Proverbs and Worldviews: an Analysis of Ikwo Proverbs and Their Worldviews
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ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ARTS, LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PROVERBS AND WORLDVIEWS: AN ANALYSIS OF IKWO PROVERBS AND THEIR WORLDVIEWS AZUBUIKE FRANKLIN ONWE A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Anglia Ruskin University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Resubmitted: April 2018 Acknowledgements This research journey has been as challenging as its outcome has been fulfilling. The journey began smoothly in 2012 with funding from the Ebonyi State Government of Nigeria under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Martin Elechi. Trouble started in 2014 when the research grant approved for me by Governor Elechi was withheld by his successor, Governor Dave Umahi when he came to power in 2015. The same year he also withheld all funds due to me in the 2015/2016 academic year, including tuition fees, living expenses, research grants et cetera, totalling £34,000. However, despite the difficulties foisted on me by the withholding of funding, this research was successfully completed through the help and support of the following, to whom much gratitude is due: My supervisors, Prof Guido Rings and Dr Anne Ife for their wonderful supervisory roles. I am particularly grateful for their kind understanding of my financial predicament following the withholding of funding, and their practical support, without which this project would have been aborted. In addition to their supervisory roles, they took the additional roles of writing references for me in the search for alternative funding. The Cambridge Presbyterian Church (CPC) family for their prayers when the going was toughest. My sincere thanks go to the Minister, Rev Dr Ian Hamilton for writing the references in support of my applications for alternative funding, and the Associate Minister, Rev Dr Jonathan Gibson not only for writing the references but also for introducing me to the sources of alternative funding. The SOLA Trust, a Christian charity based in Bishops Stortford, who came to my rescue by providing funds for my rents and bills which enabled me to continue the research. I am especially grateful to Simon Pilcher, the trustee of the Trust who was “happy to commit £5,000” without which I, my wife and three children would have been thrown out of our flat, thus marking the end of the project. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge for bending their rules and allowing me to complete and hand in my PhD thesis while still owing my final year tuition fee. I remain ever thankful to Caroline Shannahan and Greg Scott, of the International Student Advice office, and who brokered this deal with the Credit Control unit on my behalf. I cannot forget to thank in a special way the Head of my Department, English and Media, Prof Farah Mendlesohn, who understood my plight and awarded me the department’s Hardship Grant of £2,000, also to help towards my rents and bills. My immediate family for enduring with me the hardship that was foisted on us by the withholding of funding. My wife, Angela toiled day and night despite her health problems to put food on the table for the children while I concentrated on the research. My children, Bianca, Wisdom and Winifred endured the denial of the care and attention they deserved from me for as long as the research lasted. To them, I say I am sorry for putting you through all this, and promise to make up in due course. God Almighty who saw me through all these difficulties, and provided the wisdom, health and sustenance for the successful completion of this project. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in my eyes! To Him alone be all the Glory! i Finally, I dedicate this award to the memories of my late parents, Hon Chief Daniel Onwe Aloh and Mrs Christiana Mgbebu Onwe who laboured hard to send me to school, but who unfortunately are not here today to see the fruit of their labour. May they continue to rest in the bosom of the Lord till we meet to part no more. ii ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT FACULTY OF ARTS, LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROVERBS AND WORLDVIEWS: AN ANALYSIS OF IKWO PROVERBS AND THEIR WORLDVIEWS AZUBUIKE FRANKLIN ONWE April 2018 This study explores Ikwo proverbs to examine traditional Ikwo worldview(s) that have so far been marginalized in academic research. Specifically, it aims to provide answers to the following research questions: 1. Which Ikwo worldview(s) are expressed in their proverbs? 2. Do such worldview(s) represent the interests of all social groups of the Ikwo society? 3. Why and how should Ikwo proverbs be taught in contemporary school curricula? The first chapter presents the motivational framework for the research. The second chapter reviews the literature, identifies the gap in knowledge and the research questions. Chapter three discusses the theoretical and methodological choices made for collecting and analysing data. Chapter four presents and analyses data for views expressed. Chapter five discusses the views identified in chapter four and the potential application of Ikwo proverbs in a programme of education likely to enhance their understanding and critical interrogation. The analysis has been guided by Winick’s model (2001) as well as the structuralist meaning- by-opposition model of Lévi-Strauss (Duranti, 1997). The questionnaire analysis highlights that Ikwo proverbs reflected the views of the predominantly non-literate and rural dwelling male elders at the expense of those of other groups like women and youth. The interview analysis shows that many Ikwo proverbs disseminate views that tend to polarize the society while others tend to enhance consensus and community cohesion. The study identified the liminal space and the consensus-oriented proverbs that represent their views that have been marginalized in contemporary Igbo or other researches as its major contribution to knowledge. In addition to the major gaps in Ikwo research, there is currently no significant consideration of Ikwo proverbs in school or university curricula in Nigeria. This study argues, however, that such proverbs plus other proverbs that look at the full spectrum of Ikwo cultural heritage should be integrated in a programme of education likely to enhance the critical interrogation of key aspects of traditional knowledge and contribute to a reassessment of the importance of Ikwo language and culture, which might ultimately save it from extinction. Key words: proverbs, worldviews, Ikwo language, Ikwo culture, majority, minority, consensus, liminal category. iii Table of contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….1 1. Language and culture endangerment …………………………………………………….7 1.1. Meaning and nature of endangerment…………………………………………………...8 1.2. The causes of endangerment……………………………………………………………10 1.3. The effects of endangerment…………………………………………………………….11 1.4. Measurement of endangerment…………………………………………………………13 1.5. Endangerment as a worldwide phenomenon………………………………………….15 1.6. Endangerment in Nigeria…………………………………………………………………17 2. Review of literature…………………………………………………………………………...22 2.1. Overview of proverb scholarship………………………………………………………...22 2.2. The meaning and nature of proverbs……………………………………………………25 2.2.1. The structural approach…………………………………………………………..28 2.2.2. The functional approach………………………………………………………….30 2.3. Proverb and worldview……………………………………………………………………33 2.4. Problems of identifying worldview through proverb analysis…………………………36 3. Research methodology………………………………………………………………………39 3.1. Lévi-Strauss’ structural theory and method………………………………………….....39 3.1.1. Criticisms of the theory……………………………………………………………42 3.1.2. Application of the theory to identify worldview through proverb analysis……44 3.1.3. Semiotics as an analytical tool…………………………………………………...44 3.2. Other theories and methods…………………………………………………………......45 3.3. The sources of data……………………………………………………………………….50 3.4. Methods of data collection and documentation……………………………………......50 3.5. Methods of data presentation and analysis…………………………………………….53 4. Ikwo proverbs: analysis and findings…………………………………………………….56 4.1. Method of analysis……………………………………………………………………......56 4.2. Other methods…………………………………………………………………………….58 4.3. Questionnaire data...................................................................................................62 4.4. Proverbs of life and living…………………………………………………………………68 4.5. Proverbs of death and the great beyond………………………………………………..78 4.6. Proverbs of gender relations……………………………………………………………..86 4.7. Proverbs of the aged in society…………………………………………………………..94 4.8. Proverbs of children and youths………………………………………………………..102 4.9. Proverbs of man and nature…………………………………………………………….111 4.10 Identifying the liminal category………………………………………………………….121 5. Discussion and conclusion………………………………………………………………..126 5.1. Opposing views of proverbs and proverb categories………………………………...126 5.2. Resolution of the conflicts generated by opposing views…………………………...135 5.3. Consensus view as “liminal category” as contributed by Leach to the structuralist theory……………………………………………………………………………………...136 5.4. Research findings as contribution to knowledge……………………………………..138 iv 5.5. Way forward for Ikwo language and culture maintenance/revival and conclusion.139 List of Tables Table 1. Language obituary worldwide…………………………………………………………..10 Table 2. The EGIDS scale………………………………………………………………………....14 Table 3. The EGIDS assessment of language and culture endangerment worldwide………16 Table 4. The EGIDS assessment of language and culture endangerment by continent……17 Table 5. The EGIDS assessment of language and culture endangerment