfaithfulness.
Proverbs are also used to express ungratefulness, inhumanity or hatred.
A proverb warns people to caution their muscle over other people`s assets.
On a high note, proverbs are also used to express friendliness such as a friend is closer
and morevaluable than a blood relative. A friend can be more reliable, helpful and
trustworthy than a blood relative.
Role of proverbs
Proverbs were also extensively used to sustain and preserve the African languages.
They reminded the people of the values that a linguistic and cultural group held dear.
Proverbs were used to sustain the morality of the people and were constructed by
making comparisons with life in the physical and cultural environment, in order that the
good from animals and nature was learnt and deviant behaviour was discouraged.
African proverbs show how language was sustained because authentic words and
phrases were taught over and above the moral lessons.
Express social approval and disapproval.
3
Tutorial letter 202/1/2018
Understanding African Management
Practices as Reflected in African Languages
Literature and Texts
AFL2602
Semester 1
Department of African Languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important information
about your assignments.
, AFL2602/202/1/2018
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS
Please note that the feedback on this assignment is included in the following languages in
this tutorial letter: English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, Sesotho, Siswati,
isiNdebele, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
NOTA BENE (NB)
Students are expected to present their own ideas/views/findings which may include among
others the following points. Being a general paper there is no reason to fail a student who
presents and substantiates his/her views.
English
Unique No: 841659
Assignment 20
1. Women exercise great power in African societies with regard to leadership roles.
Discuss this statement with reference to the role of a woman in the management
of an African community. Illustrate your discussion with examples from main
African literary texts. /25/
African women exercise great power in the management of the society. In many
instances this is achieved indirectly through influencing their husbands, brothers and
male children in important matters affecting the management of families, tribes and
nations. In some African societies women can be installed as headmen and chiefs,
whereas some can be head of families. The aunt (a man’s sister), especially the eldest
sister is very important in her family of birth regarding management of the family. For
any important decisions taken in the family, the sister must be consulted. For example,
matters affecting marriage processes, ritual performances and solving family disputes
cannot be finalised without consulting with the sister. The sister has an important role
to play in the management of the tribe and the nation. She is not directly involved with
the running of the tribe or nation, but makes important decisions regarding
management. For example, she is responsible for the choice of a woman who bears the
future chief or king. She resolves problems regarding chieftainship disputes. Together
with the senior people in the royal house she is responsible for the choice of the
successor.
2. African literature abounds stories of repression of children by the head of the
family as far as decision making that affects their lives is concerned. Discuss this
statement with reference to literary texts in your main African language. /25/
Oppression of children
A family is a small group of people united by the ties of marriage, i.e. husband, wife
and children. African families may consist of the man (head of family), wife and
children, and sometimes the extended family
Many families are headed by men, with very few headed by women, for example
single parent families and families of medicine persons.
2
, AFL2602/202/1/2018
Among the duties of the head of an African family, are
the choice of spouses and careers for his daughters and sons.
type of dress for the children.
Commands are not challenged and the children cannot say no.
This role is always accompanied by conflicts in the family.
Children regard this as a form of oppression and respond to this by protesting against
decisions made by their parents.
In most traditional societies children are there to be seen and not heard.
3. Proverbs are aspects of language which have played an essential role in the lives
of the African people. Discuss this statement with regard to the role played by
proverbs in African societies and supporting your answer with relevant examples
from your main African language. /25/
Role of proverbs
Proverbs have many roles to play – they:
Express social approval and disapproval.
Ridicule those who deviate from the norm – people were expected to conform.
Advise, warn, counsel members of the community.
Were a philosophical way of teaching and inducting the young into the society where
they were born. They were moral lessons.
Are source of wisdom – they would quote them in the same way a preacher quotes a
verse.
They were used in courts to sway the verdict.
In African culture, proverbs are also used to express heredity, upbringing, upliftment
and inspiration. A proverb such as a duiker will always bear a duiker reveals that
genetics always shapes its way through genealogy.
Proverbs are a literary genre that was used by African traditions for a lot of purposes
such as providing warning against the dangers of pride, ingratitude, abstinence, lack of
humanness, lack of good moral nature, dishonesty, cunningness as well as
unfaithfulness.
Proverbs are also used to express ungratefulness, inhumanity or hatred.
A proverb warns people to caution their muscle over other people`s assets.
On a high note, proverbs are also used to express friendliness such as a friend is closer
and morevaluable than a blood relative. A friend can be more reliable, helpful and
trustworthy than a blood relative.
Role of proverbs
Proverbs were also extensively used to sustain and preserve the African languages.
They reminded the people of the values that a linguistic and cultural group held dear.
Proverbs were used to sustain the morality of the people and were constructed by
making comparisons with life in the physical and cultural environment, in order that the
good from animals and nature was learnt and deviant behaviour was discouraged.
African proverbs show how language was sustained because authentic words and
phrases were taught over and above the moral lessons.
Express social approval and disapproval.
3
