| dc.description.abstract | This thesis is a survey examining and assessing
the significance of the customs, beliefs and
practices of the Luo traditional marriage system
and to what extent christianity as an agent of change
has affected themo
The objectives of the research are, first, to
find out how the Luo religious beliefs, practices,
kinship system, socio-political organisation and
economy influenced the marriage system. Secondly,
the study concentrates on examining the types of
Luo traditional marriage arrangement, courtship,
bridewealth payment, ceremonies, rituals, divorce
occurences and their significance to the marriage
beliefs and practices. Thirdly, the reasons for
practising polygamy and levirate are assessed.
Fourthly, the core of the thesis studies, the
Catholic Ohurch marriage beliefs and practices as
a representative of the remaining mission founded
christian churches to find out how the church has
used its symbols of baptism matrimony, eucharist,
confirmation and holy-unction sacraments through
preaching christianity to cause change on the total
Luo traditional marriage beliefs and practices.
FinallY,the study examines how various variables
other than christianity have acted as change-agents
on some aspects of the Luo traditional beliefs and
practiceso
To get the required data, a questionnaire was
prepared to help in interviewing informants in South
Nyanza District of Kenya by multistage random sampling.
Where it was found appropriate on the spot
observation method was employed. But when situation
warranted discussion and narrative methods were utilized.
In some cases, tape recording was used and later
the transcript was replayed and analysed. The above
methods were supplemented by information sought from
University Library materials,archival materials, journals, articles, documents stating church policy
on marriage, record of parish council meetings,
bulletins and newspapers. The whole data obtained
was then analysed and sythesized into a thesis.
The research findings showed that some of the
aspects of the Luo traditional beliefs and practices
have been changed by christianity. It was discovered
too that the Luo still cherish traditional marrjage
practices of courtship, bridewealth payment, ceremonies,
rituals, polygamy and leviratic marriage.
In a way, they are only forced to change their attitudes
towards some of the marriage beliefs and practices
because of the changes forced upon them by
christianity and new social and economic pressures.
Further the research findings showed that
christianity is not the sole agent of change on
different aspects of the marriage system. The
forced changes are mainly caused by strenses brought
by new social and economic demands like need for good
education, health, housing, clothing and feeding standards.
Other problems that force change are inflationary
forces, unemployment, marginal earnings,
urbanization and adapting to new technologies.
These factors combine to force change on practices
of types of marriage arrangement, courtship, bridewealth
payment, ceremonies, rituals, polygamy,
leviratic unions and traditional motives of marriages
It was also evidently clear that some Luo
marriage beliefs and practices have resisted changeo
Most Luo still cherish polygamy, again, majority of
them believe that it is a grave punishment equivalent
to a curse to marry and die without a childo
So if the first wife is barren, the husband will
try to marry a second wife to get his own children.
They don't feel comfortable with children adopted
from the orphanage. Because of the husband's desire
for male children if a wife continues to get female
children a husband may marry a second wife to get
sons.
The thesis concludes that the Catholic Church
missionaries were not patient to understand the Luo
marriage beliefs and practices so that they could
present christian gospel among the people whose
culture they knew. Instead, they got engaged in
destroying the Luo marriage beliefs and practices,
therefore, failed to preach a gospel that could
largely meet the Luo cultural and spiritual needs.
Many Luo people have not changed their attitudes and
beliefs that their security is in christianity. This
is because when they are confronted with serious
crises which christianity fails to offer solutions,
they revert to seek answers in the long old age
traditions of their forefathers. Therefore, the
Catholic Church should promote a dialogue with the
Luo traditions and where necessary adapt itself to
local situations without harming its own faith.
otherwise, the church will continue to experience
split from itself to give rise to innependent churches
due to pyschological frustrations.
The Luo community and Kenyans should understand
that the traditional social and economic
structures that supported the practices of polygamy,
and the levirate are breaking away therefore,
in many situations polygamy, levirate and the close
births of many children make it difficult to meet
modern expectations of good education, clothing, housing and food which are basic needs. These
demands in some circumstances make many wives and
children become a liability to the family. The
church and the government should therefore, introduce
safe family planning methods in a most simple,
understable and credible way to the people without
violating their moral rights and dignity.
The thesis does not claim that its findings
are exhaustive and final, it only creates gateway
for the would be interested scholars and students
for further researches in the same field or in other
rich areas like Luo birth and death beliefs and
practices where very little material has been documented. | en |
