DOCSLIB.ORG

The Contributions of Councils of Elders to the Resilience of African Traditional Religion: a Case of Njuri Ncheke in Meru County, Kenya

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Contributions of Councils of Elders to the Resilience of African Traditional Religion: a Case of Njuri Ncheke in Meru County, Kenya THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COUNCILS OF ELDERS TO THE RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION: A CASE OF NJURI NCHEKE IN MERU COUNTY, KENYA. ORINA HELLEN KAGWIRIA A thesis submitted to the graduate school in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies of Egerton University. EGERTON UNIVERSITY AUGUST 2018 DECLARATION AND RECOMMENDATION Declaration This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any university. Signature: ________________________________ Date: ____________________________ Orina, Hellen Kagwiria AD 14/33535/14 Recommendation This thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as university supervisors. Signature:____________________________________Date___________________________ Dr. Boaz Onyancha Department of Philosophy, History and Religion Egerton University Signature: ___________________________________Date:_____________________________ Dr. Halkano Wario Department of Philosophy, History and Religion Egerton University i COPYRIGHT © 2018 Hellen Orina No part of this thesis may be produced, stored in any retrieval system or be transmitted in any other form or means: photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the author and, or Egerton University. ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my late brother, Mutuaru Gitonga for sacrificing his career to fund my early education. You denied yourself so that I could have and you kept encouraging me to move on and achieve that which you did not achieve. Words alone cannot explain how much I treasure what you did for me. May the good God richly bless your family. To my beloved husband Wilfred Orina whose sacrifice, inspiration, patience, encouragement and professional advice were instrumental to the completion of this work. To our children Pavine Bosibori, Linda Muthoni and Elvis Nyambati who on many occasions missed motherly love and presence during the course of my postgraduate studies. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I thank the Almighty God, the giver of life and purpose. I will forever be grateful that you accorded me life to study, pursue my dreams and serve humanity. I am humbled by this divine enablement and favour throughout my postgraduate studies. Thus far the lord has brought me, Ebenezer. I am equally grateful to Egerton University for availing an enabling environment for studying and creating a forum for me to discuss my research findings. I am greatly indebted to my University supervisors, Dr Boaz Onyancha and Dr Halkano Wario who made useful contributions that added quality to my work. You guided me with invaluably felicitous suggestions that have shaped the work into its present form. Your support, advice, patience and guidance were instrumental towards the completion of this work. My sincere gratitude to the highly esteemed elders of Njuri Ncheke who created time out of their busy schedules to narrate their experiences and give their opinions towards this study. I greatly treasure your generous co-operation and contributions during the data collection exercise, without which, this study could not have been realized. Your interest in the topic gave a great boost to my fieldwork at a time when it sorely needed one. Special thanks to Bishop Lawi Imathiu, who is the retired presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Kenya. His wealth of experience not only as a senior clergy, but also as a friend of Njuri Ncheke yielded very important contributions that helped shape the thesis. I am forever grateful to the members of my department - Philosophy, History and Religion of Egerton University for their great ideas, advice and moral support. I express profound gratitude for their suggestions and great encouragement. iv ABSTRACT Among the peoples of Kenya, there has been a cultural and religious revival and all means are being sought to propagate it. In certain circles, there is even a revival of ethnic rites, religious rituals and customs, and there are national efforts to preserve and take pride in ethnic cultures. Councils of elders are being treated with respect and honour as custodians of these cultures and religious beliefs. Generally, there has been a resilience of African Traditional Religion (ATR) and traditional religious institutions and practices in Kenya in the embodiment of councils of elders as seen in the case of Njuri Ncheke of the Ameru. Njuri Ncheke has been resilient in the face of modernization, even in the context of a dynamic society with a modern judicial system, new constitutional laws and new religious structures. Inspite of this apparent resilience of Njuri Ncheke in Meru County, there has not been any systematic investigation to unearth the phenomenon. The broad objective of this study, therefore, was to investigate the contributions of councils of elders to the resilience of African Traditional Religion in Kenya and in particular, the Njuri Ncheke of Meru County. The specific objectives were to identify the resilient practices and activities of Njuri Ncheke in relation to (ATR) in Meru County, to examine the sources of the influence and authority of the council in contemporary Meru community, to analyse the nature of the relationship between Njuri Ncheke and Christianity in the County and to assess the relevance of Njuri Ncheke in the context of a modern dynamic society. The study was informed by functionalism theory of religion as understood by Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton. This was a qualitative study that sought to describe and analyse the resilience of traditional religious institutions in Kenya with Njuri Ncheke as a case study. The study involved a sample size of 200 respondents who were purposively selected. These were mainly Njuri Ncheke elders, clergy and religious leaders, and ordinary people. Data was collected using semi structured questions and structured interviews. The collected data was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis in line with social sciences. The findings of the study are significant in making an important contribution to better understanding of councils of elders in Kenya and their role in ATR, understanding the role of religious and indigenous institutions in devolved system of governance, the basis of their influence and authority and their rightful place in a modern dynamic society. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION AND RECOMMENDATION .................................................................. i COPYRIGHT .......................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION........................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF PLATES ...................................................................................................................x ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMNS ........................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background to the Study ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................. 6 1.3. Broad Objective............................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Justification of the Study .................................................................................................. 8 1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study ................................................................................. 9 1.7 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................12 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................12 2.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Historical Background to the Scholarship of Councils of Elders ................................ 12 2.1.2 Recent Studies on the Resilient Practices and Activities of Councils of Elders in Kenya. .................................................................................................................................. 18 2.2 Theoretical Framework: The Functionalism Theory ..................................................... 25 CHAPTER THREE ...............................................................................................................28 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................28
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Scripture Translations in Kenya
    / / SCRIPTURE TRANSLATIONS IN KENYA by DOUGLAS WANJOHI (WARUTA A thesis submitted in part fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Arts in the University of Nairobi 1975 UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI LIBRARY Tills thesis is my original work and has not been presented ior a degree in any other University* This thesis has been submitted lor examination with my approval as University supervisor* - 3- SCRIPTURE TRANSLATIONS IN KENYA CONTENTS p. 3 PREFACE p. 4 Chapter I p. 8 GENERAL REASONS FOR THE TRANSLATION OF SCRIPTURES INTO VARIOUS LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS Chapter II p. 13 THE PIONEER TRANSLATORS AND THEIR PROBLEMS Chapter III p . ) L > THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSLATORS AND THE BIBLE SOCIETIES Chapter IV p. 22 A GENERAL SURVEY OF SCRIPTURE TRANSLATIONS IN KENYA Chapter V p. 61 THE DISTRIBUTION OF SCRIPTURES IN KENYA Chapter VI */ p. 64 A STUDY OF FOUR LANGUAGES IN TRANSLATION Chapter VII p. 84 GENERAL RESULTS OF THE TRANSLATIONS CONCLUSIONS p. 87 NOTES p. 9 2 TABLES FOR SCRIPTURE TRANSLATIONS IN AFRICA 1800-1900 p. 98 ABBREVIATIONS p. 104 BIBLIOGRAPHY p . 106 ✓ - 4- Preface + ... This is an attempt to write the story of Scripture translations in Kenya. The story started in 1845 when J.L. Krapf, a German C.M.S. missionary, started his translations of Scriptures into Swahili, Galla and Kamba. The work of translation has since continued to go from strength to strength. There were many problems during the pioneer days. Translators did not know well enough the language into which they were to translate, nor could they get dependable help from their illiterate and semi­ literate converts.
    [Show full text]
  • Race for Distinction a Social History of Private Members' Clubs in Colonial Kenya
    Race for Distinction A Social History of Private Members' Clubs in Colonial Kenya Dominique Connan Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of History and Civilization of the European University Institute Florence, 09 December 2015 European University Institute Department of History and Civilization Race for Distinction A Social History of Private Members' Clubs in Colonial Kenya Dominique Connan Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of History and Civilization of the European University Institute Examining Board Prof. Stephen Smith (EUI Supervisor) Prof. Laura Lee Downs, EUI Prof. Romain Bertrand, Sciences Po Prof. Daniel Branch, Warwick University © Connan, 2015 No part of this thesis may be copied, reproduced or transmitted without prior permission of the author Race for Distinction. A Social History of Private Members’ Clubs in Colonial Kenya This thesis explores the institutional legacy of colonialism through the history of private members clubs in Kenya. In this colony, clubs developed as institutions which were crucial in assimilating Europeans to a race-based, ruling community. Funded and managed by a settler elite of British aristocrats and officers, clubs institutionalized European unity. This was fostered by the rivalry of Asian migrants, whose claims for respectability and equal rights accelerated settlers' cohesion along both political and cultural lines. Thanks to a very bureaucratic apparatus, clubs smoothed European class differences; they fostered a peculiar style of sociability, unique to the colonial context. Clubs were seen by Europeans as institutions which epitomized the virtues of British civilization against native customs. In the mid-1940s, a group of European liberals thought that opening a multi-racial club in Nairobi would expose educated Africans to the refinements of such sociability.
    [Show full text]
  • COUNTRY PROFILE: FGM in KENYA MAY 2013 Registered Charity : No
    COUNTRY PROFILE: FGM IN KENYA MAY 2013 Registered Charity : No. 1150379 Limited Company: No: 8122211 E-mail: [email protected] © 28 Too Many 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS FORWARD 4 BACKGROUND 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 INTRODUCTION 9 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10 INTRODUCTION TO FGM 11 NATIONAL STATISTICS 12 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 15 ANTHROPOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 16 COUNTRYWIDE TABOOS AND MORES 16 SOCIOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 17 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 17 EDUCATION 18 RELIGION 18 MEDIA 19 FGM PRACTICES IN KENYA 20 REASONS FOR PRACTISING FGM 26 RELIGION AND FGM 26 WOMEN’S HEALTH AND INFANT MORTALITY 27 EDUCATION AND FGM 27 AGE 28 PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO FGM 29 LAWS RELATING TO FGM 31 INTERVENTIONS AND ATTEMPTS TO ERADICATE FGM 33 CHALLENGES FACED BY ANTI-FGM INITIATIVES 44 CONCLUSIONS 44 APPENDIX – LIST OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS 46 REFERENCES 48 FORWORD East Kenya in 2008, with over 250,000 Somali IDPs. This led to my research paper that was published In organisations, annual appraisals and in March 2012 (Wilson, 2012). monitoring and evaluation reports show a measure of progress towards a goal. With an aim Having seen first-hand over 10 years the trauma, to eliminate a harmful traditional practice such as pain and health consequences of FGM, we are FGM which has been in existence across Africa for pleased 28 Too Many has been able to undertake over 2000 years, it is hard to assess measures of this research and see progress. The photograph progress. below shows a Maasai community that used to practice FGM but has now abandoned it. This This country report into FGM across Kenya was due to two older girls attending school and shows FGM in 15-49 year olds reducing from joining a health club.
    [Show full text]
  • Myths of Origin and Their Cultural Implications in the Tigania Community of Meru County
    MYTHS OF ORIGIN AND THEIR CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS IN THE TIGANIA COMMUNITY OF MERU COUNTY BY RUKUNGA MWAMUKUI PRISCILA, B.ED. C50/CE/11989/08 A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY MAY, 2019 ii DECLARATION iii DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this work to my family –My loving husband Wilfred, my sons Nimo and Oliver and daughter Beryl. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to God for giving me health and strength to be able to undertake this work. I would like to extend my gratitude to my family members, especially my husband for encouraging me to soldier on, and to my mother who taught me how to speak my mother tongue, without which I would not have carried out this research. My special thanks to my supervisors, Dr Speranza Ndege and Dr. Wallace Mbugua for bearing with my many shortcomings. What initially looked like an impossible feat became easier for me to navigate through because of their humility and scholarly concern. I will forever be grateful to them. I appreciate the effort of Prof.Oluoch Obura and Dr. Paul Mukundi for guiding me to find the references I needed for this research. They taught me the value of networking with people who would later be helpful to my study. I am also grateful to the entire Isiolo Boys‟ teaching fraternity for giving me ample time to carry out my research. I recognize the input of my informants and story tellers who put in a lot of effort to ensure that I captured the stories well to be able to transcribe and translate them appropriately.
    [Show full text]
  • Jackson Angaine and Meru Politics (1961-1963) 1 Anaïs Angelo
    Becoming minister for Lands: Jackson angaine and meru poLitics (1961-1963) 1 Anaïs Angelo To cite this version: Anaïs Angelo. Becoming minister for Lands: Jackson angaine and meru poLitics (1961-1963) 1 . 2016. halshs-01323047 HAL Id: halshs-01323047 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01323047 Submitted on 30 May 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Nairobi IFRA MAMBO!DÃÊ͊ Travaux deVOL Recherche XIV (3), sur 2016 l'Afrique de l'Est BECOMING MINISTER>͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶƌĠŐŝŽŶĂůĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĞ FOR LANDS: JACKSON ANGAINE AND MERU POLITICS 1 (1961-1963)Jérémy Révillon Anaïs Angelo Volume XI n° 7- 2013 In 1978 British Officials profiled the most prominent prophet, a Mugwe, who had foreseen the insidious conflicts Kenyan/ŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ politicians and produced a document entitled in Meru brought about by the struggle of independence.4 “LeadingRwanda, Personalities année zéro. in Kenya,C'est ainsi1978”. qu’apparaît Their information l'année Growingla Communauté up in the colony, Économique Jackson Angaine des États was educated de l’Afrique at was1994 certainly au pays inspired des mille by collines,regular talks ravagé they par had plusieurs with the AllianceĞŶƚƌĂůĞ;ͿĚŽŶƚŝůĠƚĂŝƚŵĞŵďƌĞĚĞƉƵŝƐϭϵϴϭ͘ High School, like many of his fellow politicians influentialannées d’unecivil servants, guerre andcivile bore dont the l’élémentmarks of the centralinsidious et (Kipkorir,>ĞŵŝŶŝƐƚğƌĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĚĞůĂŽŵŵƵŶĂƵƚĠĚ͛ĨƌŝƋƵĞ 1969; Charton, 2002).
    [Show full text]
  • Culture and Customs of Kenya
    Culture and Customs of Kenya NEAL SOBANIA GREENWOOD PRESS Culture and Customs of Kenya Cities and towns of Kenya. Culture and Customs of Kenya 4 NEAL SOBANIA Culture and Customs of Africa Toyin Falola, Series Editor GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sobania, N. W. Culture and customs of Kenya / Neal Sobania. p. cm.––(Culture and customs of Africa, ISSN 1530–8367) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–313–31486–1 (alk. paper) 1. Ethnology––Kenya. 2. Kenya––Social life and customs. I. Title. II. Series. GN659.K4 .S63 2003 305.8´0096762––dc21 2002035219 British Library Cataloging in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2003 by Neal Sobania All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002035219 ISBN: 0–313–31486–1 ISSN: 1530–8367 First published in 2003 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10987654321 For Liz Contents Series Foreword ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xv Chronology xvii 1 Introduction 1 2 Religion and Worldview 33 3 Literature, Film, and Media 61 4 Art, Architecture, and Housing 85 5 Cuisine and Traditional Dress 113 6 Gender Roles, Marriage, and Family 135 7 Social Customs and Lifestyle 159 8 Music and Dance 187 Glossary 211 Bibliographic Essay 217 Index 227 Series Foreword AFRICA is a vast continent, the second largest, after Asia.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating Capabilities for Sustainable Smallholder Agriculture F.J. Van
    Creating capabilities for sustainable smallholder agriculture A systems perspective on innovation and the adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Kenya and Madagascar F.J. Van Hulst Ph.D. Thesis 2016 Creating capabilities for sustainable smallholder agriculture A systems perspective on innovation and the adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Kenya and Madagascar Freddy van Hulst A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Greenwich for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The research programme was carried out in collaboration with the ABACO project July 2016 i DECLARATION I certify that this work has not been accepted in substance for any degree, and is not concurrently being submitted for any degree other than that of Doctor of Philosophy being studied at the University of Greenwich. I also declare that this work is the result of my own investigations except where otherwise identified by references and that I have not plagiarised the work of others. PhD candidate F.J. van Hulst Date: Supervisor Prof. dr. J. Morton Date: Supervisor Dr. K. Wellard Date: ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Helena Posthumus, who initiated this PhD project, supervised me for the greatest part of it, and was there to think through the options at crucial stages of the research process. Our weekly coffee moments during the first months of my stay in England were a source of motivation and inspiration. I would like to thank John Morton and Kate Wellard for their pleasant style of supervising, for guiding me to interesting academic literature, and for their constructive and thorough feedback on the written chapters.
    [Show full text]
  • 211 SECTION II PROVINCIAL and DISTRICT RECORD BOOKS The
    211 SECTION II PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT RECORD BOOKS The sixteen reels of Political Record Books (PRB) contain materials that were origi­ nally intended to be a continually expanding collection of data and source of information for use by colonial officials. As such, subjects found in these records range from character evaluations of headml,n, comments on various tribes, oral tradition, and lengthy analyses of tribal law and customs, to land and boundary issues, education policy, and statistics. News­ paper and magazine clippings, correspondence, and departmental and administrative reports are included. Political Record Books, in short, contain such information considered by officials as of sufficil:nt importance to meet the needs of their successors in terms both of historical background and current administrative problems. District and provincial offi­ cers regularly updated these records, and although on occasion certain record books under­ went major reorganization, the arrangement of the records vary considerably from one record to another and in fact often leave a great deal to be desired in terms of organization. Headings found in the record books, e. g., are not always indicative of the material found therein. The bulk of the materials were compiled before World War II. Entries are arranged in the following manner: citations on the Kenya National Archives inserts appear as elsewhere in capitals. Due to space limitations and to updating or absence of date and author, subjects within a particular record book have been grouped into a lengthy annotation under the insert label. Reports that are clearly separate documents within a record book receive Beparate citations, as does correspondence that lends itself to grouping, either by subject or correspondents (see p.
    [Show full text]
  • The Classification of the Bantu Languages of Tanzania
    i lIMFORIVIATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document h^i(^|eeh used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the qriginal submitted. ■ The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. I.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Mining Page(s)". IfJt was'possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are^spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you'complete continuity. 2. When an.image.on the film is obliterated with li large round black mark, it . is an if}dication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during, exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing' or chart, etc., was part of the material being V- photographed the photographer ' followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to .continue photoing fronTleft to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued, again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until . complete. " - 4. The majority of usefs indicate that the textual content is, of greatest value, ■however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from .'"photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • Theatre for Development in Kenya: in Search for Effective Procedure And
    Theatre for Development in Kenya: In Search of an Effective Procedure and Methodology CHRISTOPHER ODHIAMBO JOSEPH Dissertation presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch. Promoter: Prof. Temple Hauptfleisch Date: September 2004 Declaration I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. * Signature: Date: ii ABSTRACT This is a study of Theatre for Development (TfD) in Kenya. It is an attempt to map out and describe different manifestations of the practice which would, in a way, act as a critical model for practitioners and other stakeholders. However, this is in no way an attempt to provide a rigid all-purpose theoretical model, but nonetheless to offer ways, through a description of aspects of Theatre for Development, within which and through which social and behavioural transformations in this eclectic field may take place. To this end, case studies of a few indicative and contrasting examples of Theatre for Development will be used to provide a mirror which will enable its practitioners to reflect upon and critique their own practices as a way of achieving optimum effectiveness. The works of Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal provide the study with a theoretical model in which its basic assumptions and arguments are tested and developed. These two authors, whose works are related in many ways, privilege the use of participatory approaches in the process of creating critical consciousness and promoting change in the individual and in society; these are fundamental requirements in any meaningful practice of Theatre for Development.
    [Show full text]
  • The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry Ezekiel Alembi
    Ezekiel Alembi The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry Ezekiel Alembi The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry Cover picture: Road from Eluanda to Ekwanda. (Photo by Lauri Harvilahti). 2 The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry ISBN 952-10-0739-7 (PDF) © Ezekiel Alembi DataCom Helsinki 2002 3 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my late parents: Papa Musa Alembi Otwelo and Mama Selifa Moche Alembi and to my late brothers and sisters: Otwelo, Nabutsili, Ongachi, Ayuma and George. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 PROLOGUE 9 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER 1: RESEARCH THEME, SIGNIFICANCE AND THEORETICAL APPROACH 14 1.1 Theme and Significance of The Study 14 1.1.1 Focus and Scope 14 1.1.2 ResearchQuestions 15 1.1.3 Motivation for Studying Oral Funeral Poetry 15 1.2 Conceptual Model 18 1.2.1 Choosing from the Contested Theoretical Terrain 18 1.2.2 Ethnopoetics 19 1.2.2.1 Strands of Ethnopoetics 20 1.2.3 Infracultural Model in Folklore Analysis 22 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 25 2.1 Introduction 25 2.2 Trends and Issues in African Oral Literature 25 2.2.1 Conceptualization 25 2.2.2 The Pioneer Phase 26 2.2.3 The Era of African Elaboration and Formulation 28 2.2.4 Consolidation and Charting the Future 31 2.3 Trends and Issues in African Oral Poetry 33 2.3.1 The Controversy on African Poetry: Does Africahave Poetry Worth Studying? 33 2.3.2 The Thrust and Dynamics of Research
    [Show full text]
  • The Status of Meru Language: Domain of Use, Intergeneration Transmission and Speakers’ Attitude
    The University of Dodoma University of Dodoma Institutional Repository http://repository.udom.ac.tz Social Sciences Master Dissertations 2017 The status of Meru language: domain of use, intergeneration transmission and þÿspeakers attitude Pallangyo, Wariaeli Ismaeli The University of Dodoma Pallangyo, W. I. (2017). The status of Meru language: domain of use, intergeneration þÿtransmission and speakers attitude. Dodoma: The University of Dodoma http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/431 Downloaded from UDOM Institutional Repository at The University of Dodoma, an open access institutional repository. THE STATUS OF MERU LANGUAGE: DOMAIN OF USE, INTERGENERATION TRANSMISSION AND SPEAKERS’ ATTITUDE WARIAELI ISMAELI PALLANGYO MASTER OF ARTS IN LINGUISTICS THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA OCTOBER, 2017 THE STATUS OF MERU LANGUAGE: DOMAIN OF USE, INTERGENERATION TRANSMISSION AND SPEAKERS’ ATTITUDE By Wariaeli Ismaeli Pallangyo A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Linguistics of the University of Dodoma The University of Dodoma October, 2017 CERTIFICATION The undersigned certifies that she has read and hereby recommends for acceptance by the University of Dodoma, a dissertation entitled the Status of Meru Language in Tanzania: Domain of Use, Intergeneration Transmission and Speakers’ Attitude, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Linguistics of the University of Dodoma. …………………………… (Supervisor) Dr. Chrispina Alphonce Date............................... i DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT I, Wariaeli I. Pallangyo, declare that this dissertation is my own original work and that it has not been presented and will not be presented to any other University for a similar or any other degree award. Signature.............................................
    [Show full text]