Unit time frame: 3 weeks
What you will need: Mpalanyi, S.E.K., Ndikumma Okulya. Kampala: East African Literature Bureau, 1977.
Elders are greatly respected in Kiganda culture. They are thought to have the most wisdom about life, culture and history, and best suited for leadership positions. They are shown the upmost respect, and any expression of disrespect carries serious punishment. A person's manners, respectability, and social standing is often shaped by how they greet and treat their elders. Elders are also responsible for educating children and adolescents about cultural customs, appropriate gender roles and obligations, and relationships. A woman's oldest paternal aunt (Ssenga), for example, is expected to teach his daughter how to be a good wife and instruct her about even the most intimate aspects of marriage. All elders are also seen as moral authorities and responsible for transmitting historical, cultural, and clan knowledge by telling stories, oral traditions, and proverbs. Because of their wisdom and positions of authority, elders are expected to attend clan meetings and make clan decisions. Unlike the youth culture of the United States, most Baganda admire old age and look forward to becoming elders themselves.
Basic vocabulary:
Important/elder (adj): -kulu
Very old person: Mzee
Grandfather: Jjajja omusajja
Grandmother: Jjajja omukazi
parent: omuzadde
Father-in-law: Ssezaala
Mother-in-law: Nnyazaala
Paternal (and maternal) uncle: Taata omuto
Paternal aunt: Ssenga
Maternal aunt: Maama omuto
Honor: ekitiibwa
Behavior/manners: empisa
Related vocabulary:
Relationship: oluganda
Wedding: embaga
Widow: nnamwandu
Widower: semwandu
Funeral rites: olumbe
To remember: okujjukira
To die: okufa
To get married (woman): okufumbirwa
To get married (man): okuwasa
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Weekly breakdown:
Week 1: Gender and Generation
Reading: Begin Ndikumma Okulya (a Luganda expression for preparing for marriage)
Assignments: 1) Read 30-45 minutes every other day. 2) According to the book, what are the roles and responsibilities of Baganda women? How do those roles and responsibilities change according to age? 3) Create a new flashcard set on Quizlet related to women’s roles and responsibilities in Ganda culture. 4) Begin a short paper describing the roles and responsibilities of women at during different stages of the life cycle.
Week 2: Elders and Education
Reading: Continue Ndikumma Okulya.
Assignments: 1) Read 30-45 minutes every other day. 2) Practice with flashcards every other day (days you do not read). 3) What sort of education does Zansanze receive from her mother? From her grandmother? How do their lessons reflect broader Ganda gender relations and ideologies? What does it mean to be a “proper” Ganda woman? How does Zansanze respond to these lessons? 4) Work on paper.
Week 3: Elders and Marriage Customs
Reading: Finish Ndikumma Okulya.
Assignments: 1) Read 30-45 minutes every other day. 2) Practice with flashcards every other day (days you do not read). 3) What role does Zansanze’s grandmother play in her marriage preparation? What role does her paternal aunt play in preparation customs? How do various female relatives describe traditional courtship and marriage customs? What are the details of Zansanze’s wedding ceremony? 4) Finish paper.