"Art is an important part of Malian culture. Here, a local artist sells his art work at a market in Mali"
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures, edited by Timothy L. Gall and Susan Bevan Gall, 2nd ed., vol. 5, UXL, 2012. Gale In Context: World History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC1931487791/WHIC?u=vol_h58hs&sid=bookmark-WHIC&xid=e1faabf0. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.
Malians tend to value hard work, honesty, generosity, hospitality, and intelligence in others. Time and schedules are often flexible, allowing Malians to put individuals ahead of meetings or other obligations. Malians are usually polite and friendly. This congeniality helps ensure mutual respect among friends and strangers. If they feel slighted, Malians may make unexpected, teasing comments. These remarks are usually humorous and are regarded as attempts to be nice rather than to offend. Malians often joke with other groups about family names or castes. These "joking cousin" remarks (Sinankuya in Bambara, Bassetarey in Songhai) help maintain friendly ties and calm tensions between the many groups. Most Malians avoid confrontation and will settle differences through a third party. Many Muslims believe the will of God affects all events.
Malian society was traditionally divided between three classes: nobles, professional groups (including griots, or traditional orators, blacksmiths, and others), and enslaved peoples. However, today these divisions are for the most part considered archaic and are not strongly maintained. Still, though slavery is abolished, people from the enslaved caste may continue to perform duties like cooking or skinning animals during ceremonies. Griots also fulfill their traditional roles, including acting as a third-party mediator between members of different communities, facilitating social ceremonies, and communicating or singing, in addition to their daily profession. Artists may sing, while nobles are not allowed to sing or to speak out loud during ceremonies.
Between similar ethnic groups, caste membership determines one's relative social position. However, between dissimilar groups, such as light-skinned peoples versus dark-skinned sub-Saharan Malians, ethnicity is a distinguishing factor and a cause of long-standing tensions. In the past, traditional roles were often more important than assumed roles. For instance, a driver born as a "noble" may have been more respected than a government official from a blacksmith family. However, today, especially in urban areas, education creates more equality between people of diverse backgrounds, and wealth grants social status to any individual.
Traditional moral codes remain prevalent. For example, robbery may be a reason to beat a criminal, while embezzlement of public funds (a relatively modern crime) may be pardonable. Civic alliances and individual wants come second to family loyalties.
"Mali: General Attitudes." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2023, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=97&cn=Mali&sname=General_Attitudes&snid=6. Accessed 15 September 2023.
"The Map of Mali." Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations Online, UXL, 2022. Gale In Context: World History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2210090743/WHIC?u=vol_h58hs&sid=bookmark-WHIC&xid=f8de0fb8. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.
"Infographic of Mali." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2023, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_popup_infographic.php?scountryname=Mali&id=&refername=&type=World. Accessed 15 September 2023.