Influence of Social Change on Kenya

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INFLUENCES ON SOCIAL CHANGE IN KENYA Kenya is a Republic that gained independence in the year 1964 from Britain. Like any other country, Kenya has undergone various social changes. The first inhabitants of present day Kenya were the hunter-gatherers however the society of Kenya has changed drastically since then. We’ve heard of the changes from the pastoral and agrarian societies up to the modern society we have today. Why is this so? The purpose of this essay is to show the major influences on social change in Kenya and determine the factor that has had the greatest influence. One of the most significant influences on social change is the culture of the Kenyan people. Leadership has played a key role in transforming this country socially in the sense that many leaders since independence have come up with new ideas and generated mass following. We only have to think of great leaders such as Jomo Kenyatta who led the country into independence, Wangari Maathai, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga or even his son Raila Odinga. These men and women influenced the people with their dynamic policies such as Harambee or the policies on environmental protection. Effective leaders have over the years been essential for optimal group performance and the country’s levels of production, which in turn has affected the economy of the country. According to Karl Marx, social change is prompted primarily by economic influence. Another cultural factor is religion. Religion in some cases determines how people react to different changes in the environment and also determines what is acceptable or unacceptable in society. In Kenya, religion has mainly played a conservative role whereby it has continually emphasized the need to adhere to most traditional African values. A good example of this is how activities like prostitution and homo sexuality in Kenya are termed unacceptable due to pressure
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