South africa

Customs and traditions 

South African Customs and Traditions

    South African culture is very wide and it has been enriched with the passage of time to the various sectors of society such as art, music, religion, and customs of the country but despite having been influenced by Western culture, South Africa has maintained the ancient African traditions. South African culture is unique, the simple fact of being a mestizo country, where they have lived for better or worse ways cultures like Asian, European, African .. It made this country one of the richest cultures that we can find. The diversity of the South African population has led to a diverse and rich culture. Miscegenation in urban areas has promoted the disappearance of some traditions, but still some of them have retained the attachment to religion and witchcraft (called sangomase) has been very influential in their customs and traditions.

          In this report we will focus on some common traditions of the South African people and some customs of the tribes of the country. Leave in the most typical traditions of the Zulu tribe.

     An important tradition is when a man wants to get marry whit a woman. The man has to pay a tax, which is actually the groom compensation for the family of the woman for taking a daughter. Another tradition is known artisanal circumcision they do this to young people when they become adults and occurs when the father decides he's ready to go to the "cabin" this period lasts approximately six weeks and helps the young learn the traditions of their ethnicity, this preparation culminates with his circumcision.

The wedding Zulu

              It features the girls wear their costumes Zulu accounts very short skirts, brightly colored beads on neck and arms and breasts exposed. Men, meanwhile, Zulu shields and spears flying in many different sizes, and some are dressed in traditional Zulu garments. The ritual dances and songs are one of the most important aspects of the wedding and everyone participates in them ending up exhausted. A striking procession accompanies the bride, while the men dance, almost all with shields and spears Zulus of very different sizes, with the traditional Zulu dress. . Young girls wear their typical costumes Zulu accounts of very short skirts, brightly colored beads on their necks and arms and breasts are exposed. Go ahead with their dances and songs to where the groom grooming Zulus in their finery and accompanied by his "godfathers". Men also danced and sang to constantly groom. The groom's family, to his left, will receive gifts from the bride's family consisting of numerous blankets and mats. The groom had already won for delivery to the bride's family. And the dances and songs follow one another in a very natural. The great joy and laughter are the general tone all the time, alternating with some protocol solemn acts.

         All over the year there are various festivals, which celebrate achievements mainly on human rights and social equality.

January 1: New Year's Day. Is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state.

March 21: Human Rights Day. In South Africa, Human Rights Day is celebrated on 21 March, in remembrance of the Sharpeville massacre which took place on 21 March 1960.

April 27: Freedom Day (national holiday). It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994.They were the first national elections in South Africa in which the franchise did not depend upon race.

May 1: Labor Day. On 1 May, South Africa will enjoy Worker's Day (effectively a May Day holiday). Worker's Day celebrates the role played by Trade Unions, the Communist Party and other labor movements in the struggle against Apartheid

June 16: Youth Day. On 16 June in South Africa commemorates the start of the Soweto riots of 1976, initially sparked by a government edict that all instruction in black schools would be held in Afrikaans

August 9: women day. On August 9th, 1956, some 20,000 women marched to the Union government Buildings in Pretoria to protest against a law requiring black women to carry passes.

September 24: Heritage Day. National Heritage Day of the new democratic South Africa in 1994: “When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation”

December 16: Day of Reconciliation. Is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on 16 december. The holiday came into effect in 1994 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity.

December 25: Christmas day

Conclusion

        The South African people have a rich cultural diversity, therefore not as easy to recognize some of their typical traditions, that why we had to travel a bit to the past and focus on the Zulu people. As for the custom, was easier to identify because they are in their most important dates of most common celebrations

Social Cience and education

                                                       South africa

South African Organization of the education system

            Since 1994 there is a national system that is unique in the country which manages other subsystems nine provincial .Academic educations in South Africa can be arranged in various sectors and levels. The sectors are: public ordinary education, regular education subsidized private regular education, special education, technical education at post-secondary teacher preparation and preparing technical and university level. Levels are Training and General Education (grades 0 to 9), Education and Training (grades 10 to 12), Higher Education and Training (Tertiary Institutions) Quality Promotion and Development and Planning Systems. The vision of education is to provide the population with lifelong education and training opportunities that can help build a better life and a more prosperous society. The government is responsible for providing free and compulsory education up to the 9th grade (15-16 years), after this course, families must pay for their children to continue studying. This situation is very similar to what happens in our country.

         Since 2007 South Africa has approximately 12 million students, over 360,000 teachers and 28,000 schools. A typical South African student is required to attend school for 13 years or grades except grade 0, 10, 11 and 12. Public universities are grouped into three categories: traditional, technological and comprehensive. Traditional universities offer degrees that are more theoretical components (University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria and University of Witwatersrand). Moreover, technological universities offer technical training involving the practical application (Central University of Technology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology). Universities comprehensive universities offer a combination of traditional technical schools (University of Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of South Africa).

            In 2004 the South African government began to reorganize the structure of higher education through the merger and integration of small schools in universities and large institutions. It has also been referred initiated "FOCUS" in certain specialized courses such as Arts, Commerce and Business, Culture and Engineering. To get into college, is required "endorsement" (passing a minimum of three tests of general topics), although some universities set their own additional academic requirements. A standard average is enough for technical education.

Actually in South Africa are 23 Universities

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

University of Cape Town

University of KwaZulu-Natal

University of Johannesburg

University of the Free State

University of the Witwatersrand

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Durban Institute of Technology

Rhodes University

Tshwane University of Technology

University of Pretoria

University of South Africa

Central University of Technology

Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science

North-West University

University of Fort Hare

University of Limpopo

Stellenbosch University

University of Venda for Science and Technology

University of Zululand

Vaal University of Technology

Mangosuthu Technikon

University of the Western Cape

Literature

South africa

South African literature 

        The South African literature has three important influences in its history .The oral tradition, the Anglican influences and the occidental culture.

The black south African people has a long and rich oral tradition. The oral tradition goes back many centuries ago and has been passed down from generation to generation. At its inception, the South African literature was focused on the issues of the "motherland" and the political struggles. However, gradually began to rise to a more objective literary expression. With the passage of time the South African literature was covering topics from every day, such as family life, religion, beliefs and more. This was because in the oral tradition, a strong proportion of authors and storytellers were women. This has resulted today in the existence of a significant proportion of women among the writers.

        South African literature has a varied history. Many black authors were educated by Anglican missionaries and most of them wrote their works in both English and Afrikaans. One of the earliest known novels written by a black writer in this language is Mhudi Sol Plaatje (1930). The peculiarities of the South African society and its political history have allowed writers whose themes appear beyond apartheid, interest in the lives of people in today's society.

         Some writers, when analyzing the South African creative writing, they think that is marked by an estate or influence of Western culture. For example, South African fiction has been enriched by contact with the narrative of the northern countries and indigenous African poetry in East Africa or the Indian Ocean coast, have benefited from the Islamic tradition.

       The traditional literary forms or sources that have been influenced by the South African contemporary literary creation are mainly: the proverbs, stories, fables and historical narrative. Poetry, oral or written, in native language or in a foreign language, continues to represent the most vivid literary form in South Africa. The novel, though distantly related to the story and other narrative forms, can be regarded as a literary form imported. A feature of the South African and African storytelling in general is the absence of the novel or exaltation of heroic national figures. This absence seems strange, after spending many countries by wars of independence.

           

           South African literature in English begins with the publication in 1883 of The Story of an African Farm (History of African hacienda), Olive Schreiner. Among later writers whose themes were the problems of the South African land and people, and in particular the political, highlight Laurens van der Post, Alan Paton, novelist and short story writer, Nadine Gordimer and John Michael Coetzee, winners Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991 and 2003, respectively, and the playwright Athol Fugard. Poetry is represented by the likes of Roy Campbell, of FT Prince and Roy McNab

 Contemporary South African Literature

          The traditional literary forms or sources that have influenced contemporary literary creation are mainly: the proverbs, stories, fables and historical narrative. Oral or written poetry in local language or in a foreign language continues to represent the most vivid literary form in South Africa and covers various subjects: from traditional medicine, to comment on the law or the latest, to marital problems or the rate of inflation. The novel - even distantly related to the story and other narrative forms - can be considered as an important literary form. One feature of the South African narrative, despite its troubled past.

         It is important to mention in the literature to contemporary South African writers Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991, JM Coetzee (Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003), Zakes Mda and Mongane Wally Serote. JOHANNESBURG, Oct 2 (IPS) - The South African novelist John Maxwell Coetzee, Nobel Prize winner for literature, has painted a bleak landscape of his country, both the apartheid era and the aftermath. His work, characterized by austerity, is both universal and South African. Has addressed both the apartheid (racial segregation that prevailed institutionalized in this country until 1994) as the post through the complex and fascinating look of the protagonists of his novels. But Coetzee also addressed universal themes in the collapse and reconstruction of their characters and the inspection and introspection of the human soul walking his novels.

"I am the herald of a community or anything ¨. I'm someone who insinuates liberty (as any prisoner in chains) and constructs representations of people scurry from their chains and turning their faces to the light, "he once said. Damon Galgut novelists, Andre Brink and Achmat Dangor also had been candidates for international awards. Galgut's novel "The Good Doctor" ("The Good Doctor") is a finalist for the Booker Price, while Brink and Dangor works could be distinguished in Britain.

         

          Coetzee won the Booker Price twice - in 1983 and 1999 - but the Nobel, worth $ 1.3 million, does not refer to any particular work but to the recipient's contribution to world literature. Born in Cape Town, Coetzee, who is white, teaches at the American University of Chicago. Horace Engdahl, the Swedish Academy of Letters. The campaign sought to highlight the country's cultural heritage, promote the country and encourage consumers to buy domestic products. With the production and sales of South African books in a very low point, the prize for

Coetzee is an encouragement to the publishing market. Van Graan credited Coetzee's literary longevity to the fact that the writer continues to grow even if many years.

          The critic draws a clear difference in style between his first and most famous book, "Waiting for the Barbarians" ("Waiting for the Barbarians"), which takes readers to the dark heart of apartheid, and "Disgrace" ("Disgrace" ), for which he won his second Booker Price.

As a chronicler of those "scurry from their chains and turning their faces to the light," Coetzee plot in "Disgrace" post-apartheid landscape as bleak as that painted before the apartheid. "This is the first book of Coetzee that explicitly addresses the post-apartheid South Africa, and the landscape that portrays not leave anyone comfortable, regardless of race, nationality or ideology," said the critic Andrew O'Hehir. This is the second time a South African writer to win the Nobel Prize, after it obtained in 1991 Nadine Gordimer. The other South African Nobel Prize winners are South Africans Max Theiler (Medicine, 1951), Albert John Lutuli (Peace, 1969), Alan Cormack (Medicine, 1979), Desmond Tutu (1984, Peace) Fredrik De Klerk and Nelson Mandela (Peace, 1993) and Sydney Brenner (Medicine, 2002). (FIN/2003)

ART AND MUSIC SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa, General Information

            The Republic of South Africa is located in the South end part of Africa. It limits with the Indian Ocean at East, and the Atlantic Ocean at West. It has borders with Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Swaziland, in the North. Its population is approximately 45 million people and its surface is 1.219.193 km2. Its capital cities are Cape Town (legislative), with a population of 2,890.000 people, Pretoria (administrative), with a population of 1,980.000 people, and Bloemfontein (judicial) , which has a population of 119.700 people. Its most populated city is Johannesburg, with almost 3.900 million people.

            It is divided into nine political-administrative states: The Eastern Cape, The Western Cape, The Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, The Northern West Province, The Free State, The Northern Province, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng.

              The independence of South Africa from the United Kingdom was on May 31st, in 1910 and its current President is Jacob Zuma.

            This country has a great variety of cultures which considers around twenty ethnic groups. Also, eleven languages are spoken including English, Afrikaans, IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, Sepedi, IsiZulú, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswaba, Siswati, Xitsonga and Tshivenda. 

            Referring to the economy, their main imports are gold, minerals, diamond, metal products and food. Meanwhile, their main exports are machinery, materials for means of transportation, manufactured products, chemicals and petrol. They also have many touristic attractions which have supported to the growth of their economy. Among the main attractions we can find the Kruger National Park, Cape Peninsula, the Sun City, the Garden Route, and KwaZulu-Natal parks and mountains.    

            Most of the people in South Africa are Christian or they are immersed in some cult such us Catholic Church, Anglicans, Protestants, Afrikaner Calvinists or in an Independent African Church.

            Finally, manners in South Africa are very important, and that is why we should know people use to greet with a handshake, they wear suits in to attend to a meeting and that it is not allowed smoking in public areas.

               

Art in South Africa

            As in other parts of the world, since ancient years people in South Africa has recorded and their personal experiences, political el religious ideology, evidence about their existence, the objects they use in daily life, to show how was the world where they lived. Nevertheless, the art in this country differs from others by its longevity and origin, its influence and other important features. In the paragraphs below, the reason why South African art is one of the most important around the world will be showed, passing through the origins, influences, artists and its evolution until the present years.

            The art in South Africa is considered the oldest in the world. Its history remounts to the Stone Age, when a group of people living in those lands started to draw some figures which in the future would be known as the oldest signs of art in world's history. Those people were three tribes called San, Khoisan and Bushmen. They decorated their caves with rupestrian and animals paintings ten thousand years ago drawing animals like snakes, giraffes and antelopes and some activities, such us hunting and fishing. However, there was another an older evidence of art dating from seventy five years ago, which was a necklace made with small drilled snail shells.

            After these three tribes mentioned, there were others that followed this traditions: the Bantu and Ngumi peoples, although, these tribes created an own art by creating attractive colors and representing their experiences and believes in draws and objects. Here, the art begins to suffer an evolution being represented in woodcuts, sculptures, carving and ceramics, among others.

            Since the arriving of the first missioners, the native habitants of this country were influenced by occidental religion, but people knew to keep African culture and traditions, like their languages and activities, which produced a mix of cultures. Indeed, religion and politics have been causes why concept of art had an evolution in both ancient and modern times. 

             In modern times, it is important to highlight the 1850s, years where South Africa had an influence of  Dutch where artists started to use new materials, such us plastics, and  due the cultural boycotts in the country, the scenic theater appears, but it has been transformed to another style called "theater of protests",  where internationally recognized authors, directors and actors/actress such us Athol Fugard, Barney Simon, John Kani, Winston Nitshona and Mbongeni Ngema were awarded and made famous around the world. However, this culture is actually predominated by music.

            In 2010, many paints, music, dance and customs where in the eye of the world, due South Africa was the FIFA World Cup host, their most recent great event which was the kick off to show their contemporary art in streets and advertisings. 

            To conclude, South Africa is known as the cradle of art in the world where the oldest evidences of art were found. Also, It is in constant evolution and it follows both receiving and giving influences specially in its continent.    

Music of South Africa

         Overall the music of South Africa is not easy to distinguish from the rest of the continent as it follows a similar pattern to the rest of Africa.

        The traditional music of South Africa is recognized worldwide for its sophisticated rhythms. The drums and other instruments are played following several different rhythmic patterns and metrics that create complex structures called poly rhythmic. It is very common in the songs sung in groups have a voice that leads and other voices answered him alternately.

        Music is also used in ceremonies, dances, processions, work; music is also used for communication, imitating speech.

In South Africa it is common to use music in their traditional religion as a means of communication with the supernatural, such as curing diseases, to have good results in crops, fishing or for the good life in general.

        In recent years there has been a revolution in South African music. Although there is still a clear polarization, on the one hand and the European influence on the other ethnic style with African base, and are beginning a process of mutual understanding and acceptance which is creating a new style of music as a mix of sounds typical with European influences