Ibo People

1142 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What are social structures and how do they impact our lives

* The Ibo people have a civilized community because they have an organized structure to their society with rules and laws. A society that employs morals, ethics, and accountability for peoples’ actions cannot be considered savage. The Ibo are highly religious; the base of most of their daily life revolves around religion, whether it is how they raise their families or how they grow crops, such as yams.

* In a savage setting, the parents would usually not bother to educate their children or abandon them at a very early age to fend for themselves. In the Ibo culture, the children learn socially complex skills, morals and discipline, which shows evidence of a civilized society.

* They have complicated rituals involving masks representing ancestors and deities. They use music for communication.

* Complex art related to religion more than self expression. They have reasons behind sacrifices, killing and violence is always backed by religion.

Historian/Journalist Prewriting

* The country of Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups and speak over 200 languages- a non-civilized culture would be much less diverse

*

Nigeria has a population of approx. 149,229,090 people (and is the most populous country in Africa)- an uncivilized culture would be unable to contain so many people

*

Slowly becoming more democratic

*

Have 2 major worldwide religions (Christianity and Islam) which account for 90% of the population- not native, unusual religions

*

Weddings involve specific dress and steps each side of the family follows (such as the dowry paying).

*

Achebe shows how Nigeria is civilized through his portrayal of the Nigerian wedding styles.

*

Achebe...

... middle of paper ...

...

Conclusion:

Society becomes civilized when it becomes cultured. Whether it is the Ibo tribes of Nigeria, or Nigeria itself, both civilizations show signs of being cultured. They both follow set protocols for their social events, as well as specific steps for gaining in political and economic prowess. Religion plays a large part in showing a culture's civilization, and by following a majority in religion both cultures show how they've become civilized. Achebe shows how the Ibo are civilized by relating in detail their social systems and by noting all the details they need to follow for it to be considered acceptable. A cultures' members show responsibility for the community's actions, and therefore they must take responsibility for each other. Civilized cultures band together and make sure each person is accounted for, as well as pulling their own weight.

Show More
Related

  • The Collision of Beliefs in Things Fall Apart

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    to bring out of a savage, uneducated, or rude state; make civil; elevate social and private life; enlighten; refine: Rome civilized the barbarians. Dictionary.com - "The 'Dictionary'" The Europeans had this common belief that Africa needed to be civilized. As I read through these books, I felt that the Europeans thought they were helping the Africans become civilized through Christianity. Ones definition of civilization depends on their point of view. Joseph Conrad shows how the white man viewed the natives in his word choice, he states in his book.

    Read More

  • Iks by Lewis Thomas

    851 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the “Iks” by Lewis Thomas, the author describes how a small tribe of hunters from northern Uganda called the Iks tries to survive after being forced by the government to give up their homes and living area and move to a poor hills and become farmers. Society is extremely harsh towards the Iks and this causes them to rebel and become abnormal. The Iks were a bunch of selfish people who only cared about themselves, left elders to starve and die, and did not cared about the children. They didn’t share things with each other and they find joy in the other’s misfortunes. Anthropologist were sent to observe the Iks, an anthropologist described the Iks to be ill- mannered fashion. Over the two years he had studied there, he was constantly being harassed and disgraced. After he had published his book, he wrote how he despised the Iks. Thomas then went on to say that he now sees similar behaviors implying on nations and cities compared to the Iks making points saying that the Iks share common characteristics of greed, cruezl, and selfish just like different nations fighting against each other.

    Read More

  • Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart - Internal Conflict Leading to the Downfall in the Ibo Culture

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the flaws inside the Ibo culture that eventually leads to their downfall is the social system. The weaker people join the church as a way to gain acceptance. The osu, or outcasts who lived in the Ibo culture want to feel accepted and as a result, follow the Christians. “The two outcasts shaved off their hair, and soon they were the strongest adherents of the new faith” (157). These two outcasts never have the feeling of being a part of the clan. The church welcomes them. The osu cannot cut their hair, marry, or receive a title in the clan. They are “cast out like lepers” (157). The church welcomes the osu and treats them like human beings. This is where the Ibo social system is at fault. An ideal job is to be a farmer and since not everyone can afford seeds and a barn...

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... of respect and appreciation for a different culture can take part in the downfall of the Igbo society.

    Read More

  • Why The Igbo People Were Civilized

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    The question of civilization is central to the conflict between the Igbo and the British. The idea that the British were responsible for "civilizing" and converting the natives on other continents because they were “savages” (according to the colonizers). Since Igbo societies were structured and functioned differently from societies in Europe, they were deemed as uncivilized. The definition of the civilized is a place or a group of people that have social, cultural, and moral development in their society. By the definition of civilized, the Igbo people are civilized because they have evidence of social, cultural, and moral development in their specific society.

    Read More

  • Communication Breakdown: Conflict in 'Things Fall Apart'

    1199 Words  | 3 Pages

    He displays it through the conversation Mr. Brown has with Akuma, in which he “learned a good deal about the religion of the clan” and made the conclusion that “attack… would not succeed” (Achebe 181). Unlike Mr. Smith’s quick and dramatic reaction to the clan, Mr. Brown makes it his duty to interact with the tribe and understand them. Mr. Smith’s refusal to understand the Ibo culture makes him interpret all of their actions as a culture to be violent, such as the burning of the church (Achebe 191). Because of his impatience for comprehension, Mr. Smith sacrifices the harmony that could coexist between the two cultures. Mr. Brown, on the other hand, makes an effort to understand the universal themes and similarities that run through each of their religions, like the importance of an absolute deity. Despite the differences, Mr. Brown chooses to accept the culture, even though he may not agree with it. His acceptance is what truly allows the Ibo to coexist with the missionaries without conflict for a short period of time, proving that with communication, conflict can be prevented. However, the lack of communication once Mr. Smith takes over is what causes the clash between him and the Ibo because he jumps too quickly to conclusions rather than trying to understand why the Ibo do what they do. The depth of the culture that is shown through the conversation between

    Read More

  • Ibo Culture: The Most Important Thing In Today's Society

    383 Words  | 1 Pages

    In modern day America most of the customs that the Ibo culture has would not be considered okay in today's society. In the book Ekwefi had had two children before Ezinma they were thought to be Ogbanje. They mutilated the second child after it dies to hopefully scare the spirit away, so it would never return. Eventually Ekwefi had Ezinma who carried the spirit inside of her, but they got rid of it with her Iyi-Uwa. I think that this is so unusual and cruel to think your child is something so evil when it hasn't even had a chance to grow up and become somebody. They based their information on the date of death of their child, which in my opinion doesn't determine if a child is evil or not. In modern America mutilating your child after death and then throwing it into a forest would not be considered okay. People who would do these things would be thought of as sick minded psychopath. Another custom that would be considered wrong in most American households and in job positions is that the men almost always hold the position of power. If a woman in the Ibo culture does one miniscule thing wrong, she gets beaten. It is not okay for anyone in America to beat another human being and even abusing animals. If they were to do this they would not just get away by making an offer to the gods, they would be doing their justice in jail or prison.

    Read More

  • The Ibo Society In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    Societies are widely portrayed across literature as groups of people living together in an organized community while sharing a similar culture. However, not all societies have developed properly to be classified as civilized. A civilized society is one that has been brought to a stage of social, cultural, and moral development, causing it to be considered more advanced. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe depicts the Ibo society as civilized through their egwugwu justice system, worshipping of a spiritual Oracle, and patriarchal dominance.

    Read More

  • Essay On Does Religion Cause War

    1772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Every state, culture, and society in the world has some form of religion. The most popular religions in the world today are Christianity, Buddhism, and the Muslim religions. Members of every religion follow some form of philosophy or ideology that shape their thinking and behaviors. One common thing about the existing religions is the presence of a supreme being. People misinterpret existing religious ideologies serving their personal interests that at times turn out to cause war. Religious ideologies brainwash populations who end up acting violently in different deviant forms (Richardson, 518). Religions use specific ideologies to make people living in a society violent to peaceful members who may fight back in self-defense.

    Read More

  • Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.

    Read More

  • Essay on themes in Things Fall Apart and Second Coming

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    In many ways the changes that the missionaries brought upon the Ibo were unavoidable.  The rituals and cyclic view the Ibo had of time held their culture together.  The Ibo did not hold on to their ideas of interdepenence and community.  Therefore, they were more suspetable to surcoming to the ways of the white man.  The colonial infiltration caused the Ibo to not only loose their cultural identity, but their voice.  The missionaries alterations brought silece among the native dialect of the Ibo.  Achebe states at the end of the novel "even now they have not  found the mouth with which to tell of their suffering." From this quote it is apparent that there is little left of the Ibo culture.  The colonial infliltration caused the Ibo to fall apart, and break the vital cycle that once held their culture together.

    Read More

  • Civilization In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Almost every civilizat in the world was at one time colonized by another civilization with differing cultural beliefs. this is just the case in the Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart. were the Umuofia tribe in niger has being colonized by the british empire. which leds to the members of their tribe to either decide to learn to give into the brits and leave there way of life and accept the new christian teachings or have to fight to uphold their way of life that has kept order and peace in the village. by the end of the book many of the natives start rethinking their culture and join the christian church but the main character named Okonkwo all he is know is to work hard and slowly work his way up the umuofia's social ladder but it is now threatened by the the new christians teachings. at the end of the book okonkwo instead of fighting and knowing he will be unsuccessful he decides to kill himself because no matter how strong he is he knows that his fate was either kill himself or have all of his hard work to be

    Read More

  • Religions of the World

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    Religion is big part of human life. Every area of the world has some kind of religion or belief system. Religion is defined as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices” (“Religion” Def.2). With such a large amount of religions today, religion is widely variegated, usually with divisions in each one. Despite the large amount of religions, I will only be covering only three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.

    Read More

  • The Rapa Nui

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...world, yet many of their customs are similar to others around the world, from marriage and family, to gender roles and religion. They have many differences as well, some still based on a more primitive scope like still believing in curses.

    Read More

  • British Colonial Policy And The Nigerian Civil War

    2828 Words  | 6 Pages

    While the outside world considered Nigeria to be a united and monolithic entity, even the British colonial administration was wary of the reality of Nigerian politics; the nation was not so much a “country” as it was more than three hundred different groups coalesced into one.4 5 These tribes were divided between three main spheres of influence: the Yoruba, the Igbo, and the Hausa. Historically, their interests were often opposed, and their cultures did not come into regular contact with one another until the British occupation. In spite of the differences British administration a...

    Read More

More about Ibo People

Open Document