Culture and Customs of Uganda (2005)

by Kefa M. Otiso

Greenwood Press

USD$49.95/UK£27.95

Culture and Customs of Uganda is an overview of the current state of Ugandan society, where largely rural ethnic groups are experiencing the pull of urban centers, while the changes brought about by Western influences bear on practically every aspect of people's lives.Highlights include a discussion of the ways in which adherents of world religions such as Christianity and Islam mix these with traditional African religious beliefs in spirits, diviners and rainmakers. The book also explores patriarchy and the social and inheritance system that has hindered women's education and prospects and exposed them to HIV/AIDS. Finally, there is a celebration of the various forms of artistic expression, such as drumming, ceremonial dance, and handicrafts, particularly ceramic pottery, that have won accolades, as well as a look at artists who excel in writing poetry, producing hip-hop and painting batiks for popular consumption.