Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lifestyle
Family life is the bedrock for most West Africans. In traditional society, especially in vil-
lages, homes are arranged around a family compound and life is a communal affair - the
family eats, takes important decisions, celebrates and mourns together in a space that is
identifiably theirs and in a family group that spans generations. Such family structures re-
main strongly evident in many villages and rural areas, and family remains a critical source
of support for many West Africans, not least because government welfare is largely nonex-
istent.
But things are changing. Vast numbers of Africans have migrated to cities, where ethnic
identity takes on added significance, as recent arrivals in cities gravitate towards those with
whom they share an ethnic tradition. Most (but by no means all) form friendships with
people from their own ethnic groups. This is particularly true of minorities.
In seven West African countries the female adult literacy rate is above 50%: Cape Verde (79.4%),
Cameroon (67.8%), Ghana (61.2%), Liberia (56.8%), Mauritania (51.2%) and Nigeria (50.4%). Women fare
worst in Niger (15.1%), Burkina Faso (15.2%), Mali (20.3%), Sierra Leone (24.4%) and Senegal (29.3%).
If family and ethnic identity are the fundamental foundations of a West African's exist-
ence, the nation to which they belong serves to announce who they are to the rest of the
world. Most West Africans proudly identify themselves as being, for example, Malian or
Nigerian, suggesting that one success of postcolonial West Africa has been the building of
national identity in countries where borders often cut across longer-standing ethnic bound-
aries. That said, the tragic descent into conflict in Côte d'Ivoire suggests that ethnic origins
remain hugely significant and a never-forgotten calling card.
Traditional Culture
Before the arrival of colonialism, West African society was, in most cultures, organised
along hierarchical lines: each person's place in society was determined by birth and the
family's social status. At the top were traditional noble and warrior families, followed by
farmers, traders and persons of lower caste, such as blacksmiths, leather workers, wood-
carvers, weavers and musicians. Slaves were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Difficult
economic circumstances and urbanisation have reduced the importance of these traditional
roles to some degree, but they remain important for many West Africans. For example, al-
though slavery no longer officially exists, many descendants of former slaves still work as
tenant farmers for the descendants of their former masters. Another surviving practice in
