CONTEXT IN WHICH LITERATURE IS APPLIED IN THE SOCIETY
Context is a situation in which something happens and that helps you to understand it. It is also known as environment or circumstance or background. There are different contexts in our societies in which literature is applied. These environments include the following;
Education context
Literature is used in schools, colleges and universities as one of the field of study. Through studying literature we get professional or experts like analyst, novelist, playwrights, poet or poetess, teachers, authors, and professors of literature.
Musicians are also experts of literature. They use their knowledge to entertain and educate the member of the society through their songs.
Religious context
In different religious dominations, literature is a part and parcel of their worship. The church choirs apply the knowledge of literature to compose songs, practice and sing them. The way they sing, praise and worshiping songs as well as hymns and lyric songs employs literary techniques.
The language used at churches is characterized by poetic language for example in the Holy Bible there are books such as the book of proverbs and psalm. Also, the dramatization of biblical events such as of Noah is the work of literature.
Economic context
From the history of man literature has been used for different purpose. Thus, literature cannot be isolated with the origin of man through labor process associated with the making and using tools. Human beings had to use language to communicate different issues related to labor differentiation.
Primarily, literature was in oral forms such as songs (labor songs), myths, fork tales aimed at warning, encouraging hardworking, criticizing evil and maintaining social values or people composed different songs that accompanied them during their economic activities and after it. Example of songs/poems includes The Lazy Man by Yoruba.
Political context
Literature plays a big role in political activities. From the history of political struggle for independence, it has been observed that political leaders and other members used literature as a tool of communication. They composed different songs to mobilize people to unite and struggle for freedom.
For example, the poem of Your Pain was meant to help people of Mozambique to have self-awareness on the impact of colonialism. This song inspired and motivated them to unite hence struggle for their freedom. Literature is applied during political campaign to influence people to vote for a particular political party like CCM or CHADEMA.
CONTEXT IN WHICH LITERATURE IS APPLIED IN THE SOCIETY
Marriage context
Literature is also applied during marriage ceremony whereby different songs are sung for enjoyment, warning and educating the couples. For example, wedding songs are mainly sung by the relative of the bride to show appreciation for the ceremony and for the successful marriage.
Funeral context
Literature is applied through its works such as songs, proverbs, poems to console the relatives and different friends of the diseased person. In Hehe tribe men cry in poetic form by naming the names of their relatives who passed long time ago.
They call it Kuyeyela. The songs sung during the funeral are called dirges. Dirges are songs sung or performed at funeral or at memorial services whereby the singers mourn the dead person through the song. They convey deep feeling and sadness.
Social context
In this context, literature applied according to the purpose of the social gathering. Literary works such as songs, comedies, idioms, proverbs and short stories are used or performed to educate, criticize, warn and entertain people.
The aim is to make a person reforms and behave in a socially acceptable way. Comedy performed to entertain people.
Family context
Literature applied in family level whereby parents, guardians, adults, neighbors and youth use literary works to communicate their emotions and feelings in different ways.
Members of the family such as elders or adults as well as youth narrate different stories such as fable, anecdote, and fork tale and sing different songs like childbirth and child naming songs, lullabies to educate, entertain and warn the young generation.
