IMPACT OF WESTERN EDUCATION ON AFRICAN CULTURE

IMPACT OF WESTERN EDUCATION ON AFRICAN CULTURE

ABSTRACT

This research work examine the Impact of Western Education on African Culture in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as the case study. The central argument stems from the submission that colonialism, slave trade and missionary are the platform upon which Western education thrive and are sustained.

While insisting that Western education has precariously contaminated the traditional values of Africa, the paper contends that Africa had established, well before the advent of colonialism, a pattern of home-grown political systems, governance process and generally acceptable institutional rule-making arrangement, such that there was progression in the pace of civilization of Africa and self-styled tempo of technological development.

The research further submits that the dynamism and significance of Africa on the global continuum tends to support the argument that Africa would have evolved and sustained level of development and civilization without the retrogressive contact with imperial forces. The research adopted a survey research design. It concludes by putting forth viable options as a panacea for Africa to come out of its cultural logjam.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The commonplace impression created to Africa and the whole world is that education came to Africa through the West (Europe and America). The Western Education which must be distinguished from African Education, Oriental Education and so forth.

The suggestion here is that education is not foreign to African life; education is part and parcel of all human culture, Africa inclusive. It is Western Education that obviously came with the West. This education was defined by Berg (2012) as “a process of cognitive cartography, mapping out experiences and finding a variety of reliable routes to optimal states of mind when you find yourself in non-optimal states.”

Earlier in the work, Berg tried to debunk the traditional definition of education as “the delivery of knowledge, skills and information from teachers to students.” The Impact of Western Education on African Culture in Nigeria.

Moreover, there is no doubt that colonialism, slave trade and missionaries are the bastion of Western education in Africa. This is true to the extent that colonialism serves as a vehicle of implantation of cultural imperialism in Africa.

Specifically, colonialism, perceived in this context, is an imposition of foreign rule over indigenous traditional political setting and foreign dominance and subjugation of African people in all spheres of their social, political, cultural, economic and religious civilizations.

IMPACT OF WESTERN EDUCATION ON AFRICAN CULTURE

Western education began to creep into African socio-cultural milieu, first, with the contact of Europeans with Africa, a consequence of Berlin conference in the quest for imperial pilfering of African resources and, later, consolidated by the unstoppable wave of globalisation.

It is important to stress that colonialism distorted and retarded the pace and tempo of cultural growth and trend of civilisation in Africa. One of the most profound consequences of colonization has been how the political and economic rape of the colonies has also led to what sometimes seem to be an unbridgeable cultural gap between the nations that were the beneficiaries of colonization and those that were the victims of the colonial assault.

The era of colonial pillage and plunder led to the relative stagnation and often precipitous decline of traditional cultural pursuits in the colonies. With Africa subjugated and dominated, the Western culture and European mode of civilisation began to thrive and outgrow African cultural heritage.

Traditional African cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as Africans became fully ‘westernised’. There is need, therefore, for the flogging of the negative impact of Western education on Africa in all fora; so that policy makers can begin to see the need to reappraise their policies that contribute to the cultural dearth of Africa or the ones that negate the principles of cultural revival.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Over time, our African culture seems to be going into extinction, our good morals and virtues are being relegated as well. Good morals like good sense of dressing, respectful manner of speech, honesty and hard work. With the advent of western education, obscene dressing has now become a part of us which our forefathers greatly opposed. Also, materialism has overshadowed honesty and hard work which Nigerians were known for.

Consequently, one of our good morals was the respect Nigerian youth’s accord to their elderly ones. Before now, some parts of Nigeria, the Yoruba’s to be precise prostrate to greet their elderly ones. These days, that is gradually becoming a fairy tale as some youths find it difficult to greet and even when they try, respect will be lacking in it.

Even our African mode of marriage is gradually phasing off with time, all these and more are the disadvantages of the western education on our Africa culture.

African virtues such as honesty, humility, loyalty, hard work, truth and respect have been undermined by western education. These virtues which are essential ingredients of the African society are gradually being seen as uncivilized. The Impact of Western Education on African Culture in Nigeria.

Materialism has taken the place of  honour and hard work. Respect for traditional institutions has also diminished. People are no longer fair to each other. There is a breakdown of social discipline all in the name of civilization. The capitalist tendency of western education has corrupted the communal and cooperative spirit of the people to the extent that parents complaint that they can no longer ask their children to do any service to them without the children asking for remuneration.

The African traditional religion is another area that has suffered a setback through western education. Therefore, western education was introduced by Christian missionaries who saw education as a potent instrument of evangelization.

1.3  AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the impact of western education on Africa traditional values. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To determine the importance of history education in Nigeria.
2. To assess the developmental level of history education in Nigeria.
3. To determine the impact of western education on the Africa traditional value.
4. To examine the possible ways we can revive our Africa tradition.
5. To determine the mean difference between western education and the Africa tradition.
6. To make recommendations on ways to promote our Africa tradition.
7. To recommend ways of improving the study of history education in our institute of learning.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the general impacts of civilization on the Africa traditional value?
2. What are the possible ways to revive our Africa traditional value?
3. What is the importance of history education in Nigeria?
4. What is the developmental level of history education in Nigeria?
5. What are the ways of improving the study of history education in secondary schools?

1.5  RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

1. H₀: There are no impacts of western education on Africa tradition.
2. H₁: There are impacts of western education on Africa tradition.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The general public need to be aware that our Africa traditional values is gradually phasing off for the European culture and this is an error. It therefore beholds on every African countries developed and undeveloped, great and mighty to do the needful in other to revitalize our Africa traditional values.

The government has a great part to play as it can put meaningful programmes in place to correct such discrepancies.

1.5      LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.6       DEFINITION OF TERMS

WESTERN EDUCATION: Is a system originated from the west and penetrated to the world after Islamic education in the earliest 15th century. Its main approach was the modernization of social life through science and technological advancement.

AFRICAN CULTURE: In brief, the culture of each ethnic group holds together the authentic social fabric of traditional practices and rites, art, music, and oral literature through which identities are built.

EDUCATION: Imparting of knowledge; academic instruction and professional training.

CIVILISATION: In brief, this is the stage of human social development and organization which is considered most advanced.

COLONIALISM: This is the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

Conclusion

The main purpose of this study is to study the impact of western education on African culture. Three research questions and one research hypothesis guided the study.

In this study, a survey research design was adopted, the population comprises respondents from Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, a simple random sampling technique was used to select 28 respondents for the study and a questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Relevant literatures were reviewed which guided the objectives and methodology of this study.

Peter Hezekiah

I am Peter Hezekiah, a Nigerian. A graduate of Economics/Education. I’m the Editor in projectboss.com.ng (A online company that deals with writing of final year project and provision of project materials of any topic to final year project students). My personal email is lawsonpeter10@gmail.com. My personal number; +2347068634102