International Organizations and International Jobs

FHI 360

               I chose FHI 360 for one of my international organizations. The web address is www.fhi360.org . I chose this organization because their mission and vision resonated with me, because one of their focuses is in research, and because one of their projects was “The Center for Parent Information and Resources.” Their mission statement is this: “To improve lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions for human development.”

I looked in their careers for one that involved research and information for parents. I didn’t see one like this although I would be interested in a job like that. There were opportunities for interns and consultants that I might be interested in. For consultants, the requirement was to have specialized skill or knowledge. This would be a position I might be interested in especially since the site explained that the consultant would be responsible for his or her own work environment. I would love to be able to work from home! Unfortunately, after looking over the site, I could foresee that there might differences in personal ethics; however, it might be possible to work on a project in which I would agree with the organization.

Catholic Relief Services

               I might also like to work for Catholic Relief Services as a 4Children Uganda Project Director. 4Children is a program to strengthen families, prevent AIDS, and help orphans. This job sounded interesting because it was with a Catholic organization and I would really be helping children; however, it would be very difficult for me to work in Uganda, for which a job was posted, because I don’t think my husband would agree to go as a family with me and our children.

               Here are some of the requirements for this job:

“Master’s degree in Sociology, Social Work, Public Health, International Development, or a related field.

10+ years of experience in programs focused on OVC and/or child protection programming; experience with parenting/family strengthening programs, case management approaches and social service systems strengthening strongly preferred.

There was also a very long list of what CRS hoped the candidate had already accomplished in his or her career. Here is a link to that job: https://www5.apply2jobs.com/CRS/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=3196&CurrentPage=1

International Step by Step Association (ISSA)

I liked that they had online trainings.

ISSA offers the following services:

    Capacity Building - ISSA provides opportunities for enriching members’ capacity to carry out innovative programs: workshops, thematic meetings, member exchanges, technical assistance and license to resources developed by ISSA.    

    Community Building - ISSA promotes shared values in the network and links the membership into a strong international learning community across Europe and Central Asia.    

    Amplifier - ISSA supports advocacy for change, actions and interventions serving ISSA’s mission on behalf of young children and their families.   

    Convener - ISSA provides its members with network representation and support for building partnerships with international networks and other stakeholders.  From http://www.issa.nl/content/issa-services

ISSA offers online courses and trainings in the following areas:

    Early Childhood Development

    Quality in Early Childhood Education

    Quality in Home Visiting Services

    Embracing Diversity

    Second Language Learning   http://www.issa.nl/content/issa-campus

UNESCO

This is UNESCO’s mission: UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The Organization focuses, in particular, on two global priorities.

Here is their web address: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/ .

I chose to look up UNESCO because it is part of the United Nations, and I heard so much about the United Nations when I was in elementary school.

There were jobs posted, but they were not related to early childhood, and they were in Paris, France.

My Early Childhood Passions Wordle

Zero to Three, NAEYC, The American Music Therapy Association, National Head Start Association and Jobs!

Zero to Three

I chose NAEYC and Zero to Three because they are organizations that I have been familiar with throughout my master’s program at Walden and even during my Bachelor’s program in psychology/child development at Walden. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the journal of the NAEYC as well as looking at the pictures in the journal of the NAEYC. I have also enjoyed browsing through the Zero to Three web site throughout the last eight years.

               I also chose the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) at http://www.musictherapy.org/. I chose this organization because it is not directly related to early childhood but it represents music as a healing medium and it also represents my unique musical talent just as my colleagues probably have organizations that represent their unique talents and interests. I also chose this organization because my project is related to the power of music to make the lives of older people and preschoolers more enjoyable.

               The AMTA did not post jobs on their web site; however, the site included information about the education a person would need to work as a Music therapist. It also explained that an interested person could become a music therapist if he or she had a bachelor’s degree and did not want to get a second degree but only take course work particular to music therapy. The AMTA explained,

               Individuals who have a baccalaureate degree may elect to complete the degree equivalency program in music therapy offered by most AMTA-approved universities. Under this program, the student completes only the coursework necessary for equivalent music therapy training without necessarily earning a second baccalaureate degree. Some schools may require that the student's initial degree be in music. (AMTA, 2016).

I found this interesting and I will keep my options open with this in mind.

•Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

In its September, 2016 issue, Young Children advertised a NAEYC job with as a peer reviewer for Young Children magazine. Another name for this position is Consulting Editor.   “Consulting Editors provide feedback that gives NAEYC editors and authors guidance on content structure, content relevance to NAEYC members and the early childhood field, and the research on which the content is based” (NAEYC, 2016, p. 51). The prerequisites for this job are either a person has worked as an early childhood teacher, a person has worked in the field of higher education, or a person has worked as a trainer for the professional development of those in the early childhood field (NAEYC, 2016).

I am not ready to apply for this job; however, many of you might be ready for this job and enjoy it.  If interested, send your resume or curriculum vitae to editorial@NAEYC.org.

The Zero to Three job can be found at the following link: https://www.dcjobs.com/j/t-virtual-learning-specialist-e-zero-to-three-l-washington,-dc-jobs-j20395268.html . The title of this job is Virtual Learning Specialist. The work site for this job would be flexible. It sounds like a person might be able to work from home! This job would include developing Virtual Learning Products at Zero to Three. The products aid in the professional development of professionals who work with very young children. The specialist specifically would be an administrator for the Virtual Learning Products.

I would probably enjoy working in this department, and after I learned more about online learning products, I would also love to be an administrator! I have learned about learning online in my Teaching Adults in the Early Childhood Field Class. I have also been an online learner. I believe these experiences would give me some skills I need to work with Virtual Learning products; however, before I became a supervisor, I would like to learn more about the technical side of online learning.

National Head Start Association

I chose Head Start because I used to work at a Head Start and because everybody, who worked at my Head Start, was so positive. After having worked in a day care in which there was gossip and personal problems, it was so refreshing to work where employees acted like professionals!

Head Start gives grants to other organizations to implement the Head Start program. My Head Start was under a community action agency called Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity (PCCEO). My paycheck came from PCCEO. I worked as an assistant teacher. I functioned as the English speaker in a dual language classroom.

Here are two jobs posted by PCCEO Head Start

JOB TITLE	Early Childhood Teacher
DEPARTMENT	Head Start
Location	923 W. Millman St.
Salary	$12.40 - $16.87/ hr.
FLSA	Non-Exempt/Full-Time

JOB SUMMARY:

The Early Childhood Teacher under the supervision of the Education Coordinator for the Head Start ensures the growth and development of the children enrolled in the center.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• An AA/BA or BS advanced degree in Child Development or Early Childhood Education or;
• A degree in a field related to Early Childhood Education with a minimum of 6 hours in Child Development or
• Early Childhood Education experience in teaching preschool children and the State of Illinois-04 certificate or ;
• A state-awarded certificate for preschool teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a child development associate credential;
• Completion of the CDA credentialing program of the Council for Professional Recognition with a current CDA credential with preschool center base endorsement and;
• Experience in early childhood education or a related field. 

I wouldn’t mind going back to Head Start again, and I might like to teach undergraduate, lower-level child development courses in addition to this if time would allow. One of my Walden instructors in my Bachelor’s program was a Head Start teacher.

JOB TITLE	Family Development Specialist (Early Head Start)
DEPARTMENT	Early Head Start
Location	426 West Main Street Peoria, Illinois
FLSA	Full-Time/Non-Exempt

JOB SUMMARY:

The EHS Family Development Specialist is responsible for planning and scheduling home visits (1.5 hours/per week) encompassing child health, development services and family case management. Low income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers are the target population. Direct supervision is provided by the Family Partnerships Coordinators. Additional support is offered by the Education/Disabilities, Family Services and Community Partnerships Coordinators. Evening activities and family socializations are scheduled.  Opportunities to recruit new families generate referrals and assist families to manage their life is a rewarding aspect of this position.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s or Associates degree in social service or human development field;
• Must have two (2) years Case Management experience or equivalent experience in social service or human development;
• Ability to manage groups;
• Ability to make sound professional judgments;
• Effective oral and written communication skills;
• Knowledgeable of computer software and applications;
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the job description;
• Must have and maintain a valid Illinois Driver’s License, reliable transportation and insurance coverage as required by the State of Illinois, and qualify for a CDL license.

I really like the idea of working with families to help them be successful!

Helpful Local Organizations for Early Childhood and others as well as Interesting Jobs with Requirements

I hope the following information about organizations and jobs local to the town in Illinois where I live will help you complete your university projects or find the job of your dreams!

                I chose the following organizations:

1.       Illinois Gateways

Their website is https://registry.ilgateways.com/component/wsuser/login.

2.       Skip-a-Long Child Care Connection (SALCCC)

Their website is http://www.salccc.org/SALCCC/excelerateorientation.htm.

3.       Heart of Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (HIAEYC)

Their website is http://heartofillinoisaeyc.org/.

4.       Illinois Department on Aging

Their website is https://www.illinois.gov/aging/PartnersProviders/volunteer/Pages/intergen-main.aspx.

I chose the websites of the three early childhood organizations because I am already familiar with these organizations and have benefitted from their services. I have also met people who have worked for the HIAEYC and the SALCCC. I chose the Department of Aging because of my special interest in intergenerational care and connections. There was a section on the Department of Aging website on intergenerational activities. Here is the web address for that: https://www.illinois.gov/aging/PartnersProviders/volunteer/Pages/intergen-main.aspx.

Job 1. I would love to be an Infant/Toddler Care Specialist with SALCCC. To be an infant/toddler specialist, a candidate should have a knowledge of “principles and practices of quality infant care, DCFS licensing standards for infant care, agencies/services available to parents and providers, data reports and information, and credential requirements.” The candidate should also have a “minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in child development, early childhood education or related field; four years of experience working with young children with a minimum of one year in an infant/toddler child care setting; specialists shall complete the following Gateways to Opportunity credentials within 18 months of employment: ECE Credential Level 5 and Infant Toddler Credential Level 5.” The Credential Level 5 is a requirement acquired by submitting information and transcripts about my education to the Illinois Gateways website that I previously mentioned. I have the education and experience, and I am working with Illinois Gateways on a transcript review to get a level 5 or level 6 (after I get my master’s degree) credential.

Job 2. I would also like to work with Gateways as a credential specialist. A credential specialist looks over a candidate’s education, training, and experience and suggests further opportunities to help each candidate receive the credential they desire. Right now, I am working with a specialist to receive my levels 5 and 6 credentials.

Job 3. I would love to work for the Children’s Home in my home town in Illinois! The Children’s Home needs a resource specialist. The resource specialist is required to recruit, license, maintain, and retain homes for foster children. This job requires that the candidate have a bachelor’s degree in psychology or sociology and have experience with child welfare. I have a degree in psychology, but I am not sure whether my experience as a Head Start teacher or teaching free swim lessons at the Y to children from schools in high poverty areas would qualify as welfare. Here is the website for that job: http://careers.chail.org/careers/Careers.aspx?adata=EKZvgTQsA%2fUX%2f437tYfMmVcSmZNxNz2kKApCwgEnVOsDvqChFABLjzkBizxgh%2bTGUclh5mv%2befFOVnQRogkcwAZfLk29%2ffoIzFT4calGGWNT4ySkqN3My4j7XxYe8oSXZLbceLxu2rtzoDLwVJP3HCAE%2fdpGvh94idXS6GmmireOKCrnCoB48tTQOq580UAy9ebiJKfwriF0QyXwEdTPUB4b3ojDUYvuNnGh%2fxkXbgaH

Job 4. I would also like to be a child and family intervention specialist with the Children’s Home. This is how the responsibilities for this job are described on the website: “Provides clinical services to children and their families in the home, school and community.” For this job the candidate is required to have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, counseling or social work. The candidate for this job is required to have experience or training to enable the candidate to work with children who have problems. The candidate should also have “strong interpersonal skills; strong written and oral communication skills; ability to effectively relate to youth, families, community agencies and referral sources.” I might need more training for this job, but I do have relevant education and experience. Here is the web address for this job: http://careers.chail.org/careers/Careers.aspx?adata=ENm8mIlx4d20sbclBzL1meZ%2bjf4XJDb9YD27Gl90dv0GtMpGVXW6Mz%2bvi4ubBHhRYatwB4KCjxLa6sdIbd06aw%2bm52l9xRMGaVY1T8oFxfbiwc3EpnnaiBBe9iXGd3Q5TbjBMfiYKeXNGjDZxY3S4Iw3aurol4GsuTPpjQfoaiO00eIHhECXmmeuUbI1nZu8HObNAXq7AjoNf6gtqIxht2Tvo1hPiidEFqp7sRITzvX1

Hi Everyone!

I have known some of you longer than others. What I have appreciated most is the experiences you all have shared from you various places of work in early childhood. Thank you so much for sharing. As the week goes on, I hope to share my contact information with you all.
I am going into teaching adults. I am hoping to take a longer break before I start that.

Good Luck!

Liz Thomas

This week I was asked to consider the stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning and consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in whichI have been involved. 

It is hardest to leave groups with which I have worked well. Since I have been married, I have moved many times. The last time I moved, I really didn't want to move. I had become familiar with many of the staff, parents, and children at the YMCA where I worked. Many people were happy I was there. Two of my own children worked there part time and my three youngest children had grown up there as swim demonstration babies.  The other lifeguards were like more older siblings for my three youngest children,  For my adjournment from this team, there was a cake to celebrate and a YMCA gift hoodie as a remembrance.

I think that it is hardest to leave a group if you are not sure who from the group you will see again. In my master's clsses, I have seen several familiar names throughout my time, but I took many breaks, and that makes teh adjournment easier. Lately, I have been wondering who will be going on to teaching adults in the early childhood field with me. I think it is important that we do share contact information, so that we can support each other in the early childhood field.  I plan to leave contact info in week eight. Adjourning is important to prevent a feeling of disconnectedness from the world in general.  It highlights the importance of relationships we have formed along the way. 

A Conflict - What to do?

I had a disagreement with the Spanish bilingual teacher about how to read to children She was ok the first year with the way I dialogued with children when I read stories, but after about a month my second year, she said I should just read the books straight through. I was not ok with this at all. It was hard to keep there attention to books I read in English because they didn't understand that much English. I talked with them to help them understand the story. If they weren't listening to the story, I would draw them in by asking questions about the story or pictures. I was already very stressed at the time so I didn't deal with it at all. There were other problems like my children were at daycare and school for 11 hours when I had bus duty, but the final reason I gave my two week notice was that the teacher was asking me to do something that I didn't really know how to do and I had always felt my way of reading books was very beneficial. Our text said that the answer is not to ignore the issue. The first strategy I should have used would have been to bring up the issue. The second strategy would have been to tell her what I needed in that situation like I needed her to trust my judgment in how I taught English. The third strategy would have been to compromise. For example, I could have only read books that repeat simple sentences or I could have had one toddler type book and then had singing time because the children really seemed to learn English better by singing.




I would love to hear some more suggestions.

Communication Skills Inventory

         I asked one of my adult daughters and my friend to take the communication anxiety test, the verbal aggression test, and the listening styles test. Everybody agreed that I had a people-oriented listening style. I did, however, have a couple of insights based on the explanations in the test results. The description of the people-oriented listening style explained that people-oriented listeners should be careful about being too trusting of others. I also noticed the description of the content-oriented listener. This would be my second favorite style. The description explained that this style is helpful in school environments but not as helpful in fast-paced situations. I have noticed my own deficit this way in fast-paced situations.  From these insights, I have decided that although I am happy with my listening styles, it wouldn't hurt for me to at least learn the action-oriented listening style.

     It surprised me that both my daughter and I saw me as being significantly verbally aggressive, and my friends saw me as being moderately verbally aggressive. I intend to look at the items in the verbal aggression test and be more conscious of my attitude in both my personal and professional life. In both my personal and professional life at this time, I tend to avoid conflict altogether. I probably need to learn some skills for positively resolving conflict.

     As far as communication anxiety, I saw myself as having moderate communication anxiety. This is because I know how scared I feel when imagining public speaking. My daughter and friend thought I had low communication anxiety. My friend knows I used to be on the speech team, but what I would do on the speech team is different than speaking about something important to me to a large or small group. 

Speaking with People from other Cultures

     I have noticed that when I am with people of different groups and cultures, I sometimes take on the accent or speech patterns of those people. Sometimes this happens in the classroom. I have seen another teacher catching herself when using low speech with the students and switching to higher language. I believe I should do the same if I find myself speaking similar to the low language of another teacher because sometimes I am in a class or even home to teach the type of English that I usually speak.

                I also find it harder to discuss conflict with a person from another culture, so I am less likely to bring up the conflict. Parents and caregiver seem to each have their own unique parenting culture, so this is one of the hardest types of conflict to bring up. Unfortunately, since early childhood is the field I have chosen, I need to develop strategies to discuss difference of opinion with caregivers and parents. Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond discussed some strategies for communicating with people of different cultures. These could be applied to discussing conflict. They mentioned that a professional should develop knowledge of the other culture.

                The three strategies I am suggesting involve developing knowledge of a parent or caregiver’s culture.

1.            The first strategy involves exploring the difference of opinion about caregiving in depth. Rather than just knowing that a parent uses a different bedtime routine for his or her infant, for example. The alternate caregiver should ask the parent why the parent considers this way of doing things important. The parent could then explain more about the parent’s own culture and the reasoning behind a particular way of doing things. If we are to do things in a way we are less comfortable with, it really helps if we understand why we are doing things that way.

2.            The second strategy is to generally learn more about another caregiver’s culture. A person could search the internet or talk to colleagues who also are from a particular culture. This knowledge may also help a professional understand another caregiver’s way of doing things, but it is important to keep in mind that each caregiver has his or her own culture and each caregiver has his or her own reasons for doing things a different way.

3.            Spending more time with people of a different culture gives a person a better sense for why things are done than research alone can do. It is important to actively try to spend more time with people of that culture.

Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond also mentioned that speaking even a few words in the other person’s language can help make discussion with that person more comfortable. As a Head Start teacher in a Spanish/English classroom, I found that despite my inability to speak Spanish well, my attempts were appreciated by parents at parent conferences. Usually parents could speak better English than I could speak Spanish. But by my attempting to speak Spanish, they could see that they were superior to me in their ability to speak another language. Once this was established along with the fact that I didn’t feel superior because I could speak English, we were able to muddle through by the parent speaking more English, my being able to understand more Spanish than I could speak, and my speaking mostly English but a little Spanish. I also found that the more I listened to and comprehended Spanish, the more I was able to eventually speak phrases my ears had become familiar with. Frequently, both parents would come, and one parent spoke English better than the other. Often I could understand the mother’s concern about something the child was doing at home, for example, but if I didn't, the father would interpret. 

Making Assumptions Based on Body Language

     I watched an episode of CSI because I have heard a lot about this show but never seen it. I had many questions after I watched without sound. In this episode, a person, who I think is a boy, comes into the police station? and shoots two guys and takes two hostage. One of the hostages is a guy who was shot. The other hostage, played by Ted Danson seems to be one of the people in charge of the police station. Both Ted Danson and another older somewhat chubby guy seem not only to have leadership roles but also to have a fatherly relationship with the employees in general. It seems that Ted Danson convinced the shooter not to hurt him and to help him do first aid on the hostage who was shot by telling him that he, the shooter, still had a chance of not going to jail for murder.   One guy who was shot went to the hospital. At the beginning of the show, he seems very friendly with a lady who might be his partner. Another lady comes to visit him at the hospital. The partner? and the other lady talk to each other. The other lady seems to care about the partner but also seems angry. There is an older lady that comes into the police station and sees the hostages and the shooter on a closed circuit camera. She could be the mother of the shooter or Ted Danson's wife. She possibly says something to the shooter through a microphone. The shooter gets very angry because there is a camera and because they brought his mom? He shoots the camera and there is no longer video access to the room where the hostages are.

  Now I know that the lady and the man who got shot and sent to the hospital are not partners. They are married. I also know that one of the hostages was actually shot by a policeman who was trying for the shooter. Danson explained to the shooter that if Danson didn't answer the phone the police would think Danson was dead and they would then shoot more. The shooter doesn't actually care if he dies, but Danson appeals to the shooters compassion to not let the innocent bystander hostage suffer any more than he already has. The lady who was talking to the wife at the hospital now seems more like a social worker. In one part of the show Danson has the shooter hold a water bottle with finger blood on it. This gets a clear imprint of the shooter's finger print. Danson looks up at the camera to get the others to understand they need to focus on the bottle. They then understand he is telling them to identify the prints. This part was just as understandable with sound as without sound because Danson could not communicate verbally because if he did the shooter would know. The lady who came in was the shooter's mom, and the way Danson tries to talk sense into the shooter is by telling the shooter that he probably would have killed himself by now if he didn't have someone like his mom that the shooter wouldn't want to hurt.

If this had been a show I have watched and I watched without sound, I believe I would have been much better at knowing the relationships. I would probably still had a lot of trouble figuring out the plot. In this case, I didn't do too badly with the overall plot, but I misunderstood many details.

A Model Communicator

A Model Communicator

     When asked about a person I admire for communication skills, I thought of my son.  As I read the materials this week, I thought about how genuine care and concern for others and the belief that others are caring are two things that are important to ethical communication. It is obvious that my son cares about the people he communicates with. Once he was put in a situation in which he was asked to chose sides between two men.  He was kind to both men, but refused to take sides. I have also noticed that, like some other men I know, my son refuses to gossip. I sometimes find excuses to talk about what is bothering me about other people, but my son only talks kindly. Having thought about these things, I have now decided to work toward always talking kindly and to always remember when working with parents that although we might disagree, the parents care about their children more than I do. Right now, I am blessed to agree most of the time with the two families I work with.

Hopes, Goals, and Thank Yous

Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories with me throughout this course!

My hope is that each early childhood professional would be conscious of the far reaching effect of his or her words and actions.

My goal for the early childhood field as that we will all become more and more aware of the wide variety of the ways people live and the wide variety of ways children learn and learn to value the unique knowledge that each child comes to school with, so that we can move closer to giving equal education to all children.

Welcoming Families from around the World: Zimbabwe

Welcoming Families from around the World: Zimbabwe

                To prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family, I will learn a few words especially family words, food words, and words about taking care of necessities in the language of the family. Before this, I will have to ask the family which language or languages of Zimbabwe the family speaks. I will also ask the family what type of schooling the child has received, and I will want to know any special skills the child has learned in helping out with family chores. I will also ask who I should call first when there are questions or conflicts, so as not to override the authority in the family. Finally, I will research some things about the culture of Zimbabwe. Below, I have shared some things I learned.

                These questions will benefit the family by helping them know that I don’t expect them to have my culture, but I also don’t expect that by reading about Zimbabwe, I will know about their particular family culture and system. I will benefit by knowing what knowledge the child might like to share and what knowledge might be helful to the child. I might also like to ask if they could share cultural items or skills with the class. This would also benefit both the family and the class.

Children are usually surrounded by relatives from the time they are born, and they are expected to earn to cooperate. Girls start helping in the family domestic work when they are about seven, and boys learn to herd livestock at about the same age in areas where herding is done. In every area, children are expected to help with one form of work or another. Children are not supervised while on their way to school or while playing with friends. In this way, children are expected to learn to take care of themselves.

There are two major languages spoken by the indigenous people of Zimbabwe. Most of the indigenous people speak Shona, but more than ten percent speak Ndebele. Sixty-two percent of people in Zimbabwe are Christian, but the people also mix in some of their more traditional beliefs with Christianity. Ancestral worship (Amadlozi) is also practiced widely in Zimbabwe. There is a very high literacy rate in Zimbabwe.

Shona is a tonal language with two tones: high and low. These are not indicated in writing.

Here is a link to someone speaking in Shona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtXr7bckLyc&list=UUBgWgQyEb5eTzvh4lLcuipQ

The meat of one's clan totem was traditionally avoided; even today animals representing totems are rarely eaten. Read more:

http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Zimbabwe.html#ixzz35ENdq56y

Shona, Ndebele, Shangaan, and Venda are patrilineal societies in which descent is through the male line and after marriage a women moves into her husband's home. The Tonga people are matrilineal, and the husband moves to the home area of his wife. Customary marriages are rarely desolved by divorce, and it is possible in a customary marriage that a husband would take more than one wife. Households usually include extended family. Authority is vested in men, and wisdom is vested in age.

Traditional and modern medicines are used, and a distinction is made between minor ailments and serious illnesses. This is done partly because of the belief that illness may have been inflicted by angry spirits (justifiably or through witchcraft).