ZIMSEC O Level · Heritage Studies · Form 1
Heritage is what we inherit from the past and pass on to future generations.
Types of heritage
- Tangible heritage can be touched: monuments, buildings, tools, pottery and sacred places.
- Intangible heritage cannot be touched: language, songs, dances, stories, beliefs and skills. The Mbende Jerusarema dance and the art of making and playing the mbira are on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage.
- Natural heritage: landscapes, wildlife and natural features such as the Victoria Falls.
Identity
Our identity comes from our family, clan, totem, language, religion and nation.
- Totems (mitupo / izibongo) identify clans, prevent marriage between close relatives, and encourage the protection of the animal or plant concerned.
- Names often carry meaning and family history.
The family
- Nuclear family: parents and children. Extended family: grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.
- Roles in the family include providing, caring, teaching values and settling disputes.
- Rites of passage mark changes in life: birth and naming, initiation, marriage and death.
Exam tip: When asked for the “importance” of something, give its value to individuals AND to the community.
Check yourself
- Distinguish between tangible and intangible heritage, giving one example of each.
- Give two functions of totems.
- Name two rites of passage.
Show answers
- Tangible can be touched (Great Zimbabwe); intangible cannot (a traditional dance, a language).
- Any two: identify clans, prevent incest, promote conservation of the totem animal, build unity.
- Any two: naming/birth, initiation, marriage, death/burial rites.
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