Drama and the african worldview pdf

In this african worldview, human events such as birth, death, health. Mar 15, 2011 what we have tried to do is to show that the african worldview is not spiritualistic because africans celebrate the human body. In african worldview, life is structured in a cycle. Lesson 6 traditional african worldview african bank slogan you are a person because of others african greeting i am well if you are well. They are a largely oral society, teaching and reinforcing their. The traditional african understanding of salvation and the biblical motif about gods desire to intervene to rescue people in desperation, has continued to form much of the background of the way pentecostals in particular and african christians in general, perceive, appropriate and experience the concept of. Masks of black states that african drama is communal because africa, a collection of. Culture is considered as a critical resource because it guides individuals in how to achieve wellbeing by using resources from their context. The real world is an open system that interacts chaotically with components from both its internal and external environments in unpredictable ways brown, 1995. Sep 29, 2010 conrad mbewe contrasts the african and christian worldviews. Chapter 2 postmodernism 40 whilst this logic has been applied to this study, it should be recognised that conditions in the real world are dynamic. The overrepresentation of african americans in certain. Wole soyinka, winner of the nobel prize for literature and one of the foremost living african writers, here analyses the interconnecting worlds of myth, ritual and literature in africa. African cultural consciousness and africancentered historiography as preconditions for wilsons new world order by reginald hopkins, ph.

While the book is written for the european coming to africa, it should also be helpful for. Hence, supernatural powers can influence the natural order. African that we understand the african worldview if we are to be strategic and effective in communicating the gospel. From drama and the african worldview in myth, literature and the african world 1976, pp. The traditional worldview and culture of africa was very different from that of the west today. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. Submitted by francis acquah to the university of exeter as a thesis for the degree of doctor of philosophy in theology in december 2011. A case study of nkusukumekumfienyan area of the central region. The praxis of umgidi wokulingisa was used in sessions as per guidelines. A high school study of american literature prose, poetry, and drama from 1750 to present day. Abstract using umgidi wokulingisa within drama therapy to provide an accessible therapeutic space for culturalbeings with an african worldview by bandile seleme. Animist proverb if you follow the old people, you will not get bitten by the dog. In five essays, nigerian playwright soyinka analyzes the selfapprehension of the african world as transmitted through myth, ritual and contemporary african literature.

Myth, literature and the african world by wole soyinka. A critical and appreciative perspective 3 these questions, we will first seek to develop a better grasp of religion as a major constituent of the worldview of african people. Accepted 4 january, 2012 myths are accounts of the origin of societies and institutions not subject to rationalization but often. It is not materialistic because the people do firmly accept that humans have a spiritual aspect, which also exists in the world of the livingdead after death. Ians previous publications with the abc include wisdom of the yawo people 2006, a practical guide to understanding ciyawo 2010, and an african worldview, the muslim amacinga yawo of southern malawi 2012. The broad outline of worldview contrasts will apply. The role of worldviews in shaping african americans reality.

In african psychotherapy, it is believed that africans have a tragic sense of life madu et al. Mbiti notes that human beings are the main actors in the drama of. The first is the extensive anthropological literature on individual. The second chapter, drama and the african worldview, deals with tragedy soyinka is best known as a playwright. A traditional african view of adult learning in the workplace fredrick muyia nafukho the problem and the solution.

Most of the observations and comparisons with european culture will apply to africa as a whole. Africancentered consciousness, which is similar to what kambon calls african selfconsciousness baldwinkambon, 1981, 1994, 1998 and what we refer to in this paper as african cultural consciousness. It is necessary to have the perception of the basic concept of the word conflict before exploring the extensive area of conflicts between african traditional religion and christianity. The traditional african worldview often hinders the internalization of christian message and practice among many african christians. Graham is a freelance social workerconsultant and holds a masters degree in social work from the university of hertfordshire, england. The ways in which the african world perceives itself as a cultural entity, and the differences between its essential unity of experience and literary form and the sense of division pervading western literature. This means that in africa there is a firm belief in the existence and operation of the power of unforeseen circumstances or unpredictable life events in influencing peoples destiny in the world.

African cultural consciousness and africancentered. In the context of this paper the terms african worldview, afrocentric worldview and. Worldviews and culture covenant worldview institute. African philosophers may be found in the various academic fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy. Kraft further points out that a worldview plays a cardinal role in molding individuals and. The african american worldview brittaney delsarte chatman. While traditional drama speaks for the community as a whole expressing traditional and communal beliefs hinged on certain religious practices, modern african drama has become the ideological. He traces traditional african moral and aesthetic concepts, the irreducible truths of the african world view, from the stories of the gods to contemporary drama.

Contrast of worldview philosophies african and european. He compares instances of african and afrobrazilian plays based on the yoruba mythology, and then gives a general discussion of african literature by the 1986 nobel prize winner in literature. Some have seen africans as not having the capacity to reason on the. The study concludes that the identifiable societal decadence in the religious setting can be corrected if indigenous african worldviews like loyalty, honesty, ubuntu and. Worldview is essentially a way of thinking that organizes all aspects of ones life. Orville boyd jenkins view or download a powerpoint presentation of this comparative chart. Dealing with differe nc es page 3 orville boyd jenkins to change enough to fit in with the african situation and work within the terms of the differences which exist. Culture varies with race, such that different racial groups generate different cultures. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and cultural values on christian muslim relations in ghana from 1920 through the present.

Worldview is the set of assumptions and presumptions that a person holds consciously or unconsciously about how they perceive reality kurka 2004. At every point in the life of an africa, there is a potentiality to be harnessed and sustained through celebration. Africa, a continent filled with different types of beliefs, varying from family beliefs to cultural and communal beliefs,places a lot of importance in the communication of truthsliterature not for mere entertainment but for the communication of. The igbonigerian experience ikechukwu okodo department of igbo, african and chinese studies nnamdi azikiwe university, awka. A report drawn up for the centenary of the world missionary. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. Myth, literature and the african world wole soyinka. The africentric framework is a genre of thought and praxis based in the cultural picture and interest of people of african descent.

Traditional african worldview is a form of animism. Provides thorough collegeprep coverage of literature and literary analysis. A south african perspective on the theories of health in drama therapy sinethemba makanya, ma. The following lists summarize the basic concepts of the african and the european worldviews. Jaja institute of foundation studies, rivers state university of science and technology, p. Drama for life, university of witwatersrand, wits school of arts, university corner building, corner jorissen and jan smuts streets, 17th floor, braamfontein, johannesburg 2001, south africa a r t i c l e i n f o article history. An african worldview the muslim amacinga yawo of southern malawi by ian d. Revisiting the centrality of the afrikan worldview 1 by karanja keita carroll, ph. Associate professor and chair of psychology virginia state university reginald hopkins received a b. At least it should give a basis for critical comparison. Pdf approaching literature from an african world view.

In traditional african society, there is implied and widespread belief. African philosophy is the philosophical discourse produced by indigenous africans and their descendants, including african americans. For many people, a religious experience, such as a dramatic encounter with the. It does not exist in a vacuum or up there in the blues but among humans. Although culturally you might be different from individuals who are originally from africa, there are some remaining aspects of a culture that. There are fundamental differences between african and european worldviews. African philosophy is the philosophical discourse produced by indigenous africans and their descendants, including africanamericans. Divergences and convergences lord elormdonkor fellow at the manchester wesley research centre introduction the phenomenal success of christianity in africa has not brought desired moral standards into african societies. In contrast to the western world view which systematizes and labels, distinguishing the animate from the inanimate, the physical from the metaphysical, the sacred from the secular, the natural from the supernatural to the african world view these are meaningless. The yawo are predominantly muslim, yet many maintain strong links with their traditional religion. In this book ian dicks informs the reader about the ways in which the yawo of malawi view the world. In the introduction to this 1986 book, karenga states, this volume seeks to explore and suggest the outlines of an african worldview in governance, history, spirituality and philosophy, and creative production as evidenced in kemetic civilization.

What is culture culture is a the vast structure of behaviors, ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, customs, language, rituals, ceremonies, and practices peculiar to a particular people that gives them a general design for. Thus, the traditional african worldview throws a serious challenge before a church that seeks to make disciples of all nations, as the lord mandated matt. This worldview system naturally evolves through and reinforces the survival maintenance of the culture. With this rich curriculum, your homeschool student will learn about the classic books and writers that make up the american literary canon and their contexts learning from a strong biblical worldview. Cherly, 2006 the root of this framework is rooted in a worldview ie. The rise and decline of african cultural consciousness as is illustrated in figure 1, during the dawn of civilization african. The traditional african understanding of salvation and the biblical motif about gods desire to intervene to rescue people in desperation, has continued to form much of the background of the way pentecostals in particular and african christians in general, perceive, appropriate and experience the concept of salvation. What is culture culture is a the vast structure of behaviors, ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, customs, language, rituals, ceremonies, and practices peculiar to a particular people that gives them a general design for living and patterns for interpreting their reality. African worldview and culture in his highly informative book conflict resolution wisdom from africa,19 jannie. The disproportionate representation of african americans. Conrad mbewe contrasts the african and christian worldviews. The author concludes by suggesting that the voices of quali tatively different knowledge producers, who are culturally and interculturally competent, are needed to bring resolution to this persistent challenge. The study begins by locating african drama in the context of oral performance and then examines how the genre has been impacted by the infusion of european literary traditions while retaining indigenous forms. An engaging introduction to 2 major influences of the african worldview the centrality of community and ruralurban lifestyles.