Are There Hegemonic Views and Normalised Judgments in the Fula’s Culture?

Fula is dispersed throughout West and Central Africa under various names. The most common names are Fula, Fulbe, and Fulani. According to several sources, Fulbe is the most popular name. The group is mostly moving from one location to another in search of greener pastures for themselves and their cows. The group’s main business is cow breeding. As a result, in addition to other cultural objects such as milk bowls that reflect their nomadic and pastoral lifestyle, rearing cows remains an important object that connects with a source of income. It is crucial that every child has a calf from the moment of birth, which will be raised until the child is an adult and then given to him or her.

To them, however, the death of a child is preferable to the death of a cow. This is based on the idea that if cattle are lost, the primary means of survival are also lost. As previously stated, Fulbe members are usually wandering, which has resulted in conquering more places/locations in the two Africa’s sub-regions due to various dangerous means used to invade communities where they believed their cows would survive by feeding from greeneries. Despite the fact that this is a physical force, it could be situated within the normalization and hegemony described by Krzy?anows and Ekström et al, two years ago, in their publications.

Marriage is essential for Fulbe reproduction, just as it is in any other culture. However, whether or not a bride is a virgin is given little consideration because it is anticipated that the bride brings sexual experience to the marriage. Before getting married, men usually attend a “Sharo” festival. “Sharo” is a tradition in which two suitors publicly flog each other in order to win a maiden’s hand in marriage. To test their endurance, the participants are flogged with wooden sticks and canes.

However, in recent years, the practice has declined, with some men describing it as dangerous and forbidden in Islam. While the tradition of putting little emphasis on virginity persists, the men’s opposition to the Sharo festival indicates that a segment of the group felt subjected to what religion forbids was detrimental to their survival. This is consistent with deviating from the group’s existing norm and normalization of what is “normal” within the context of a religion.

Marriage is expected to result in a large number of children. The group is opposed to the use of birth control methods. This has been one of the reasons the tribe has been opposed to counting children during censuses over the years. It is widely held that counting children has an impact on mortality estimates. They prefer to provide a summary, according to some scholars. This, along with the violent occupation of various communities, constitutes, in our analyst’s view, the mainstream society’s dominance. Members of the tribe hold these beliefs so strongly that governments in both regions rarely use force to force them to conform to mainstream society norms.