Rice, yams, taro, manioc, maize, and bananas are the primary crops grown. Although farming and hunting have been largely replaced by laboring in the diamond camps or working at the rubber plantations, the establishment of a hierarchical social order is still based on the individual's ability to succeed. Diomande political systems consisted largely of non-centralized, fragmentary political groups, in which decisions are made on behalf of the community by councils of elder men. Masking often served as a means of social control, enforcing the rules established by the elders. Diomande initiation is not tied to Poro societies, as is the case of their many neighbors, but masks do appear at initiation.
Performances also occur during funerals and for purposes of entertainment.
Although described primarily as entertainment, such performances also contain social and political commentary that serve to demonstrate to the community the wisdom of the elders. The Diomande world view holds that everything can be divided into two separate and clear categories. The primary dichotomy is between village and bush, in other words, things that have been controlled by man and things that have not. Crossing over the dividing line is dangerous business, and whenever it is done, whether to clear new fields or simply crossing the forest, the bush spirits must be appeased. In order to take part in village life, the bush spirits must take corporeal form.