The Declining and Evolving Norms Of Nuer Community in Gamabella Town
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Date
2021-10
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Addis ababa university
Abstract
Norms are the practical and observable viewpoints of the whole culture. Living culture is measured and recognized when its elements are practiced by the native. Otherwise, unique components of its traits would result in decline and replacement or even disappearance. Today, Nuer culture in general and their norms in particular are rapidly changing in all aspects toward global culture. Contacts with other cultures and innovation from within keep moving continuous and observable changes. However, these changes brought about new and strange practices frustrating the life of Nuer community which call for study. Thus, the main objective of this study is to identify and asses the declining and evolving norms of the Nuer community residing in Gambella town. Methodologically, the study used mixed research approach. Multi- stage sampling method, i.e., a combination of purposive, quota and snow ball sampling techniques were used to determine the study population based on Slovin formula. Questionnaire, in-depth interview, focus group discussion and observation were used to gather the necessary data. The study found that long-standing norms of the Nuer community related to marriage, age-setting, gender roles, cultural parenting & folklore, social stigma, and naming system were rapidly declining over the past three decades with evolving new norms replacing them. Nowadays, individual based decisions pertaining to marriage, corporate roles, permissive parenting, and foreign and urbanized naming system are dominating. It was found that interplay of factors such as population growth, man-mad and natural disasters, migration, livelihood changes, government interventions, changing religious orientations, nascent technologies, education, urbanization and modernization are responsible for the changing cultural norms and declining values. The same factors catalyzed by young people, boys, women, educated, urban dwellers, religious people, divorced, children and government/NGOs workers were found to be responsible for the evolvement of new norms and values that increasingly influence the way of life of the community. It was also revealed that the changes brought by these factors produced mixed results. They affected the society both negatively and positively. On the one hand, they reduced the prevalence of traditional harmful practices while promoting positive aspects of gender equality. On the other, they engender negative impacts, particularly with regard to respect for the elderly, inter-generational collaboration and social cohesion. In comparative terms, however, the study found that negative impacts of value erosion outweighed the positive outcomes. Henceforth, the study recommends the maintenance of the positive indigenous cultural norms without compromising the role of the emerging ones. Moreover, this study calls for further detailed study on these topmost norms, especially the political culture of Nuer community in relation to other communities such as Anyuaa, Majang, Komo, and Oppo.
Key words: Nuer community, marital norms, age-setting system, gender roles, social stigma, cultural parenting, folklores, and naming system, declining norms, and evolving norms.
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Keywords
Nuer community, marital norms, age-setting system, gender roles, social stigma, cultural parenting, folklores, and naming system, declining norms, and evolving norms.