culture
Noted for its hospitality, Tanzanian culture is recognized through its nature of karibu (welcome). This word is heard often as part of a greeting, returning thanks, and for wishing a warm wish for a return visit. When entering an office or home, it is customary to request entry with by saying hodi (May I come in?) which is invariably responded with karibu (welcome) from the host. This applies whether you are a stranger or not as mgeni is used for both stranger and guest as Swahili does not make a distinction (Benjamin, 2005, p. 36). Likewise, Swahili does not distinguish between the pronouns he and she, treating both genders the same, except when referring to marriage (p. 135). Display of affection between sexes is discouraged, but it is customary to hold hands with others of the same sex as a sign of friendship (Lillian Osaki, personal communication, September 14, 2007).
The hospitality continues with sharing a meal phrased, karibu chakula. The host will wash your hands with a basin and pitcher before sitting down together for a communal meal centered on ugali, a maize and cassava flour staple. Rolled into a ball with your right hand, then indented with your thumb, the ugali is used as an edible spoon to dip into stews of chicken, beef, or fish served with beans and a spicy cabbage as dishes. A little is left to show you have been satisfied before taking tropical fruits as a dessert. Hands are then washed again at the end of a meal. In traditional families, the men eat before the women of the household. As in many cultures, sharing a meal is the basis of social life in
Tanzania (Benjamin, 2005, p. 166).
The Swahili language is widely used throughout East Africa, yet it a native language to only 4-5 million people of the Bantu tribe from the Niger-Congo delta, tracing back to 1000 C.E. Over 50 million people use Swahili as their lingua franca due in large part to Nyerere making it the national language of
Tanzania in his first term as president. Spoken in Kenya, Rwanda, and
Burundi as well as parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Swahili links people in a vast region through language. The importance of this is emphasized by the recognition that Tanzania is home to 120 tribal groups (Benjamin, 2005, p. 10; Fitzpatrick, 2005, p. 25). Swahili borrows from these tribal languages as well as many Arabic, Persian and European roots due to the centuries of influence by trade routes. For instance, Zanzibar comes from Arabic Zinj el-Barr (Land of the Blacks) and Dar es Salaam (Haven of Peace) have Arabic roots (Fitzpatrick, 2005, p. 72).
Tanzania’s national capital is in Dodoma, yet Dar es Salaam is the main port city for
Tanzania and thus the economic capital. Fitzpatrick (Fitzpatrick, 2005) observed that this urban hub is home to nearly 3 million people and is ethnically diverse. Religion is a mix of Muslim and Christian, including Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican. There are smaller, but active communities of Hindu, Sikhs, and Ismalis. Traditional practices may be found in many parts of the rural areas (p. 73).
Dar es Salaam is also home to many venues of arts and culture of all types (pp. 27-30).
Much of Tanzanian life is rural based with two-thirds of the population living outside urban areas. Women and children work small shama (farmplots) and the extended family is the foundation of society. It is common in rural areas for a woman to drop here name and become known as Mama followed by the name of her oldest son (Fitzpatrick, 2005, p. 27). Similarly, the Zaramo view of creation begins with Nyalutanga, our common mother, who emerged from the female earth bringing a lineage of daughters. Men nourish this creative power by complimenting it with cultural qualities. Zaramo children take on the names of their father’s mother’s clan, inheriting the cultural qualities of their father (p. 87). These stories and customs bring to mind what Hesse (1956) described as, “it is just the same with mothers. When they have borne their children and given their milk and beauty and strength, they themselves become invisible, and no one asks about them any more.” (p. 34)
The jamaa (clan, community) becomes an extension of the family in rural
Tanzania. The whole village participates and helps each other under the guidance of village administrators. This village structure represents the remains of the tribal structure. Local chieftains were abolished shortly after independence, replaced by the ujamaa (familyhood) ideals of Nyerere (Fitzpatrick, 2005, p. 27). Transition from rural to a more urban society has mixed people from various tribes in the cities, further melding the various cultures and traditions. Younger people are becoming less likely to identify with their village and clan.
Life continues to be hard for women in
Tanzania. Due to family obligations, lack of finances, pregnancy or HIV/AIDS (56% of all cases are women) only 5% of girls finish secondary school. The overall average is only slightly better at 7%, one of the lowest in the world. This results in a very low literacy rate for women at 67% (Fitzpatrick, 2005, p. 27). Secondary schools are taught in English, creating a difficulty for those who have not been exposed to the language in their households. Family hierarchy gives preference to the male members; therefore, a brother would be able to attend secondary school, leaving the sister behind to attend to the household. Child labor is prevalent with over half of school age children working to support their families. Positive strides have been made at the primary level, but much remains to be done before women can access the economic and political arenas.
The political debate is active, but limited to the available media. With such high illiteracy rates (25% nationally), most Tanzanians rely on the radio for news media. Newspapers circulate in the urban areas, but have little distribution outside the city perimeters. Television has low media impact as only 4% of households own a television. Much of the news media is aligned with the governing CCM party resulting in little political debate (Fitzpatrick, 2005, pp. 26-27). The interrelationship between political discourse and education was noted by Sen (A. Sen, Brundtland, & Johnson, 2002; A. K. Sen, 2001) as critical to promoting the freedom to access the political system. Without available and accessible media and an informed literate populous, any political freedom becomes limited to what the government wishes to communicate.
References available upon request.
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