EL SISTEMA DE APOYOS

Traditional culture as expressional concept gives a geographical spot and location to this study.

It is important therefore we briefly explain its place at this juncture. Traditional culture is defined as set of customs, beliefs and valued practices that are identified with a rural or village setting. As valued practices, these beliefs and customs are passed on as valued practices from

10 This expression ‘to-get-up’ simply refers to a desire of helping and supporting every effort made to develop a given Igbo community. Here every body living in a community is expected and demanded to work towards a common good. It was by practice like this that the Igbo developed the theory of Igba-boyi in which a young man becomes an apprentice so to say, and able to stand on his own after training. This theory will be discussed in detail in the main body of this study.

31

one generation to the next. It is the body of oral belief, information, and evidence of things past, communicated from older generations to the present.

As applied to history, according Pickett (1965: 754), tradition signifies knowledge of the past handed down orally (or written) through a substantial foundation, and is of the highest value in tracing human experience and progress, both in the historic and prehistoric periods. This set of rules or beliefs are values that have played important roles and have given meaning and purpose to life of all who live in a given culture, community or nation. Therefore, in our context, traditional culture would mean those values or cultures that existed in pre-colonial times and that still communicate life in the present day Igbo society.

Moreover, traditional culture is seen as humane living, Ifemesia (2002: 2) sees traditional culture in the Igbo community as “a way of life emphatically centred upon human interests and values; a mode of living evidently characterized by empathy, and by consideration, and compassion for human beings”. It is in this light that the value of cultural solidarity among the Igbo will be studied. Hopefully, this study will open arguments for further consideration of our African values to be integrated in today’s religious, education, economic and political understanding of the contemporary states.

2.9 CONCLUSION

In this chapter we have considered the literature review, identified and defined key concepts that will occur regularly in this study. Each of these titles, the areas and history they present emphasized different aspects of Igbo social life. In my undertaking, this study will consider Igbo cultural solidarity as an independent valued practice that is not to be interpreted based on any religion (Christian), values or teachings of any other foreign culture. Cultural solidarity advances a moral view that unites and brings together the Igbo people in their share of cultural understanding, values, history, folklore and philosophy. It will be my interest therefore to explore the dynamics of cultural solidarity as known and practiced in the Igbo ways of life with a view to advance rural development.

32

All the titles here mentioned above agree to an extent, that foreign models of economy, religion, education and or governance have not all achieved the desired result expected in the African rural settings. Hence, the burning calls for rethinking and redressing these foreign models by indigenization. Such required move and change will save the African continent from falling into total conflict and war in the scramble for natural resources that has till now benefited only a few privileged individuals in most African settings. With no doubt these foreign models have played significant roles in bringing about development in the city settings of African countries; but has failed to bring about meaningful change in the common life of the rural African dwellers.

Moreover, the need for this study on any aspect of African cultural value cannot be over emphasized. More importantly, because Africa faces enormous challenges to address or re-dress its difficult economic, religious, educational and political realities. Such study to provide a cultural re-evaluation will be vital to addressing the present realities of African crises with food security, job insecurity and lack of housing, disease and war. By focusing on the Igbo cultural solidarity, this study aims to provoke an argument to African leaders to attend to poverty eradication, diseases and lack of development. By so doing, governments will reach out to the vast majority of rural population, who mainly do not understand the present day borrowed political, educational and economic policies and programmes that have not responded to these challenges here mentioned.

Hence, as these challenges continue to militate against the growth and development of rural Africa, the need to study specific cultural value as a means to respond to challenges facing the continent and the entire masses cannot be under estimated or underrated. With this understanding, this study therefore provides us with a home-based replica and traditionally proven practice, value and model to enhance and understand rural development. Such ideas should not be purely for academic reasons, or to demonstrate that Africa’s history is like that of other parts of the world, but to open a debate towards addressing African living realities.

Finally, the major contribution of this thesis is twofold: Firstly, this work is set out to analyze the Igbo cultural solidarity and to evaluate the impact of foreign cultures upon the Igbo

33

people’s past. Secondly, I aim to provide some useful guidelines to the present generations in responding to the problems of governance and common good in the rural African setting, namely among the Igbo people. Nevertheless, I shall benefit from the past works done on Igbo social life and history as shown above. These works shall serve as foundation to my goal to analyze and contribute to the Igbo value system.

34

CHAPTER 3