Please enjoy this short video of a rural village that we visited in December.
After the video, I will highlight a few visual indicators of the cultural values or common experiences that you can see in this quick tour.
Visual Indicators of Culture
1) Rondovals
Rondovals are circular buildings that have HUGE significance in the Zulu culture. The families have historically used these structures to hold rituals and ceremonies to honour or convene with ancestors. The roof is made from thatched grass.
Inside a traditional rondovals, you will often find a space to
make a fire and an accumulation of animal bones in the rafters.
In other homesteads, the rondoval becomes
just another storage space. Even in these cases, there is a sense of reverence around these buildings for their meaning.
2) Family Gardens
Most homesteads have at least a small family
garden. These gardens are used to supplement family nutrition seasonally. The
larger gardens are also used to supplement income. So many times, our mama went
to a neighbour's home to buy maize or sugarcane, rather than the store.
3) Cattle
Historically, cattle have been significant
revenue source and social capital for rural families. Many Zulu folktales
involve cattle or cattle herders. There are multiple conflicts between tribes
and other groups (other tribes, Boers, British) that involved the stealing of or killing of cattle. The idea of someone stealing another family's
cow is completely abhorrent—learners will gasp at the mere mention of such a
crime. In most communities (though not necessarily at our permanent site), a
family's wealth and status is correlated with the number of cows that they
own. A common chore (usually for boys and men) is taking out the cows to
pasture and herding them all day.
So, generally, cows are common in the rural homesteads.
Many of the fences you see are designed to keep cattle and goats out of gardens. However, the barbed wire at the top would be a bit excessive for a cow—don’t you think? So, what purpose is that serving?
This is a more difficult question to answer because there are many different explanations given:
- Crime – these rural areas have extremely high unemployment rates, high poverty rates, and large, communal families to take care of. Although the only crime I have heard of is someone stealing the water taps from the yard. The metal can be sold for some quick money, though, most buyers will be suspicious of whence it came.
- Witchcraft/Spirits – There is an undercurrent of skepticism and fear of the magical and mysterious within Zulu culture. Some folks have expressed a fear of ghosts/spirits are their main reasons for avoiding nighttime adventures and often incorporate some “spirit revulsion” elements into their fencelines.
- Fear of unrest – This theory is mentioned the least often, but is still lingering under the surface. It is often paired with an allusion to apartheid-era raids and massacres. The feelings of distrust and fear are painfully resilient…
5) Waiting
You will see a few clusters of folks waiting for a “taxi” on the side of the road. As you have read before here and here, the taxis do not run on an advertised or consistent schedule. So, roadside waiting is simply a way of life…
UPDATE:
As you tell us about your video observations, we will post additional perspectives/addenda.
Satellite dishes juxtaposed with signs of poverty: Fabulous observation, JV! Since 1994, there has been a huge push to bring electricity to the farthest reaches of the country. It has been a major (and very political) initiative across party lines. This has caused a jump in communications access in the rural villages, including cell phones (no land lines), radio, and TV. This village, if I remember correctly, received electricity in 2005. Since then, the technology has been slowly spreading from house to house. It is DEFINITELY an adjustment to juxtapose this technology with rural living, but the more difficult adjustment is comparing the amenities available in cities with these sparse, rural luxuries. Thanks again for the observation!
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We are curious...
Looking at the video, what other
cultural markers do you see? We have been living in-country for almost a year
and are curious about what has slipped our view.
AND
Looking around your home community, what cultural markers can you find that tell about your community’s values or way of life?
Having been raised in a very rural environment, the drive by of these areas didn't have any other major things beyond what you've mentioned. Some of your elements about the nature of/associations with some of the buildings and value of animals is something I would not have known or assumed from what I saw (and a bit different from rural, farming areas in the US). I think the waiting around piece was one of the biggest standout elements to factor in.
ReplyDeleteIt's wild to compare to Chicago. Thinking about what would stand out in my community, there'd be the abundance of buildings and cars, as well as perhaps a confusing amount of signs (road signs, parking signs, announcements of Cubs schedule, construction barrels/signs). There is also a clear distinction between side roads and main/larger roads - the difference in vehicle and foot traffic on each might be telling of primary means/areas of travel and access.Aside from traffic, the main roads have far more vendors/companies, while the side roads are more residential.
It's hard to think outside of our known culture to how it might appear to others. Kudos to you two for doing that reflection and pointing out stuff to those of us reading from home :)