Such commonly expressed notions as “the cultural dimension of development,” “the cultural framework to guide development,” “tradition and modernity,” and “cultural development,” to mention but a few major ones, reflect the analytical and practical linkages that scholars and policymakers have attempted to establish between culture and development in order to assert that culture cannot be ignored in the discourse on development. Scholars who call into question the need for cultural retention or such evidence of the survival of tradition constitute a minority.

In Africa and elsewhere, culture shapes the perception of Self and the interaction between people and their environment. It explains habits such as why people respect old age, have many children, take care of their children, work hard, take to polygyny, and support male dominance. It justifies work ethics: for example, the desire for money without having to work for it; gender division of labor; and consumption habits and accumulative styles. It defines norms of behavior, such as inter- and intragenerational relations, codes of conduct for holders of political offices, and the difference between gift-giving and corruption.