Preview

The Zulu People

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2438 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Zulu People
The Zulu People

ANT. 101
Instructor Brooks
June 1, 2013

The Zulu People Have you ever wondered why people in foreign countries live so differently than us in the United States? It has a lot to do with their culture backgrounds and what they believe in. There are several different cultures and beliefs outside of the United States that we do not realize or even understand. We question ourselves about why people from different countries do things so much different than us, and if we find it to be out of the normal for us we don’t understand it. I will be explaining the Zulu Culture in this essay to compare how their culture is similar and differs to ours in the United States. In the United States we live with freedom and the right to make choices. Most of the people in the United States live worshiping one God, and that is normal to us. We have one spouse, and we choose who that spouse is. We have a lot more rights than other countries, and when we see something out of the normal to us we tend not to understand why they may do this certain thing. Well it all has to do with one’s cultural background, ones beliefs, and to understand why they do such we have to investigate a person’s background. Including where they come from, how they were raised and what they believe in. In doing this surely you will understand a little more about another’s culture and will not be so quick to judge how they may do a particular task. To start off I am going to explain where the Zulu people come from. The Zulu is South African ethnic groups mainly living in the KwaZulu-Natal part of Africa. Their name translated in English means “People of Heaven” There is around seventeen to twenty two million people in this tribal group. The Zulu kingdom was established in the ninth century. A lot like in the United States the Zulu culture are horticulturalists. This means they live off of the land. They raise their livestock and grow their vegetable gardens to supply food for



References: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Zulu> http://zulu-culture.co.za/ancestor_zulu_culture.php> http://search.proquest.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/cv_756001/docview/205102576/13E4AC689D771C5397C/2?accountid=32521> http://search.proquest.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/cv_756001/docview/921026555/13E4ACCEF3F7D96552F/4?accountid=32521> http://search.proquest.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/cv_756001/docview/195040077/13E4AD0E75B40D14C4F/1?accountid=32521> http://search.proquest.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/cv_756001/docview/213658203/13E4AD2809755B64B15/1?accountid=32521> http://zulu-culture.co.za/zulu_family.php>

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The customary use of symbolism in everyday activities such as cooking, raising children, music, dance, and language allowed the African people to maintain intimate connection with god and each other. Once introduced to slavery these oppressors attempted to destroy and exploit these ideologies and concepts because they feared what they couldn’t replicate or understand. In fact, slavery was an attempt to instill a constant sense of terror and chaos into the lives of these inferior people (Ani, pg. 13). However, Leonard Barrett states, “Africans indigenized their surrounding in order to be able to function as a united people in a new world, “(Ani, Pg. 15). Enslaved Africans found unique ways to preserve their culture. For example, songs, dances, secret language, and African folktales were used to pass on tradition, history, and customs. Poetry and plays were created to reconstruct the emotions and experiences of the ancestors. Moreover, music, and even church processionals replicated the customs carried over from Africa. Even in those whom disconnect from their heritage, evidence of their Africaness can still be found in how they celebrate life and…

    • 1107 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Their leader Shaka had planted all his ideas and teachings into the Zulu people and because of him, they had this fearless persona about them to. All they were known for was wreaking havoc and growing their already growing empires with trained a killer, which was going to be a problem. I resented the British Laws that was passed to abolish slavery. If they never passed these laws things would have never changed and this would have never stroked their already growing egos. These laws caused us Boers to revolt and try to escape British rule. This was one of the key opponents that lead us into battle with the Zulu people. These ignorant, blood-thirsty, man slaying, people are dangerous. They start countless wars and make a lot of enemies which would hurt them because they were creating countless enemies. The only thing that they know how to do is how to kill and to start war amongst themselves, when we were trying to compromise with them. We was only trying to teach these barbaric people some of our ways and to civilize them, trying to help the blacks of the South Africa. All the “Great” King of The Zulu Land had to do was disband his military and recognize Britain’s authority, or face invasion. As usual they chose what they knew how to do best, which was how to start war. The same British people that passed the slave abolishing law for these people they were now going into war with them. So not only did they have wars with Boers they also had war with the British now to, how ironic. Even though I despise these people they were very courageous. It’s almost funny how the Zulu’s thought they could defeat us with their sticks. They knew that they could not have stopped us with their assegai which was basically a spear, while we…

    • 619 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The !Kung people live in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa where there is minimal rainfall, and they are physically isolated from any agricultural societies in the area. They do their fieldwork in an area with eight permanent waterholes that were about 125 miles away from a river. They do not cultivate agriculture, nor do they have livestock nor are under any heavy government authority. The !Kung people rely solely on hunting and gathering for their survival because in the area that they live in, there is no other logical means of survival. Because of all of these observed setbacks, anthropologists of the 1960’s saw these bush people as a group living solely to find food for survival. This was not the case however. When anthropologists of the 1960’s went to study these people, they found that their perceptions were wrong. Although the people lived far away from other societies, and although they did not cultivate the land, they lived meaningful lives. Despite not having close neighbors from other societies, there was a relatively large population of other camps of hunter-gatherers that were associated with the waterholes. In addition, although the…

    • 1681 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This essay is a multicultural book-report. It includes page number references. The book takes place in South Africa during World War II and apartheid.…

    • 759 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Unit 3 Assignment

    • 1517 Words
    • 7 Pages

    It is said that the Africa culture stands out more than any other culture In the World. With a rich and diverse culture African culture is known to change from county to county, many cultures along with traditions are found in Africa which makes Africa diverse, unique and mesmerizing in many ways to the world. Africa culture is all about the ethnic group’s family traditions, the literature, art and music shows the religion along with the social paths of their culture. (Nafisa Baxamusa, 2011)…

    • 1517 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Religion groups vary worldwide. People should not be judged on the religion that they believe in.…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Around the time of Katie Makanya’s childhood, South Africa was beginning to change rapidly due to the discovery of diamonds, which ultimately kept bringing Europeans into their territory causing their cultures and race to blend together. This book illustrates the black South African life that Katie lives and how she uneasily adapts to the incoming European culture during those years of colonization.…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Regardless of your own culture, beliefs, preferences and values certain individuals may require you to support them in their beliefs, culture etc. it is everybody’s right to practice what they believe in and as a…

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Tuareg People

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Tuareg people are a semi-nomadic group indigenous to parts of Southern Algeria, Northern Mali, and Northern Niger. The Tuaregs are considered part of the Berber (also known as Amazigh) ethnic group that is indigenous to North Africa. It is currently believed that the Tuareg migrated from what is today known as Libya in the 6th century down to the North-West African Saharan region. They are both ethnic and cultural minorities in all of the countries they inhabit, and their global population is estimated between 750,000 and 1.5 million. Although the Tuareg represent a small proportion of the population in these countries, they occupy a very large territory of land. The traditional settlement area of the Tuareg people covers approximately 2.5 million square kilometers, a size that is comparable to that of Western Europe. Though because they are primarily settled in the Sahara, this area is sparsely populated…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Comparing traditional and nontraditional cultures is one significant element in the psychology field known as Cross-cultural psychology. In cross-cultural psychology the underlying causes and effects of cultural diversity are examined. This field is a comparative field that involves analyzing behaviors between cultures and how cultural norms can vary. This paper will discuss the comparisons and contrasts among rural and urban African American cultures in reference to cross-cultural psychology. The values, beliefs, and behaviors among each of the cultures will be examined. A culture is established once a group of people share common beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, symbols, and religion. Cultural beliefs are passed down from one generation to the next. According to "Cross Cultural Psychology" (2012), “Behavior can be strongly influenced through biological tendencies; however, all behavior can be influenced by experience. Culture remains one important factor shaping individual behavior through customized sets of attitudes, beliefs, and values shared by a large population of region (Shiraev & Levy, 2010).”…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Cultural Analysis Paper

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages

    No matter how hard we try, or how much we study, it is pretty much impossible to become an expert on all the world’s cultures. It is possible however, to be enlightened on a few cultures through some effort and understanding. That is just what we did, through interviewing three people who were raised in cultures different from ours. The following are results from what we learned about different cultural dimensions.…

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Igbo People

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Igbo people were a highly religious and close knitted community, at least when it came to their own particular clans and tribes. They relied heavily on their farming and looked upon the strongest farmers as those blessed by the gods and carrying a good chi (Achebe, 17). By the late 1800’s however, the Igbo people came into contact with British colonialism and soon their culture and beliefs began to spread thinly among the few who remained true to their gods and superstitions. The reason for the great fragmentation of the Igbo people came about because they were always a fragmented group spread out into dozens of different Igbo clans (Miers, 437), their strong belief that the gods would intervene in the blasphemous was of the missionaries, and the missionaries use of medicine to keep the “destructive power” of the Ibgo gods at bay, making those very gods they relied on so heavily seem powerless against “the albinos.”…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the United States, there are so many people who follow several different religious beliefs. They pray to different gods and even eat different foods depending on the religion that they follow. Everyone is entitled to believe anything one wants to believe, and this is a right that everyone has in our country. The problem that surfaces with religion is when one thinks his or her religion is better than another’s and should be followed by everyone. It is great to think that everyone can follow whatever religion he or she wants, but in reality, who is given the choice to really choose? Whether it is by parents, friends, or even the missionaries who travel around neighborhoods, there is always someone trying to project his or…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Anasazi People

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages

    My name is Jean Richard, I am studying Native American history at Humboldt University. Our current research project involves the time period from prehistory to 1860. My team of archeology students set out to learn more about the Anasazi people. The word Anasazi is used to describe a distinctive American Indian civilization and culture that existed from about 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300 in the Four Corners area of Southwestern United States. Although the name Anasazi has come to mean "ancient people", the word itself is Navajo, meaning "enemy ancestors." Today many Native Americans find the term Anasazi offensive. It 's late July and it 's about 80 degrees. It 's hard to believe that the winters are so harsh here. Anasazi Basketmaker groups, relatives of the cliffdwellers in Colorado, lived in caves and rock overhangs within the canyon walls to protect them from the harsh winters. The Anasazi Basketmaker II era is A.D. 50-500. The bow and arrow has not been discovered and pottery is not being made, only baskets. I came upon one of these baskets made by an Anasazi woman and I pick it up to examine it. As my fingers touch the basket I am taken back to an earlier much simpler time.…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NAMA HOTTENTOTS OF SOUTHWEST AFRICA1 - HOERNLÉ - 2009 - American Anthropologist - Wiley Online Library. 2014. THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NAMA HOTTENTOTS OF SOUTHWEST AFRICA1 - HOERNLÉ - 2009 – page – 9 - American Anthropologist - Wiley Online Library. [ONLINE] Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aa.1925.27.1.02a00020/pdf. [Accessed 19 October 2014].…

    • 1316 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays