People & Society

As the second largest country in Africa, it shouldn't be a surprise that the country has a diverse population. Political strife of the past has left its mark on people, society and the government. Read on to learn more about the people and society of the DRC.

The People

Photos of people from a Pygmy tribe in the DRC. Photo Credit: Courtesy of TripAdvisorspan

 

The DRC is home to people from more than 200 ethnic groups. The vast majority of these groups are what are known as Bantu Peoples, or, people who speak one of the 500 distinct languages of the Niger-Congo language family.

Arguably, the country's native people are the Pygmies, a group whose inhabitance can be traced back to Upper Paleolithic Period. Pygmy populations refer to groups of people whose adult males grow to less than 59 inches (just under 5 ft.) in height. There are a few small, non-Bantu populations in the DRC as well as migrants primarily from Europe, Asia and other parts of Africa. Today, the DRC's rich natural resources attract many migrant workers seeking temporary employment.

Source: Encyclopedia Brittanica

Languages

The DRC is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. There are 215 native languages spoken in the country. According to Our Africa, a resource website, "The most common native languages are Kikongo in the southwest, Lingala in the northwest, Tshiluba in the centre and Swahili in the east." (Our Africa, 2014) French is the commonly spoken throughout the country and in business and educational settings. (Note: In "One Student's Perspective" Hussein shares how people use language to form perceptions and alliances, as well as for upward mobility.)

Traditional Dress



This is an example of traditional dress by women in the DRC, who wear bright, colorful fabric called liputa. (Photo by Lisa Clarke)

Dress in the DRC appears to be similar to many other African nations I've experienced. Both women and men typically wear boldly patterned clothing made out of liputa (not to be confused by Lupita!), a type of cloth. Typically women will wear dresses made of liputa (often with a matching head scarf) and men will wear tunics.



This is an example of the style of dress of people in the DRC who take part in the Sapeur Movement. (Credit: Eguana Kampala)



There is also a style of dress popularized in the DRC called "The Sapuer Movement," which is was born in the 1960's and is heavily influenced by western apparrel and emphasizes sophistication and flamboyance. People who express themselves in the movement (almost exclusively men) are simply called "Sapuers."

(Source: Fashion in the DRC)

Gender, Family & Society

The Democratic of Congo has a patriarchal society, in which men hold a majority of the power positions. Boys and girls are both educated in the country, however when it comes to marriage and family, girls are considered the property of their fathers. Dowries are still common in the DRC. During his interview, Hussein expressed that he expected his family would pay a dowry for his future wife.

Although many areas still practice traditional methods of match-making -- of parents choosing an appropriate mate for their child in negotiation with the potential spouses family -- Hussein reports that his family simply wishes him to present the woman he wants to marry to his family for approval but that he could choose his spouse. After marriage, many of the household duties fall to the woman. In some areas families still practice polygamy although the notion is largely considered antiquated, as reported by both Hussein and the Makano family (the family resettled from the DRC by my church).

Hussein hails from a middle class family. His father is a physician and his mother is a psychologist. He was able to go to school and on to university without much adversity. Many people who live in the DRC do not enjoy such status. Most citizens live in rural areas, many depending on the mining industry, livestock or agriculture for their livelihoods. From Hussein's perspective upward mobility is possible, as it was for his father, who he reports came from a poor background and worked his way through college, even delaying marrying his mother in order to finish school and feel worthy of her.
 (Sources: Culture of Democratic Republic of Congo, Hussein Mawaw, Encyclopedia Brittanica)