endogamously within the caste.” This statement is supported by Nanda 313 which says “a caste is based on birth.” She states that “an individual who belongs
to the caste of his or her parents cannot move from one caste to another.” In a caste system society, an individual can marry only within his caste. According to
Nanda, “a caste system consists of a ranked and culturally distinct number of interdependent endogamous group.” Caste system has a clear distinction between
castes. No matter how high a position of a person, he cannot move to the upper caste. Bertrand 165 states that “caste system is characterized by a system of
horizontal classes or castes strata which represent functional areas within a society.” According to him, caste system is recognized as the most rigid.
Therefore, it is called closed societies. Hence, the people do not have the opportunity to move from one caste to another because it is blocked by strong
sanctions.
4. Review on Igbo Culture
Due to the different spelling between Ibo and Igbo in this thesis, the writer wants to underline that Ibo and Igbo come from the same society and share the
same values of tradition.
a. Caste System
According to Igwe there are two classes of people in Igboland. The first class is the Nwadiala. It means ‘sons of the soil’. They are the freeborn, the
masters. The second class is the osu. Onyemaechi states “an osu is a person who is
sacrificed or consecrated alive together with his or her descendants to the service of a pagan god.” According to Igwe the “osu are the slaves, the strangers, the
outcasts, and the untouchables.” The osu is considered as low class so that there are various forms of discrimination against them. He states that the osu are made
to live separately from the freeborn. That is why the osu are not allowed to join any occasion with the freeborn, such as dancing, drinking, eating and having sex
relations. Igwe states that “no osu can pour libation or pray to God on behalf of a freeborn at any community gathering”. He states that Ibo society believes that
“such prayers will bring calamity and misfortune.” Another discrimination that is stated by Igwe is that “an osu cannot marry
a freeborn.” He states that if the freeborn marry an osu their family will be dishonored. That is why freeborn families always forbid their members who want
to marry an osu. For this reason, marriages in Iboland are preceded by the elders on both sides to go to the native villages in order to find out the social status. If it
is found that one of them is an osu, the plan will be cancelled. He states that the osu
caste system has refused to go away even among educated Igbos because this cultural practice is hinged among religion, supernaturalism and theism. In
addition, Igbos are very religious and theistic people. Igwe states “osu are regarded as unclean or untouchable because they are dedicated to the gods.”
According to him, “the dedication to the gods that makes the osu status a condition of permanent and irreversible disability and stigma.”
b. Igbo Marriage Tradition
According to Onyemaechi, the marriage in Igbo society is patrilineal. He states that a man should marry a woman from different community. According to
Agbasiere 96 “marriage is governed by the notion of birth status.” He states that “it is forbidden for nwa or diala, freeborn, to marry an osu, a cut slave or ohu, a
bought slave and their descendants.” On the other hand, Onyemaechi states that Igbo
marriage is emphasized on arranged marriage rather than on love marriage. In Igbo marriage tradition, there is what so called bride wealth or bride price. It is
a form of appreciation for losing a daughter. The bride price is given to the bride’s father or relatives. Bride price is not a form of buying a wife. However, it is as a
mean of contract between the couples. According to Onyemaechi, there is no marriage of romantic love in Igbo marriage tradition. The purpose of the marriage
is to establish a family. He states that in Igbo society “marriage is generally regarded as a family and clan affair.” Onyemaechi states that poligamy is allowed
in Igbo marriage tradition. Nwayi adds pologamy is “regarded as a symbol of success, wealth, and fame.”
5. Review on Western Culture a. Social Class in the United States
