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A Critical Examination of Honor Cultures and Herding Societies in Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2013

Mark Moritz
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Abstract:

African pastoralists have historically used aggression strategically to restock after major losses. On the basis of anthropological studies of African pastoral societies, cultural psychologists have linked the psychological roots of pastoral aggression to the cultural complex of honor. This article is a critical examination of this link. It argues, first, that honor cultures are likely to be found among peasant pastoralists, but not among tribal pastoralists. It also argues that honor psychology and the pastoral personality are two analytically distinct psychological profiles, each of which is acquired through participation in different routines.

Type
Research Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 51 , Issue 2 , September 2008 , pp. 99 - 117
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2008

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