The Pima Phenomenon: Culture, African Time and Consumerism in Kenya

The exponential growth of social media sites in terms of user numbers and revenues is evidence that humans long for connection, no matter how abstract. This means meeting other people and social groups that we consider “alien,” and the success of modern societies is dependent on the ability to take advantage of diversity to improve the socioeconomic welfare of the people. Of course, what we often see is the other side of the coin, so to speak, where any form of differentiation between individuals is used to divide them. The encounter between cultures results in the creation of new environments. “How shall the new environment be programmed? It all happened so slowly that most men failed to realize that anything had happened at all,” prophesied SRT, a character in the classic sci-fi THX 1138.  SRT stands for Sartre, a tribute to the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. I believe I’ve seen a form of this reprogramming, and it has something to do with consumerism, the African concept of time and the encounter of Africa and the West. Here me out.

In Kenya, the gaining of independence did not result in complete socioeconomic autonomy. Our grandparents were influenced by the English, and most of them remember them as white folk with British accents. Today, the foreign influence is mainly American, just listen to the accents of young folk when they talk in English. Who do they get it from, Khaligraph Jones? Consumerism is at the core of American culture, so much so that it is now considered a problem because people are becoming convinced that consumption is a solution to life’s challenges (Consumerism, Conformity, and Uncritical Thinking in America). Consumerism is psychologically unhealthy because it leads to “erosion of the true self and replacing it with a false self” (Emerald). Self-identity is directly linked to culture because the latter forms the basis for understanding the world as well as our place and role in it. Identity is part of African culture because it is a core of being/existence. Besides identity, the essence of being for the African individual is influenced by origin and locality (Chabal). I’m going to limit this analysis to Kenya, and African culture is used as a reference to all cultures and ethnic groups in Kenya. Another clarification I should make is that I refer to American culture as a representative of the West because it’s dominance in the media makes it the most influential on Kenyans.

In his book End of Arrogance: Africa and The West (Understanding their Differences), Helmut Danner analyzes the encounter of Africa and the West, the differences between these two worldviews, and why understanding them is essential for the solution of many problems faced in Africa. Danner observes that this encounter has resulted in arrogance on the part of Westerners and deep distrust on the part of Africans. The former’s attitude is a consequence of a “self-assumed status” of superiority that results in the perception of Africans as in need of “teaching” (Danner). On the other hand, the experiences of slave trade and colonialization have made Africans bitter, distrustful and suspicious of Westerners because it resulted in dehumanization, apartheid, and brutality (Danner). Danner uses anecdotes to support his arguments throughout the book, drawing parallels between his subjective experiences of both cultures. The concept of time in Africa is entirely different from the Western perception of the same. Danner observes that while it is important to Westerners that something is done on time, “for Africans, it is important it happens at all” (Danner, p. 5). Tardiness is tolerated in Africa, and the term “African timer” is a phrase that is proudly uttered to justify it. “Punctuality is the virtue of the bored” is more than a wisdom quote for an African; it is a reality. This observation is supported by evidence from works by African authors namely African Religions and Philosophy by John S. Mbiti, and an article by Daniel Etounga-Manguelle titled “Does Africa Need a Cultural Adjustment Program?” in Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress edited by Lawrence E. Harrison and  Samuel P. Huntington.  Etounga-Manguelle’s argument connects this lack of emphasis on the future to “the glorious past of ancestors,” which Africans revere through tales and fables  (Danner). Mbiti argues that African time is concrete and not abstract. As such, the linear basis of past, present and future found in the Western perception of time is absent in Africa. Concrete time is “a composition of events” that have to be experienced, and since what has not happened cannot be experienced, the emphasis is on the past and present, not the future (Danner). For the African, there is micro-time, which covers sasa/now, and macro-time, which covers zamani, a “dimension in which everything finds its halting point” (Danner). Because of this interpretation Africans “neither plan for the distant future nor build castles in the air” (Danner, p. 119).

My argument is that this phenomenon is, in part, an explanation of the pima phenomenon that characterizes consumerism in Kenya. A majority of consumer products are broken down into smaller quantities with denominations used as the main metric. Kuwa customer wa mama pima is a manifestation of that indifference to the future, a product of our interpretation of the world. Our exposure to American culture via the media has ingrained consumerism into the modern African understanding of the world. Integration of these two entirely different cultures results in curious and sometimes depressing manifestations of social, political and economic phenomena. The capitalistic mindset behind corruption in Kenya is a good example, because it results in the plunder of public loot by leaders who contradict African “ethical foundation in the community” (Danner p. 56). Danner asks whether the impunity of corrupt leaders is rooted in the cultural veneration of elders as beyond reproach (p. 51). I answer with a resounding YES! The pima phenomenon is another example of how the adoption of a foreign value, consumerism, is manifested in Kenya influenced by both economic and cultural factors. The bulk shopping of American Consumerism was not adopted fully in Africa. The lack of urgency about the future makes us curiously comfortable buying things in small quantities. I say curious because I once saw a lady buy a single diaper, and I wondered what she would do if her baby accidentally soiled that ONE. I was worried about something that hadn’t happened yet, ergo, it could not be experienced. It was in the future, therefore, unimportant. Culture influences consumer behavior, and companies that profit off consumerism have to adopt marketing strategies and product designs that reflect the consumption behavior of the majority. The craziest product design I’ve seen that supports my point is a Nescafe instant coffee worth 10 bob that supposedly had milk cream/powder and sugar. I grew up consuming and seeing ads of BlueBand kadogo. Today we have mobile banking, which in addition to being portable, offers miniature banking services. And now within this abstract realm, we have M-Pesa kadogo.

The kadogo/pima phenomenon can be attributed to numerous other causes. The economic aspect of it cannot be ignored, and differences in income can be categorized as the number one cause of this phenomenon. People who earn less income need to be catered for, and so products are sliced, counted, repackaged and measured in every way to suit the pocket of customers. However, as a kid, I grew up hearing “muthenya wa thoko.” Every Sunday in my village, a market called Kanguri  would open up on a scale you would never see on a weekday. The people who shopped at markets like Kanguri bought things in bulk to last till next Sunday. The pima phenomenon in such a socioeconomic setting was unsustainable and unprofitable. This has changed partly because of the growing income inequalities in Africa. However, the African concept of time also explains how the interaction of cultures leads to the reprogramming of consumers to adopt to the new socioeconomic environments that emerge as a result. In addition to being an adjustment because of economic constraints, the pima phenomenon is also meant to suit the emphasis of Sasa/now in the African perception of time. For instance, M-pesa kadogo now allows those who don’t deal with “big money” to transact. It also makes it possible to shop in smaller quantities for immediate utility.

The integration of American and African cultures and the slow but sure dominance of consumerism in Kenya has resulted in the appearance of the the pima phenomenon. A phenomenon that is partly caused by our lack of worry about the future. Globalization is upon us, fueled by technology that has made cultural interchange something natural. The full proportion of the consequences are yet to be seen, and like always, humanity is flying blind into the future. Consumerism is evil, and though it may seem to be compatible with some cultural aspects of Africa, we don’t know what the future holds for us. However, judging from what has been observed in Western societies, the future is not that bright. Cultures are fluid and are shaped by people as communities and countries. Instead of sitting back and waiting to experience it (pacified on our couches by 15 minutes long commercial breaks), we need to be proactive and selective when choosing the cultural values we adopt. We went from shopping with baskets to picking up kadogo products from hawkers and Mama Pimas. A dangerous and unhealthy socioeconomic change that endangers our finances by promoting impulsive buying, and our environment because it is directly responsible for the plastic bag menace in the country. 

   

Sijakataa upimiwe! But next time ukingoja iyo nylon paper imebeba vitunguu tatu ifungwe knot, jua inaeza kuwa haufanyangi shopping hivo juu ya kusota but ‘cause culturally, time kwa Mwafrika ni "All about NOW!"

 Thanks for your time.

Works Cited

Chabal, Patrick. Africa: The Politics of Suffering and Smiling. London: Zed Books, 2009. Print.

Danner, Helmut. End of Arrogance: Africa and The West (Understanding their Differences). Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers, 2012. Print.

Emerald, Neal D. E. "Consumerism, Nature, and the Human Spirit." Master's Thesis. 2004. PDF.

Paper, 2000 Third Year. "Consumerism, Conformity, and Uncritical Thinking in America." (2000). http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:8846775.