The Influence of Culture in Psychological Feelings Among Women: A Case of Itamboleo Ward in Mbarali District, Tanzania

Abstract

The study about the influence of culture on psychological feelings among women was done in the Itamboleo ward in the Mbarali district in the Mbeya region, Tanzania. The study aimed to assess how culture and its aspects influence psychological feelings among women in animal-keeping tribes. The Sukuma tribe was used as a sample, along with other animal-keeping tribes like manga, Maasai, and Taturu. Sukuma people have strong cultural beliefs that are practiced in terms of Gender. The study is significant as it enlightens government leaders to work out a solution to rescue women from being denied their rights to formal education and interaction, which are very important for their mental growth, social interaction, and healthy psychological development. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to get data to get a balanced meaning of what happens in the cultural practices and how the aspects influence the psychological state of women. The results showed that culture influences gender-based oppression that causes women to be psychologically tortured and develop feelings of isolation, worthlessness, low self-esteem, and anger. It was concluded that some aspects of culture in the animal-heading tribes in the Mbarali district affect the psychological feelings negatively. The affected psychological part contributes to low participation in crucial social learning activities in social groups of their fellow women of other tribes. It was then recommended that local government leaders, church leaders, and educational institutions like universities should intervene by educating men to stop insisting on destructive cultural aspects that affect the psychological state of women. It is a threat that through social learning, male children are learning what their fathers are doing to their mothers and sisters under the umbrella of culture. This behavior will continue when they become responsible men in their tribes. Worse enough, male children are to take charge when they become parents in their families. The government and private organizations should take part in giving education to Sukuma, Mang’ati, Maasai, and Taturu men so that they stop practicing such oppressive cultural aspects in the Mbarali district. The behavior oppressing women in those tribes is possibly due to their permanent routine of heading animals, which is controlled by shouts, beating, and insulting. Therefore, women are treated in a style closely related to their culture. Education to men in animal-heading tribes in Itamboleo in the Mbarali district as a whole will help them to understand that women are human beings who are to be respected. Suppose women are denied the opportunity to go to school. In that case, it is also recommended that further research be done to capture the extent to which culture has affected girls in getting their primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Local governments and other education stakeholders have to act accordingly to rescue the status of women in the ward and other areas around the district.