Contemporary African Society Research Articles

African Indigenous education in the postcolonial period: A critical reflection

This article examines African Indigenous education in the precolonial period in Southern Africa, focusing on its key elements, characteristics, and educational significance within the broader context of the decolonial education discourse. By delving into primary forms and practices of Indigenous African education, we aim to shed light on how these systems contribute to understanding the educational landscape and the challenges faced in the wake of colonialism. Additionally, we explore the transformative role played by Indigenous education in Southern Africa in addressing the hegemonic influence of Western education during the postcolonial era. Drawing on existing literature and critical analysis, we critically reflect on the nature of a decolonial turn in African Indigenous education. The examination aims at contributing to the ongoing discourse on decolonising education and providing insights into the potential benefits of embracing Indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary African societies by recognising the importance of valuing diverse knowledge systems in fostering inclusive and relevant educational practices.

The Ngirri Regulatory Society and Power Reinforcement in Local Governance in the Mbum-land Northwest Region, Cameroon: ca. 1800 - 1902

Besides many others, Ngirri, as a regulatory society in the African context in general and specifically in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, is a political institution that regulates state power. This happened more especially in the pre-colonial states, where each chiefdom or kingdom was a state on its own. In contemporary African society, such regulatory role has been greatly reduced, as regulatory societies have been reduced to mere socio-cultural groups. The problem that necessitated this study is the fact that Ngirri’s regulatory role has been diminished by the intruding Europeans, to such a point that its preponderant activities have been misinterpreted and viewed as secret and it has been finally referred to as a secret society. This study therefore sought to trace its origin, develop its evolution in the Mbum-land, bring out its contribution towards local governance, and show the challenges it faced in reinforcing the power of the traditional government in the pre-colonial Mbum society. To accomplish this, the article primarily utilized the qualitative method of analysis. Consequently, it made use of oral tradition and interviews, as well as archival materials and other primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. These sources were cross-checked against each other in order to be certain of the facts. The findings were that Ngirri did not play only a social role. Most importantly, it played a governmental role as the executive arm of the traditional government. It therefore facilitated local governance in the Mbum traditional states through its inclusive handling of issues.

Toward an assessment of the relevance of proposed public policy in contemporary African society: A retrospective review of Kenya's now‐defunct building bridges initiative, with special reference to post‐election violence

AbstractWhereas competing interests characterize the African public policy sphere today, the lens of mass‐elite differences has hardly been employed to study electoral violence. Accordingly, this article juxtaposes the lived experiences of ordinary Kenyan citizens, obtained through focus groups, with the content of the now‐defunct Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a comprehensive set of public policy changes proposed by Kenya's political protagonists Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga in 2017. It poses the following broad question: did the BBI proposals truly intersect with the opinions and lived experiences of the masses? I find that various factors, including the lack of electoral and judicial integrity, and a winner‐takes‐all democratic system, are responsible for post‐election violence according to citizens. A comparative analysis of citizen perspectives and the BBI Report reveals considerable congruence in the understanding of the causes of post‐election violence. The study partly concludes that African leaders should continue to engage in policy entrepreneurship.Related ArticlesHodzi, Obert. 2020. “African Political Elites and the Making(s) of the China Model in Africa.” Politics & Policy 48(5): 887–987. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12380.Kouladoum, Jean‐Claude. 2023. “The Role of Freedom of Communication in Modulating the Effect of Political Participation on Electoral Outcome in Africa.” Politics & Policy 51(4): 588–613. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12539.Onyango, Gedion. 2024. “DHR‐PA—Democracy and Human Rights in Public Administration in Africa.” Politics & Policy 52(2): 426–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12584.

Evaluation of Indigenous Cultural Practices that Affect Resistance of the Family Unit in Sub-Saharan Africa

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of indigenous cultural practices on the resilience of families in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to analyzing the degradation of these behaviors and the increase in single parenthood in the region, the objective was to investigate how these cultural traditions contribute to families’ capacity to cope with and recover from hardship. This study offers practical suggestions for incorporating indigenous values into contemporary family assistance programs. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, this study used semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations with a sample of 120 single parents from four local governments in Nigeria to obtain data. The reoccurring themes identified through thematic analysis include the degradation of traditional values, the transition towards single parenthood, and the socio-economic elements that influence family constructions in contemporary African societies. The present study enhances academic research by emphasizing the pivotal significance of indigenous cultural practices in promoting resilience. This study provides valuable perspectives on the integration of ancient communal support networks and values into modern interventions designed to enhance family resilience. Furthermore, the research underscores the significance of safeguarding these cultural traditions in response to modernization and socio-economic transformations, hence broadening the discussion on cultural conservation and adjustment in African communities. Keywords: Indigenous Traditions, Cultural practices, Family Resilience, Societal Problems

Multiple Secularities in Africa – An Introduction

Abstract Raising timely and urgent questions about the forms, scope and boundaries of religious authority and practice, this article offers novel ways for the study of secularities and secularisms in contemporary African societies. In recent scholarly debates on secularity, Africa has been marginal. Part of the reason, it was suggested was that African ways of being in, and knowing, the world lay outside the religious-secular divide. We contest such positions. Secularism was clearly part of modernists colonial ideologies that called for the eradication of African beliefs described as backward and irrational. We find that the colonial encounter had a powerful historical impact, essentializing and othering African societies as marked by holistic indigenous cultures rather than differentiated religions. We suggest that the complex interplay of different African and European cultures has simultaneously shaped the social construction and historical development of multiple secularities. We propose that the concept of multiple secularities provides creative avenues to rethink religion, political authority and belonging. We consider secularities as contested arrangements of religious and other spheres whose dynamics include processes of de-differentiation and de-secularization.

Understanding the Role of African Religion in Enhancing Morality in Africa Today

Abstract Today, Africa, just like any other parts of the world, is rapidly changing in many aspects of life, morality being part of it. The question which has to be posed and answered at once is: is Africa, in terms of morality, changing for better or worse? Despite the presence and influence of other foreign religions in Africa such as Christianity and Islam, commentators argue that a plethora of unethical acts are persistent. Using the philosophical approach, this paper intends to examine the changing morality in Africa focusing on the nature, possible causes for such change and proposes the possible solutions. The proposed solutions are derived from African religion which is understood as having intrinsic connection with African ethics. Ethical values which are derived from such interface are identified and rethought as normative forces for enhancing morality in Africa today. Indigenous ethical values, which constitute the identity of Africans, ought to guide contemporary African societies rather than relying on foreign ethical models.

Concrete Made in Africa

Focusing on the Abidjan and Lagos corridor, Armelle Choplin unpacks the major role of cement and concrete in shaping contemporary African landscapes and societies.

A critique of J.S. Sanni’s argument on the role of religion in promoting silence and extortion in contemporary African (Nigerian) society using the name of God

A critique of J.S. Sanni’s argument on the role of religion in promoting silence and extortion in contemporary African (Nigerian) society using the name of God

Uka Omenana (Godian Religion): Bridging Faith and Tradition in Neo-Traditional Igbo Religion

The Uka Omenana movement, also known as the Godian Religion, represents a significant resurgence of neo-traditionalism in Igboland, Nigeria, where indigenous Igbo customs intersect with Christian principles. This research examines how the movement marries traditional elements with contemporary expressions of faith, analyzing the dynamics of cultural continuity and change in the face of globalization, cultural erosion, and the encroachment of foreign ideologies. Through qualitative methodologies, including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, the study sheds light on the Uka Omenana movement's objectives, practices, and impacts within the Igbo community. The findings contribute to scholarship in anthropology, cultural studies, and religious studies by exploring the interplay between tradition and modernity in contemporary African societies and the role of religious revitalization movements in preserving cultural identity. The research reveals how Uka Omenana seeks to infuse age-old Igbo traditions with contemporary relevance and Christian spirituality, bridging ancestral customs with modern religious beliefs to foster cultural continuity. By examining the movement's core beliefs, including its conceptions of the Supreme God, deities, ancestors, the Bible, and the Eucharist, the study illuminates the complex dynamics of syncretism and the movement's efforts to reclaim and revitalize elements of Igbo culture within a religious framework.

Fragments of solidarity: the social worlds of African migrants moving northwards

ABSTRACT The article provides a framework through which to analyse the experiences and social trajectories of migration from East Africa to North Africa and Europe. On the one side, it explores the systematic relationship between war and mobility, and on the other, it highlights the social worlds generated by such mobility. The article argues that these social worlds represent crucial elements for understanding contemporary (Eastern) African societies and their political dynamics, in relation to (a) the increased relevance of migration diplomacy, (b) the spatial interconnectivity constructed through mobility and (c) the transnational and diasporic spheres that lie at the core of the social and economic reproduction of states and societies in the Horn and more generally in Eastern Africa. We highlight, through these interconnections, the genealogies and transformations of the systems of violence composing the reality of migration in the regions explored, but also the various and interconnected systems of solidarity which, although fragmented and even misused at times, sustain migrants’ trajectories, social projects and resistance. In doing so, the article argues that it is necessary to explore present and historical local understandings and conceptualisations of migration, in relation to solidarity practices, forced migration, migrant smuggling, imaginaries of mobility.

Perspectives on the Challenges of Christianity and African Traditional Religion throughout the Ages to Contemporary Times

The explosion of knowledge and education, the extension of communication to all corners of the globe and the mixing of disparate cultures and religious groups are just a few of the elements which challenge us in our efforts to grasp the spiritual dimensions of the reality in which we live and to present a relevant view of Jesus’ gospel to a morally and spiritually distracted world. Contemporary Christianity is the constant modification of New Testament religion to attract the unregenerate and carnal Christians, please the flesh, and be relatively acceptable to the world. According to Awolalu, J.O, Dopamu P.A [1], “the introduction of the foreign religions brought many challenges to the growth and expansion of African religion. In fact, some early missionaries predicted an extinction of the religion". African Culture is dynamic, and it cannot die as being canvassed in some quarters because it is a living institution.
 Christianity and African Traditional Religion (ATR) are two prominent belief systems that have coexisted and interacted in various ways throughout the history of Africa. While both hold significant cultural and spiritual significance for African communities, they also face unique challenges that impact their practice and relevance in contemporary African societies. This paper will explore and discuss different perspectives on the challenges faced by Christianity and African Traditional Religion in Africa, highlighting key issues that arise from their coexistence and interactions.

The Tradition-Modernity Dichotomy: Dilemmas of Belonging and Returning to the African Community

Abstract This article underscores the dilemma posed by the exclusivist view of the tradition-modernity contrast for anyone interested in the project of returning and belonging to the African community. On the exclusivist view, tradition and modernity are irreconcilable. After discussing the tradition-modernity contrast in the fields of sociology and academic African philosophy, this article adopts an eclectic view of tradition as an alternative to the exclusivist view. The alternative view enables those interested in the project of returning and belonging to retrieve those elements of tradition that have enduring values in order to utilize them creatively in various development projects. It is argued that this creative synthesis of traditional and modern elements is necessary to build viable contemporary African societies in which individuals feel a sense of belonging and identity.

Regard sur le panafricanisme comme un mouvement social

"Pan-Africanism is both a project and a political commitment, an idea and an ideal which have largely contributed to the political and intellectual history of contemporary African societies. It is an imprecise term which leads to confusion. It is a word whose meaning varies depending on the individuals who use it. It is often constituted as an ideology, a political theory or even a concept. The question of its scientific definition is therefore almost never decided or discussed, each author making it, according to the needs of his demonstrations or his points of view, either an ideology, a concept, or a political theory. The proposal to include Pan-Africanism through the prism of the theory of social movements in this present study allows us to shed light and make a significant contribution to the history of Pan-Africanism. Keywords: Pan-Africanism, social movement, political theory"

A feminist analysis of ‘Dhako en …’ (A woman is …) proverbs among the Luo community of Kenya

Postcolonial feminism conceptualises the female body as volatile to theorise the inherent vibrant activities of (re)identification of the self from the social masculine inscriptions. In addition to that, the female body is also understood as a subject of conquest in a political struggle to emancipate the self from the instigators of its suppression. Given this, the female body is highly political and attempts to emancipate itself from oppressive patriarchal hegemony. In spite of these efforts by feminist scholars to proclaim the inevitable transfiguration of the female body, and to elucidate a transformation towards autonomy of self, discourse in emerging oral tradition and emerging genres of oral literature in contemporary African societies derail the quest for recreation of an ‘envisioned woman’. In this study I analyse ‘Dhako en’ (a woman is) proverbs among the Luo community of Kenya, and investigate their dominant role in the objectification of the female body in contemporary society. These proverbs were collected from Facebook, and then analysed through a deconstructionist approach and postcolonial feminist theory of sexualised objectification. At the superficial level, ‘Dhako en’ proverbs are supposed to entertain by creating comic relief. I argue that the signified is a woman relegated to a mere object of misappropriation, and that the signifiers embody sexual connotations in the pretext of artful use of words verbally. I conclude that these proverbs become existential threats to the ‘transfiguration’ process of the female body and continue to ‘other’ the image of the woman, complicating the overall feminist struggle.

“If I forget you Jerusalem” (Ps. 137:4). The Transmission of Sacred Discourse in the Bible and in African Indigenous Sacred Texts

African biblical scholars have long advocated a shift in existing exegetical and hermeneutical approaches. The reasons include not simply the inadequacy of these approaches in dealing with the existential questions of contemporary African societies, but also their lack of effectiveness in transmitting the results of the exegetical process to receptor cultures in Africa, partly to be blamed on their colonialist legacy. One pathway to resolving the above challenge, which remains insufficiently explored, is to engage in a dialogue between the biblical text and African indigenous sacred texts. This paper, using a dialogical approach of African biblical hermeneutics, brings Psalm 137 into dialogue with the Adinkra amammere (tradition), an indigenous text of the Akan of Ghana. It argues that reading these texts together uncovers their complementary views on the preservation and transmission of sacred discourse and could facilitate reception of the biblical message in contemporary Ghanian society.

SKAD analysis of development intervention in contemporary African society: reflecting on current and future challenges

Technocratic approach to development in Africa has dominated the development landscape till date, but not without problems. Thus, how are conventional development interventions and practices connected to situated socio-historical processes in contemporary African societies and what are the ramifications? The SKAD analysis underpinned this study and showed that the technocratic form of knowledge continues to dominate Africa’s development without recourse to situated discourses and forms of knowledge. So, this study recommends discourse and development studies scholars and practitioners give special attention to the situated interpretations of the dispositif for »sustainable development«.

Wollstonecraft on Patriarchy, the Myth of African Matriarchy and Emancipation of African Women through the SDGs

The myth of African matriarchy militates against the feminist agenda of women emancipation and liberation in Africa. This paper adopts the textual analytical method of research in exploring the relevance of Mary Wollstonecraft’s views on patriarchy to unpacking the myth of African matriarchy and how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can help to achieve effective of emancipation of African women. An unpacking of the myth of Africa’s claim to matriarchy relying on Wollstonecraft’s position on patriarchy, shows that patriarchy has been a feature of African societies from time immemorial, and not a product of colonialism. This paper argues that denying the fact of precolonial African societies being patriarchal is the reason that the ills of patriarchy persists in contemporary African societies. Hence, this study maintains that unearthing the ugly consequences of patriarchy in ancient African societies can pave way for realizing the feminist agenda in the continent. It recommends concerted effort by states in the continent towards implementing the SDGs with the idea of human rights, as the key to women emancipation in Africa.

Proverbs 31 in dialogue with Acts 9:36–43: An Afro-feminisation of Mother Earth for equity

A close relationship between masculinity, alcoholism, widowhood and gendered poverty is evident in contemporary African society. Alcohol consumption among young men begins at an increasingly early age due to availability of low-priced alcohol presented in different varieties. Young, beautiful and sexy girls are used to advertise alcohol. Many young men are addicted to alcohol and totally unable to be free from alcohol addiction. This sad state coupled with the impact of globalisation on the economies of many African countries has left many men jobless. Consequently, many households are headed by women in a patriarchal context where men are supposed to be the heads of the family. Through an Afro-feminisation of Mother Earth lens, this article re-read Proverbs 31 in dialogue with Acts 9:36–43, to show the role of women in the socio-economic sustainability of the family, society and in enhancing gender equity.Contribution: This article re-read Proverbs 31 in dialogue with Acts 9:36–41 as resources for enhancing gender equity. An Afro-feminisation of Mother Earth for sustainable development was presented in ways that open up possibilities for the life of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1:28 to flourish.

The Politics of Power and Resistance in Gurnah's 'Afterlives'

Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives' is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the themes of power and resistance, offering a deep commentary on the intricate dynamics of politics and its impact on individual lives. Set in post-colonial Zanzibar, the novel follows the struggles of its characters as they navigate the complex web of power relations that shape their world. Gurnah's masterful weaving of the personal and political illuminates how the exercise of power and the resistance it elicits can shape the trajectories of entire communities. Through nuanced portrayals of power dynamics, 'Afterlives' offers a powerful reflection on the enduring legacy of colonialism and the challenges of forging a just and equitable society. The novel is an important exploration of the interplay between power and resistance, highlighting the impact on individuals and communities alike. The present paper is an attempt to explore the politics of power and resistance in 'Afterlives'. It strives to examine the various strategies employed by both the colonizers and the colonized for dominion and power. It also delves deep into the ethical implications of these power struggles, particularly in relation to the legacy of colonialism and its ongoing impact on contemporary African society. It aims to assert that Afterlives' is a powerful testament to the resilience and creativity of the colonized, and a compelling critique of the oppressive power structures of colonialism.

Bachitheka Bugayiwe: Relevance of Zulu Proverbs amid the Covid-19 Context in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Proverbs fall within the ambit of folklore. Folklore is knowledge, cultural expressions, and traditions of a particular group, originally oral and passed along by word of mouth. This article examines Zulu proverbs applicable to the critical incident in which a wedding was forcibly dispersed by the South African Army on the first Saturday of the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020. A deluge of research has been done on proverbs. One can mention scholars such as Masuku who analysed the use of proverbs from the Africana-womanist perspective. Proverbs in isiZulu may be used to express a variety of emotions such as dismay, shock, and sadness when phenomena occur. It can also be used as a tool to educate and correct human behaviour through warnings and providing advice. In this article, proverbs will be analysed in the context of this discussion. Using the pragma-sociolinguistic theory, this research interviewed 30 purposively selected participants residing in King Cetshwayo District in Zululand and uMkhanyakude District in the northern KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The findings reveal that proverbs still have a place in contemporary African society and that as a people, we need to use and apply them in our daily conversations and occurrences to avoid their extinction.