African Journals OnLine
Humanities Review Journal

Volume 1 Number 2, December 2001
Abstracts

THE THEME OF DEMOCRACY IN THE DRAMA OF OLA ROTIMI AND WOLE SOYINKA

Charles Uji, Ph.D.

The preoccupation of this study is to critically examine the theme of democracy in Ola Rotimi's Our Husband has Gone Mad Again: a comedy and Wole Soyinka's Kongi's Harvest. Our choice of Rotimi and Soyinka is based on the fact that both of them rank toweringly among the most accomplished playwrights and theatre directors Africa has over produced. Indeed, their reputation as highly talented artists has gone far beyond the boundaries of Africa. Although the focus of the study is thematologic, we also examine the comedic and satiric techniques, which the plays employ to articulate the democratic theme. One observes that the relevance of the contemporary Nigerian and African political situation cannot be overemphasized. This is because the plays' action reflects the African political dilemma, which as a result of the myriad corrupt politicians and soldiers Africa produces. A particularly good lesson the two plays have succeeded in teaching is the historically validated fact that once there is articulated opposition to dictatorship, whether military or civilian, there is the hope to build a strong democratic structure.

AESTHETIC ANALYSIS AND THE ARTS: AN INTRODUCTORY REVIEW

Odiri S. Ejeke, Ph.D.

Aesthetic value is culture – bound, whereas aesthetic experience (sense perception) can be felt by every normal person. This paper concludes that aesthetic theories and concepts should be approached and applied in terms of the ethno-cultural distinctiveness of the art and art concept, and in terms of the cultural relativity or cross-cultural comparability of aesthetic concepts. On the whole, aesthetic phenomena are art centred. Hence aesthetic theories revolve around the appreciation of artistic creativity or objects of art. We submit that aesthetics is a qualitative and articulated experience, and is diffused, throughout nature and the arts, human experience and behaviour even though the congeries of its qualities and coordinates are often irreducible in language and analysis.

PHILOSOPHY, HUMANISM AND TECHNO-SCIENTIFIC TRAJECTORIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Irene O. Adadevoh

This paper aims at reconstructing an accurate picture of development as it relates to science and technology, towards bringing out the relevance of philosophy in mediating between the loose ties of disputations it poses against human prospects in the social system. It takes a special interest in the situation of development in the African world. The ancient myths of evils in Pandora's box and the hidden hope of mankind has been used to describe the implications of science and technology on the purposes of human contrivance. This is particularly in respect of its fatalistic impact on developing societies. Therefore the notion of quantification in scientific and technological development varies in different countries, depending on the basis of its evaluation by recourse to its impact on the nexus of human socio political inclination. In this wise, many controversies have been generated with regards to critical developmental assessment of science and technology.

HAMDALA: STRATEGIC RESPONSE TO EXCHANGE RATE DYNAMICS IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA

Olutayo C. Adesina, Ph.D.

This work highlights the transmutation of `an arbitrary way of life into the legitimate way of life'. The informal sector, also known as the underground, second, parallel, irregular, unofficial, or black economy, constitutes a significant part of the economies of African countries. The Nigerian fiscal and monetary processes since independence in 1960 had been characterized by frequent policy shifts that alternated between excessive government maneuvering, sharp practices, and government financial recklessness. For Nigeria at the inception of SAP, a major strategic importance in the nexus of the exchange rate policy was the reduction of the parallel market premium given the existence of the market side by side the official markets. The Hamdala, a group of Hausa `currency sellers' came into existence as a reaction to the need to “act together” and converge into a group capable of collective action and targets. The ability of Hamdala to quickly respond to market needs has opened for it windows of opportunities in Yoruba land. A large section of the society began to see inherent merits in the services it rendered. Not only has it provided easy access to business opportunities, it is of significant importance both as an employer of labour and as a study in resilience and self-reliance.

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN NIGERIA: THE DIALECTICS OF IDEAS AND REALITY

Dorothy N. Ucheaga, Ph.D.

This paper set out to critically look into the gap that has existed between ideas and reality in the realm of social justice in Nigeria. To realize this objective, the paper examined the dynamics of the Nigerian political economy and how this impinges on the practice and implementation of social justice. The paper subsequently observes that the political economy promotes inequality and even when it appears that efforts are made to implement social justice, what actually obtains in practice is that a few individuals are enriched while the majority is deprived. The paper further notes that because of the outflow of the resources perpetuated by a few, there have not been ample resources to go round. So the implementation of social justice has been fraught with certain discriminatory policies culminating in its politicization and commercialization.Conclusively, this paper is of the view that social justice has existed in Nigeria, but it has existed for the few who have controlled the economic and political power of the country. Consequently, it would not be considered a success in Nigeria. To turn this situation around, there is need for Nigerians to re-examine the prevailing political economy and its structures.

WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT: AN APPRAISAL OF THE MAIN PERSPECTIVES ON THE STUDY OF WOMEN

H. A. Alahira,

Women studies have assumed different perspectives over time resulting in the adoption of different strategies of development for women. Three distinctive perspectives can be identified: Liberal feminism, Marxist feminism and Radical non-Marxist feminism. The starting point of liberal feminists is their belief in the inherent reliability of the capitalist system. It sees the inequalities and injustice against women within the capitalist system as aberrations that can be gradually rectified through legal procedures and attitudinal changes. Women's subordination under capitalism is seen as a deviation from the ideals of equality and justice advocated by the bourgeoisie. Liberal feminists believe that the way of solving sexual inequality is by moving women away from primary concern with domestic work and integrate them into the public sector as equals with men.

REVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN NIGERIAN CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL MUSIC

Femi Adedeji,

Although human beings do not change, their cultures, practices, arts and technology do change from time to time. In this paper, an attempt is made to highlight and elucidate various radical changes that have occurred in Nigerian gospel music (a bona-fide Nigerian artistic genre) in recent years and the factors responsible for them. The paper also attempts to foster a better understanding of the genre, especially in its contemporary settings.

MARXIST CRAFTSMANSHIP IN NIGERIAN DRAMA: AN EXAMINATION OF FEMI OSOFISAN'S THE CHATTERING AND THE SONG AND OLA ROTIMI'S HOPES OF THE LIVING DEAD

Omale Austen-Peters, Ph.D.

The most cursory look at Nigerian dramatic literature reveals that the Marxist ideology provides a broad field for a good number of Nigerian playwrights. One possible explanation for this is that the writers, products of a society which had witnessed and continues to witness different socio-political injustices, find in it a potent weapon with which to wrestle with the new problems of their people. The writers of these plays consider their literature as a potent weapon in their people's struggle against the oppressive ruling class. In this paper, our intention is to expose the Marxist craftsmanship in Femi Osofisan's The Chattering and The Song and Ola Rotimi's Hopes of The Living Dead. We consider these two plays as being among the best examples of Nigeria's Marxist-oriented plays.

DISCOVERING THE LINK BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY

Oluwaseun R. Bello,

This paper attempts to draw a link between a unifying language and the human society. Language is not only a means of communication but also a vehicle for identification and even change. A common language spoken amongst a different people not only makes communication easier but also gives the diverse groups a sense of belonging.

TITLE-NODE AS A STYLO-SEMANTIC DEVICE IN THE WRITTEN TEXT

Macpherson N. Azuike, Ph.D.

This paper presents a study of the stylistic and semantic relationships that develop from the title-nodes of written texts e.g. newspaper editorials and essays. Node is used in this paper to represent that major word or phrase in a text or an editorial title to which other words or phrases in the body of the text can be related in some semantic dimension. These title nodes are used to create cohesion in a text. It is suggested that such relationships result from the recurrence of one or more words of a newspaper headline or essay title in the bodies of their texts in different forms.

COMMUNICATION MODES IN NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

Femi Onabajo, Ph.D.

Effective communication leads to the development of both the rural and urban sectors of any forward-looking nation, and by its nature, it constitutes a powerful instrument for education, public awareness and attitude formation. Education aims at informing and internalising, which lead to crystallization of new skills, new aspirations and new goals. For communication to be meaningful, people need to be aware of the deficiencies in their present way of life. They also need to be motivated and persuaded to adopt new practices. Agencies of Non-Formal Education in Nigeria are identified and discussed.

ARTISTIC IMPULSE, MUSICAL VIDEOS AND PORNOGRAPHY

Chukwuma Anyanwu

The position of this paper is to advocate for a moral law to check the excesses of musicians. This law should be by way of censorship, a board devoted to music and musical content alone. It may seem absurd in the light of human right to free speech, but given the circumstances, that is the least one could advocate. It has become desirable. In conclusion, it is not curtailing the bounds of freedom to censor musical videos in general, if freedom will mean more respect for our girls, our future mothers, womanhood and the symbols of stability of any society.