TITLE:
Traditional African (the Igbo) Marriage Customs & the Influence of the Western Culture: Marxist Approach
AUTHORS:
Aaron A. R. Nwabude
KEYWORDS:
Traditional Marriage, Cultural, Bride-Price, Marxist Perspective, Igbo, Christianity, Osu, Igboland, Umunna, Ndi-Chie, Western Society, Igba-Nkwu, Chi-Ukwu
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.2,
February
23,
2022
ABSTRACT: The emergence of clusters of traditions and cultural civilization of the
wider Igbo society and the influence of the Western culture necessitated the
need to review the traditional Igbo marriage and customs. This study looks at
the pre-existing traditions of marriage(s), its values, beliefs and practices
in Igbo land and the influence of the Western Judo-Christian cultural and
religiosity which was passed unto us by the introduction of Christianity,
Church and Canonical Laws into African Soil. The researcher approached this
paper in a rather different genre, portraying a “Marxist perspective”. The
study thus, assumes that a qualitative research paradigm and method of data
collection are interviews, and online research. Findings reveal deep rooted
cultural differences (traditional and alien), which resulted in marriage
clashes due to sometimes conceptual beliefs amongst the Christians and
non-Christians alike. One such difference includes; the right of individuals to
contract marriage without the consent of their parents in the West, whereas in
Igbo land and more so in African context, marriage is seen as a union of two
different families. In that respect, individuals cannot enter the contract of
marriage without the sole express permission of their parents. Consequently,
doing so would invalidate the marriage to a mere friendship without any form of
legitimacy. Finally, compulsion is adhered to the traditional Igbo marriage
custom while this is not the case in the Western cultural traditions. Thus, in
this study, the researcher pertinently recommends respect to each method and to
give to Caesar that which belongs to him and to GOD that which belongs to GOD.