Uzoigwe, G. N. The Evolution and Relevance of Autonomous Communities in Contemporary Igboland: An Essay in Local Governance. Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. XXVI, No. 2, 177-189. 2009. Association of Third World Studies, Inc.
This article examines in detail the structure of society in Nigeria, which is characterized by subdivisions into autonomous communities. The main argument of scholars is that autonomous communities in Nigeria are not relics of the past. In other words, this social structure of the state in question was a natural progression that contributed to the development of the state. It is necessary to argue this point of view using the historical, cultural, and economic context of the country’s history to consider all the root causes for the final state of society.
It is important to note that the attculturality of such societies can be explained by both historical context and cultural factor. The fact is that the origins of such societies lie in the pre-colonial period, which is characterized by the sovereignty of village groups and small towns, even if together they constitute a single state (Uzoigwe 180). The confessional aspect is key to understanding the internal political development of some states, particularly Nigeria (Uzoigwe 178). A large number of beliefs, especially pagan ones, underlie cultural diversity and possible religious divisions between communities. In order to avoid occasional conflicts, the communities separated and lived separately, with only a common economy and culture. Besides, the period under consideration was not characterized by the presence of a single ruler for the state, so there were no prerequisites for unification.
It is important to emphasize that before the colonial period, there was no unified Nigerian nation. It was only with the establishment of colonies, Europeanization and the introduction of new social constructs that the modification of Nigerian society began. However, there is an important economic aspect to this, which is the lack of financial capacity of the colonizers to maintain a full-fledged state. This slowed down the process of unification, despite the acceptance of Christianity by the metropolitan society and the consumption of Western learning (Uzoigwe 184). Nevertheless, the communities began to experience an era of renaissance and cultural growth thanks to innovation, which created a new problem in the form of competition among the communities.
The fact is that societies noticed the successes of some and the failures of others, so a competitive spirit began to emerge throughout Nigeria. This pushed the nationalities to develop themselves and reform their own communities in order to be the people and culture they needed. So the idea of reorganizing autonomous communities with the introduction of some innovations, partly taken from the Western system, partly developed independently, appeared (Uzoigwe 185). It should be emphasized that, from a structural point of view, the creation of a large number of communities with autonomy is one of the most effective ways of developing a lower level of statehood.
Such a society is not characterized by economic or social stability, so it cannot develop all-round, but its subdivision into groups creates goals and developmental branches, which leads to great progress for Nigerian communities. This process of development can be called relatively eschewed, though at times violent. Nevertheless, it led to the creation of administrative apparatuses, the introduction of human rights, and the institution of unions (Uzoigwe 186). In other words, the self-help and mutual assistance of the peoples was conducive to the development of a full-fledged State, for which, nevertheless, communities remained characteristic. Another important condition is that the voices of such communities have a wide influence and considerable social weight, which to this day allows society to govern the state from the outside.
Nwamadi, Chima. The Experience of Exploring the historical and Current Culture of Silence Regarding Abuse in Igboland: A Critical Ethnographic Study. 2000. PhD dissertation. Bell & Howell Information and Learning.
The main argument of the scholars in this article is that the culture of silence in Nigeria exists strictly in a religious and cultural context. In other words, in order to eliminate the problems discussed below because of this phenomenon, currents such as feminism must be introduced. It is necessary to argue this position by identifying the negative effects of this culture as well as the root causes of this phenomenon.
The fact is that the religious component in society is such that a vow of silence or a vow of fidelity can be imposed on a girl. From a cultural point of view, this gives women the image of a man who must remain silent, the decisions being made by men. This practice is particularly common in societies that adhere to traditional views of gender issues (Nwamadi, 17). In addition, the historical context suggests that it is the man who has the charm of a breadwinner, a man who chooses his wife and solves his problems.
This implies that this culture and worldview inherently divides people along gender lines, giving more rights to men. Thus, in Nigeria, society has patriarchal norms. This is exacerbated over time, as population growth, low levels of education, and educational attitudes begin to distort these norms and violence against women becomes the norm. The culture of silence among women is also conducive to this, due to a number of factors. First, as noted above, girls are brought up in obedience and such values as not to contradict the opposite sex, to be silent, and not to influence certain choices. Secondly, from a psychological point of view, if crimes are committed in a joint manner and are usually not punishable, they become the norm for society (Nwamadi, 21). Finally, thirdly, the reason is fear, since patriarchal society rarely recognizes a man’s guilt, but more often the woman who dared to tell about the crime suffers.
From this arises the main difficulty of the problem, which lies in the consciousness instilled by the culture. The authors see the solution in education, feminist principles and changes in legislation (Nwamadi, 27). In order for society to begin to react to such situations and for girls to speak out, it is necessary to develop a sufficient sense of human rights. With the realization that rights are being abused or violated, attitudes will begin to change and the culture of silence will disappear.
Women are not allowed to talk about certain things or in certain situations, such as before hunting or in the evening. There are even stricter norms about behavior in the woods, where the silence – the peace of the spirits – must not be broken (Nwamadi, 29). Silence also plays a big role in their daily life of Aborigines, there are many rules, especially regarding the most important aspects of life. For example, it is forbidden to speak about children under one year of age, as such children are on the borderline of the worlds of spirits and humans (Nwamadi, 29). Thus, the culture of silence extends to many spheres, but, at the same time, women are the main audience of such clubbing.