which refers to a geographical and cultural criterion ; second, it
emphasises the dynamic nature of family through the people that
comprise it and who represent life. So, there can be no family with-
out a house, that is, a place to live and hence a cultural context, just
as there can be no family without human life. This makes the family
a social institution in constant evolution.^1
Clan and tribe :for the purposes of this study the clan may be
understood as a group of families with a common ancestor. The tribe
is defined as a social and political group based on real or supposed
ethnic kinship among peoples with a primitive organisation. The
notion of kinship is central to the three concepts defined above and
forms their common denominator. In this study the family will be
raised to the status of clan, for two reasons. First, in theoretical and
practical terms it is a social and political unit, and second, the tribes
in Southern Cameroon do in fact live and conceive of themselves as
families. The Esakoran, for instance, can be spoken of as a tribe and
as a family because marriages are prohibited within them and their
members are known by the same name.
Cameroonian tradition :is there such a thing as a Cameroonian tra-
dition? Given the many ethnic groups that make up our country, one
would have to say that there are numerous Cameroonian traditions.
However, these micro-traditions are moving towards one macro-tra-
dition for Cameroon, even though there is still a long way to go. For
the purposes of this study we shall draw on traditional elements in
the south of Cameroon. Southern Cameroon belongs to the large Fang
group, of which the Ntumu are a sub-group, to which I belong. Tra-
dition will be used in its meaning as a way of thinking, acting or
behaving which is inherited from the past of a particular human group.
Leader and leadership :by leader is meant the head, the spokesper-
son of a political movement, the person who takes the lead in a move-
ment or a group, and to whom others refer. Leadership therefore
refers to the function and position of leader, taking command and set-
ting direction, the ability to direct.
Responsibility and the person responsible :responsibility here is
understood as an intellectual obligation or moral necessity to make
good an error, fulfil a duty, meet a commitment and bear the strain.
The person responsible is then the one who is charged with leading
and taking the decisions in any human group. Responsible as an
adjective indicates someone who is accountable for his/her actions,
someone who is thoughtful, reasonable and serious and who consid-
ers the consequences of his actions. Responsible leadership then
means fulfilling the function of leadership in a considered, reasonable,
accountable way. It is the capacity to lead a human group, taking into
account individual and collective worries, and with a concern for
humanity, organisation, equity and discipline.
Traditional and Christian Approaches in Cameroon 35