Côte d'Ivoire

Kinship and Social Stratification

Family, kin, and clan are vital aspects of individual and group social identities, with lineages residing in the same villages. Most of Côte d'Ivoire's ethnic groups are patrilineal, although some eastern groups are matrilineal. Traditional social networks reflect these strong ties to extended family and village. Adult kin and clan members are responsible for instructing the young in social norms and responsibilities, while respected elders often settle disputes and discipline those who do not conform. Rural villages also feature communal systems of land tenure. Rural social life is also communal, with an emphasis on openness and hospitality. The country's formal and informal economies also rely on social networks, as evidenced through trade and open markets, the use of credit and installment plans, and business networking.

Côte d'Ivoire society is marked by a large gap between a minority urban elite and the majority poor. Social mobility and elite status are marked by land ownership, housing, secondary education, material possessions, and occupation. The desire to mark or improve one's status can influence social networks through the choice to affiliate with only those of equal or higher status. There is also a small middle class. Côte d'Ivoire has one of Africa's highest rates of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and other diseases, devastating families and leaving large populations of orphans who often band together as street children in urban areas. Religious, private, and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) provide most social welfare services. Issues they address include human rights abuses, poverty, health crises, lack of contraception, female genital mutilation, and illiteracy.

Religion is another key component of identity and traditional social networks. The main religions include indigenous religions; Islam; and Christianity, mainly Catholicism. Harrisism, a minority Christian denomination, is unique to Côte d'Ivoire. Many people blend Islam or Christianity with traditional religious practices such as ancestor worship, divination, and witchcraft. Hierarchical secret societies such as the Poro for men and Sande for women are important social organizations among many west African ethnic groups, including in Côte d'Ivoire. They cross kinship networks and initiate men and women into their adult social roles through the passage of secret knowledge shared only by initiated members, who then oversee the social and political norms of the wider society.

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