MOURNING AND FUNERAL RITES IN THE OROKO CLAN OF THE SOUTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON: A SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Mourning and funeral rites are central institutions in Cameroon, reproducing cultural values and economic relations. This ethnographic study investigates these practices among the Oroko clan in Ndian Division, South West Region of Cameroon. The study has the following objectives: to document the structure and sequence of Oroko mourning and funeral rites, with particular attention to the “mokayan” (pig rite), “etorotoro” (hair-cut) and “epange-pange” (end of funeral); to examine the socio-cultural significance of these rites for kinship obligation, ancestral relationships and communal solidarity; and to analyse the economic consequences of these obligations for bereaved households, including patterns of debt, asset sale and farm pledging. The research draws on empirical data collected through 35 semi-structured interviews, four focus group discussions, and participant observation of seven complete funeral cycles. Integrating ritual studies with economic sociology, the analysis explores how these post-burial rites reinforce communal bonds and cultural continuity while imposing heavy financial burdens on households. Communities respond through adaptive cost-sharing strategies within kin networks. The study argues that Oroko funeral rites represent a dynamic arena where cultural obligations are continually renegotiated to balance ancestral transitions with economic survival amidst modern precarity.