Question

All questions must be answered with at least 150 words each question. In own words.

Each question much be 150 words. Also written in own words. 1. Explain how the Neur settlement pattern is adaption to the environment. 2. Describe the process of social control among the Nuer. 3. Explain how the marriage pattern of the Nuer functions to stabilize the culture. 4. Explain why the raising and herding of cattle may be considered a core value in Nuer society. 0

Answer 1

The culture of the Nuer people is settled around the cattle. They do not produce any food product for market purposes. They grow grains and vegetables for themselves. They rear cattle for meat and milk purposes. The living pattern of the Nuer people keeps changing as per the change in the season. During monsoon, they stay away from the rivers and after the flood gets over they come back and settle near the rivers. River gives them a good source of fertile land to grow crops. Women of this group grow maize and millet and the men rear cattle. The whole community lives around the communal cattle camps. They basically build temporary houses. The male member is the head of the family. The clan lineage descends through the male line from a single ancestor. The lineage is decided as per the resources and territorial supremacy. Marriages are done only with the member of another clan. Marriages are made legal by paying the cattle to the woman’s clan by the man’s. These cattle are then distributed among the members of the clan. The marriage is done in different stages. Marriage is not considered as a marriage until the bride gives birth to at least two children. After the birth of the third child, the marriage gets approved. It is at this time that the children and the women are considered to be the family. The desire of the women is to have six children. Men can have multiple wives who live around the men’s clan. Cattle play is one of the important rituals and forms the religion of the Nuer people. They believe that by rubbing ashes on the back of the oxen they tend to connect with their ancestors. They also sacrifice cattle in the name of their ancestors. None of the ceremony or function is a complete function until they sacrifice a cattle.