Effects of Pay Television on Nigerian Indigenous Culture: a Study of Nsukka Local Government Area
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i EFFECTS OF PAY TELEVISION ON NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CULTURE: A STUDY OF NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA. A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA BY ATTA, CHRISTIAN NNAEMEKA PG/MA/14/69317 IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS DEGREE IN THEATRE AND FILM STUDIES SUPERVISOR: DR .UCHE NWAOZUZU DECEMBER, 2015. i TITLE PAGE EFFECTS OF PAY TELEVISION ON NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CULTURE: A STUDY OF NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA ii APPROVAL PAGE This project has been approved for the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. ____________________ __________________ Dr. Uche Nwaozuzu Date (Project Supervisor) _____________________ __________________ Dr. N,Oyibo Eze Date (H.O.D ) ____________________ ___________________ External Examiner Date iii CERTIFICATION Atta, Christian Nnaemeka a postgraduate student in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies with Registration number PG/MA/14/69317 has satisfactorily completed the requirement for the Award of Masters in Theatre and Film Studies. The work contained in this project is original and has not been submitted in part or in full for any other degree of this or any other University/Institution. _____________________ ____________________ Dr. Uche Nwaozuzu Atta, Christian Nnaemeka (Supervisor) (Student) iv DEDICATION To my father Ugwu, Atta who left to the world beyond without my giant stride in academic. Adieu Papa! And to my beloved mother Atta Margret who always wants the best for me. Memories are made of these. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I sincerely acknowledge my supervisor Dr. Uche Nwaozuzu for his encouragements and fatherly roles to the success of this project. To Professor Emeka Nwabueze for the inspiring lectures he impacted on me. I am grateful to other erudite scholar’s like- Dr. Felix Ufedo Egwuda-Ugbeda, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwu and Dr. Ngozi Udengwu for having good times to lecture me on this programme. And to the Head of Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Dr. N. Oyibo Eze for his co-operation to ensure that this programme came through. vi ABSTRACT The moving of African from primitive to computer age has imposed a great threat on our indigenous culture thereby creating a threat on our identity. As a result of exposure to Pay Television, the traditional culture of Nsukka people is being adulterated. Selectivity in Pay Television that avails us the opportunity to view any channel we want contributes immensely in eroding of our indigenous culture. Our Youths have abandoned our conservative way of dressing for semi-nakedness styles like sagging, “low –waist”, “show bras and pants” all in the name of fashion. The youths are no more interested in our traditional music and songs that impact morals; rather they prefer hip-hop songs that showcase nudity on the screen. There is an erroneous conception from scholars that Pay Television and other social media should wipe out our indigenous culture. Some scholars view our indigenous culture as being superstitious and mystic in nature which is a misconception. The objective of this research is to give guide on the channels to watch especially our youths , to ascertain whether Pay Television that affords Nsukka people the opportunity of selecting any channel of their choice is responsible for adulteration of their culture , to ascertain whether the youths that engage in the dressing patterns used in Nsukka are influenced from what they see on screen, to ascertain whether the case of raping and other crimes that are prevalent in Nsukka are as a result of Pay Television programme, to ascertain the age group of people that are responsible for the crimes, to ascertain whether Pay Television is responsible for the Nsukka youths that prefer hip-hop music to their indigenous music and songs. Recommendations are made on how Nsukka indigenes should go back to the basis and learn how to restore their culture. Sociological and Historical methodologies were used in this research. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page i Approval Page ii Certification iii Dedication iv Acknowledgements v Abstract vi Table of contents vii CHAPTER ONE 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 9 1.3 Objective of the Study 10 1.4 Significance of the Study 10 1.5 Scope of the Study 11 1.6 Limitations of the Study 11 1.7 Research Methodology 12 1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 13 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF SCHOLARSHIP 16 2.1 Television Programme 16 2.2 Theoritical framework 16 2.3 Culture and Entertainment 19 viii CHAPTER THREE THE PEOPLE AND STUDY AREA 30 3.1 Geographical Location of Nsukka Communities 30 3.1.2 A brief history/origin of Nsukka 31 3.1.3 Their world view 31 3.1.4 Economy and Occupation 43 3.1.5 Culture and Festival 44 CHAPTER FOUR THE EFFECT OF PAY TELEVISION ON NSUKKA CULTURAL AREA 51 4.1 The Impact on the People’s Culture 51 4.2 The Attituditional and Social Impact 56 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 62 5.1 Summary 62 5.2 Conclusion 62 5.3 Recommendations 63 WORKS CITED 65 APPENDIX 73 1 CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1.1Background of the Study Nigeria is experiencing a period of serious threat on identity as a result of exposure to Pay Television. Our culture, values, tradition, norms and moral values are in serious challenge at the altar of modernity. The issue of “Gay Marriage” that the promoters are proposing is something entirely different from our indigenous culture. It also denies the primary purpose of marriage and further weakens the family bonds that the society is trying to maintain. Institutionalizing homosexual marriage which westernization is imposing on us would bad for marriage, bad for children. Excessive positive perception of the Western World by Nigerians may translate to unpatriotism for our own country. Nigerian Youth’s perception of Western especially, America behavioural norms and values as well as being better than our own country is a key element in present day acculturation, leading to low–image and flaring desire to migrate to the West. In Africa precisely Nigeria, we have stories that recorded the people’s cultural experiences before the advent of colonial masters. These stories serve as the repository of the people’s beliefs, social philosophies and observations about life. They also provide insightful information about their environments. In these stories, we find the people’s attitudes to natural phenomena and depict the way of life of a particular community. The stories are generally educative and at the same time entertain the audience. They are also part of the socialization process, because through them, the community perpetuates its knowledge about culture, norms and values. The situation in Africa precisely Nigerian culture has changed as a result of cultural imperialism. The imposing of Western 2 culture on the culture of the people in developing countries of the world with a perfect reference to Nigerian situation has caused more harm than good. It is against this background that Deborah Yakubu writes that: Cultural imperial often refers to American’s cultural influence on other countries, for better or worse. A man’s right lies in his confidence and personality which is greatly nurtured by his culture. A man is essentially the product of his culture. It beats and moulds a person into a particular shape. Culture makes people think, speak, dance and behave in a particular manner. It is culture that makes one ‘Kanuri’ ‘Jukun’ Hausa ‘Igbo’ ‘Yoruba’ ‘Alago,’ Tiv etc (1). Africa as a continent and Nigeria as a country have their given cultures which are unique in their own respect. This culture may not be absolutely the same among all countries and even within a country, a lot of cultures exist but there are features that differentiate Africans from other people of the world. Deborah further asserts that “the issue here is that any person with passion for the African culture today will believe that the very material, spiritual and aesthetic fabric of African people had been destroyed by western civilization” (Deborah, 1). Our identities have been virtually swept aside by the forces of modernization. It is in respect to this unhealthy development that Isaiah Berlin comments that: Few things have done more harm than the belief on the part of individuals and groups (or tribes or States or nation or churches) that he or she or they are in the sole possession of the truth (…..) It is a terrible and dangerous arrogance to believe that you alone are right: have a magical eye which see the truth and that others cannot be right if they disagree. This makes certain that there is a goal and the only one for one’s nation or church or the whole of humanity and that it is worth any amount of suffering (particularly on the part of other people). If only the goal is attained–through an ocean of blood to the kingdom of love. (or something like this) said Robespierre and Hitter, Lenin, Stalin and I dare say leaders in the religious war of Christian V: Muslim or 3 Catholic V Protestants sincerely believed this: the belief that there is one and only answer to the central questions which have organized mankind and that one has it oneself – or one’s leader has it-was responsible for the ocean of blood: But no kingdom of love sprang from it… or could … (63). Traditional culture is changing rapidly and for the worse. It is lamentable in Nigeria; culture no longer has a grip on the Nigerian populace especially on our youths as our society seems to be plagued with decayed moral codes and values. This study views globalization as another form of cultural imperialism.