The Dinka Vs Australia

A detailed Summary of The Dinka Vs Australia


The culture I have selected is the Dinka. The Dinka have a population of approximately 2 million, making them the largest ethnic group of Southern Sudan. Their lifestyle is simple and primitive. They base their activities and lives around the needs of their cattle. Without cattle the Dinka would not have religion or culture. They value their cattle, not for its meat or milk, but for its religious role. They are usually blacked skinned and quite attractive. They can also be characterized by their height; it is common for the males to be 7 feet tall. Song and Dance are tradition and play a huge role in the Dinka lifestyle.

The Dinka place a huge emphasis on Pride and honor. One of the rights of passage in this culture is a fatness contest. Fatness is highly valued and regarded as beauty. Therefore each year this contest is held to see which young man can become the fattest over a 3-4month period. During the contest they drink as much milk as possible and have no exercise. To be the fattest is a great accomplishment and brings you hero status as well as great honor. The young boys strive to make their families proud. The tribe and the expectations of their


The presence of a third party in the marriage proposal doesn't exist in the Australian Culture. The common situation of marriage is usually of a one to one context. It involves the two people that intend to get married. Usually there is an engagement period. The two people involved usually decide to marry after going out or dating each other prior to the marriage. The marriage of the two people does not involve a 'bride price' and parental consent is not necessary if over the age of 18. Also the bride is present at the ceremony. The decision to be married is made by the couple and is not influenced by anyone else. The parents or religion may play a small role in influencing the 'bride and groom to be', but not nearly as much as we see in the Dinka Culture.

Another tradition within the culture is cattle camp. Young boys are given freedom when they take the cattle to feed. They use their freedom to tell stories and learn from their peers. They then return home with their cattle.

An interesting right of passage within the Dinka Culture is their unusual marriage ceremonies. It consists of certain steps. At first the boy must check there are no family feuds between their families and that his family can afford to pay the 'bride price', which is in cows. The young man then meets with a young boy on the outskirts of the girl's village, who informs the girl's family of t

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 927
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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