Many African families spend fortunes burying their dead
Lavish funerals in parts of Africa, particularly Ghana, are criticized as consuming several years’ worth of income and reinforcing kinship obligations that can hinder individual wealth-building and economic mobility. Commenters contrast these practices with Western equivalents like expensive weddings, debate whether strong family networks are a safety net or a brake on growth, and question the article’s broad claim that “kinship societies” keep Africa poor. Others highlight missing context such as colonial history, national diversity within Africa, and the fact that similar family-based financial pressures and ritual spending appear in many cultures worldwide.
Modernity, Individualism, and Loneliness
- Several comments riff on the article’s “modern vs kinship” contrast to discuss Western atomization.
- One poster describes losing marriage and in-laws, ending up socially isolated despite career success; sees “pick two: family, friends, work” as a real tradeoff.
- Others argue modern loneliness is partly structural (work culture, car-centric life, decline of churches), not just “self-inflicted.”
- Some push back: strong kin can also mean inescapable toxic dynamics; there is no simple “traditional = better” answer.
Kinship Societies and Economic Outcomes
- Many accept that strong kinship norms can inhibit capital accumulation: expectations to share income, pay for funerals, or support relatives can prevent individuals from saving and investing.
- Others highlight benefits: kinship networks act as safety nets, mutual aid, childcare, and emotional support, especially where state welfare and healthcare are weak.
- A recurring theme: tension between economic growth and dense family obligations; loosening kinship ties can raise productivity but increase atomization and lower fertility.
- Some compare kinship redistribution to small-scale communism or gift economies; others to patronage that continuously “taxes” any windfall.
Funerals, Weddings, and Ritual Spending
- Many draw parallels between lavish African funerals and expensive Western weddings, quinceañeras, and coming‑of‑age rituals.
- Debate whether such spending is irrational “wealth destruction” or socially valuable investment in relationships, status, and community cohesion.
- Some note similar patterns historically in Korea and India (debt-inducing ceremonies), and in South Africa via ubiquitous funeral insurance.
Economic Logic: Wealth Destruction vs Circulation
- One side stresses opportunity cost: money burnt on funerals could fund health, education, or productive assets; invokes “broken window” logic.
- Others reply that spending still supports local businesses (coffin makers, caterers, singers), and that people often earn specifically to fund rituals.
- Disagreement over whether GDP growth in places like Ghana undermines the claim that funerals “keep Africa poor.”
Cultural Generalization and Africa’s Diversity
- Multiple African commenters say the article overgeneralizes: lavish funerals are specific to certain groups (e.g., some Ghanaian/Akan, some Nigerian, some South African contexts), not “African” as a whole.
- Muslim burial practices are repeatedly cited as simple, fast, and cheap, contradicting any blanket claim about the continent.
- Some criticize the piece as written through a narrow Western capitalist lens that pathologizes non-Western values.
Alternatives, Industry, and Practicalities
- Several describe cheap or no-frills options: body donation to medical schools, simple home- or church-run burials, or very small civil ceremonies.
- Others highlight how the funeral industry (in the US and elsewhere) extracts large sums even for modest services; one cites a $23k funeral for a minimum‑wage worker.
- A few suggest professional advocates and advance planning to protect families from predatory costs and emotional overspending.