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2.7. Social Inequality in Urhobo social structure
G.Darah,90 in his work „The Political-Economic Factor in Urhobo Song-Poetry, articulates evidences of social inequality in Urhobo song-poetry. The songs are seen as literary devices used as response to the rupture that occurred in the Urhobo society as a result of the incursion of colonialism. He states, „Our source data are songs because, unlike the more stable forms such as drama and tales, songs usually provide more reliable evidences of the various ways Urhobo people have responded to the ruptures in their material and super structural situations due to the influence of colonialism. He distinguishes between the classical and modern traditions inherent in the song poetry. The two traditions namely the classical (ile ahwaren)91 are satirical, ie, they are critical of moral failures in individuals and as such were meant to criticize actions and sanitize the
90 Godini G.Darah. 1985. The Political-Economic factor in Urhobo song-poetry. in Georg M.Gugelberger
“Ed.” Marxism and African Literature. London: James Currey Ltd. pp.178-194.
91 Ile ahwaren - Literarily means Old songs. These were songs composed and sung for their ethical teaching. Their contexts were different from the modern panegyric songs.
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society. The other tradition, ie, the modern tradition (ile okena)92 is panegyric. The significant and swift change in temper from the satiric to the panegyric (praises) of persons experience in Urhobo song-poetry is traced to the newly acquired economic prosperity. Unfortunately the panegyric note in the modern song-poetry celebrates the heroic achievements of those who rightly or wrongly are seen as harbingers of a prosperous and modern world without questioning the character of these persons, the nouveau riche. He observes, „The celebrated hero may be one of a notorious character‟.
The Urhobo response to social inequality which was aggravated by colonial influence was captured in the songs because the songs are felt to be a medium of expression of the people‟s philosophy of communism and egalitarian leaning. The people became severely disabled in their struggles to have a dignified existence. There was class distinction and loss of sense of identity. This insecurity provided the most enduring theme for Urhobo song-poem. Darah observes, „The reason why the panegyric poets employed their songs and intellectual resources to extol only the prosperous minority in the society cannot be found in the realm of art alone. A fuller explanation must be sought in the context of the political-economy of contemporary Nigerian society and the social relationships it has engendered. This disruption in social relationship has necessitated a new approach which we find in the Deuteronomic response to social inequality in Ancient Israel. The questions Darah raises are significant. Have the Urhobo people perceived evils of social inequality as a matter of concern, or are they overlooked by those concerned? Do the marginal groups in Urhobo society find similarities to ancient Israelite society and as such demands advocacy from the perspective of biblical studies which we find captured in the Deuteronomic response to social inequality?
92 Ile okena- Literarily means modern songs.
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Nabofa, M.Y.93 in his “Akpo: Urhobo ontology of life and the universe” puts together a collection of 133 Urhobo personal Names, Philosophical, Theological, Political, Psychological and Sociological expressions having the Urhobo word Akpo as either prefix or suffix.They express the various ways the Urhobo and by extension Africans look at life in general. The word „Akpo,‟ which means, „the physical world‟ or a man‟s existence, when prefixed to a name or as a suffix, often reflects the people‟s philosophy of life. They also adumbrate the people‟s philosophy of social inequality e.g.
Akpobaro means there is propitious life ahead. „Akpojevwa‟ meaning, „we are still existing which may convey sociological meaning. Such names sometimes reflect hope for a change of social status. The Urhobo personal names aphorisms, maxims; pithy sayings with the word Akpo as either prefix or suffix embody many aspects of Urhobo culture, philosophy, metaphysics existence and concept of the universe. This study is relevant in the study of social inequality in the context of the Urhobo people. Several names given with this prefixes or suffixes often convey the people‟s philosophy and demand answers not often addressed in the local communities or political policies. This needs a pragmatic advocacy.
M.Y. Nabofa and B.O. Elugbe examine the people‟s beliefs and the ability of the Oboepha (The Diviner) to tell them of the source of their troubles or ailments. The work discusses the reasons why people consult the supernatural world. This process, which usually involves the visit to the Obo- Epha ( a Diviner) , may be compared to the Yoruba belief in Ifa. There is a close similarity between the Ifa and Epha. Although the paper discusses the phenomenon involved in consulting the supernatural as a practice among
93 M.Y. Nabofa. 2005. Akpo: Urhobo Ontology of Life. P. Ekeh (Ed) Studies in Urhobo Culture. Ibadan:
Intec Printers Ltd. pp. 122-129.
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the Urhobos, the motive is closely linked to social inequality which is a very strong factor in the Urhobo society. When people consult the Diviners they also do so not only with the aim of solving the problem of physical ailment but probing into the reasons for poor social conditions.
In the study of “Reincarnation the doctrine of hereditary and hope in urhobo culture” M .Y Nabofa identifies five entities which the Urhobo consider to make up a human being. The various rites of passage which enable the individual to live a happy and successful life now in the earth and in the hereafter are discussed. It is believed that the terms of predestination are usually concluded in the spiritual realm before birth.
Going by this belief, social inequality is determined by act of predestination. Should a person‟s status be pre-determined as it were by place of birth or by origin? Is social status tied to family descent? Is social status welfare tied to individual achievements or is there social responsibility?
Onigu Otite94 in examining political institutions in Urhobo defines the term
„institutions‟ as those relationships which are strategic to the structure and functions of a society. He divides the political institutional structure of Urhobo into two types namely the Genrontocratic political organizations and the Plutocracy. Gerontocracy is the government by elders and age grade organization while plutocracy is the government by the rich and wealthy. In some Urhobo communities, these two were combined. Otite observes that kingship in many Urhobo politics is comparatively recent. He attributes the emergence of Urhobo kingship to the need for self-preservation. He says:
The first is the need to meet the threat posed by neighbouring groups and then to
94 O. Otite. 2003. Political Institutions. The Urhobo People. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nig) Ltd. pp. 327-349.
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strengthen the socio-political organization.
There was a shift of emphasis from the head‟s ritual functions, religious and non-religions to political functions, being the result of the growing complexity of their societies and the need to organize military and political resources to consolidate their territorial integrity.95
Going by the above description, the Urhobo people and Israel followed the same trajectory in the emergence of the kingship political organization. The various political titles, The Ovie, (King), The Otota (spokesmen), The Ohovworen and Okakuro (Chiefs) and their functions are discussed. It confirms the social inequality of Urhobo society but does not describe the socioeconomic inequality and the religious function in addressing the phenomenon of social inequality. The various scholarship works on the Urhobo society social structure and culture by M.Y. Nabofa‟, S.U. Erivwo, O. Otite, G.G. Darah and others that had been examined explicate the various aspects of the Urhobo society religious, cultural and social life that predicated the phenomenon of social inequality96.
W.R. Bascom,97 who examines the theme of social status, wealth and individual differences among the Yoruba, gives the analysis of the structure of the Yoruba society noting that there is effect of wealth on the social position which one occupies in a society as well as such social positions which are dependent on hereditary. He observes that
95 Ibid, p. 332.
96 G.G. Darah. 2005. Battles of Songs: Udje Traditions of the Urhobo. Lagos: Malthouse Press Limited. See: S.U.
Erivwo. 1978. Christian Churches in Urhoboland II: Their Trials and Growth. in ORITA, Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies. June Vol. XII.1. pp.33-41, Erivwo S.U. 1979. A History of Christianity in Nigeria. The Urhobo, The Isoko and The Itsekiri, Ibadan: Daystar Press. S.U. Erivwo. 2005. Urhobo Traditional Beliefs and Values. in P. Ekeh (ed) Studies in Urhobo Culture, Ibadan: Intec Printers Ltd., pp.149-226.Erhueh, A.O. 2005. Image of God in Man, Dialogue Between Christianity and Urhobo Traditional Religion. in P. Ekeh (ed) Studies in Urhobo Culture, Ibadan: Intec Printers Ltd. Eruvbetere, J.O. 2005. Urhobo Traditional Marriage and Modern Influences on its Institutions‟ in P. Ekeh
“Ed.” Studies in Urhobo Culture, Ibadan: Intec Printers Ltd. M.Y. Nabofa. Akpo: Urhobo Ontology of Life and the Universe, in P. Ekeh (“Ed”) Studies in Urhobo Culture, Ibadan: Intec. Printers Ltd. M.Y. Nabofa. Akpo. 2005.
Reincarnation: The Doctrine of Heredity and Hope in Urhobo Culture. in P. Ekeh “Ed.” Studies in Urhobo Culture, Ibadan: Intec Printers Ltd., 2005. Igbe Ubiesha: An Indigenous Charismatic Movement of the Urhobo People in P.
Ekeh “Ed.” Studies in Urhobo Culture, Ibadan: Intec Printers Ltd.
97 W.R. Bascom. 1951. Social Status, Wealth and Individual Differences among the Yoruba. American Anthropologist. January- March. 53: 1.
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individual differences and wealth are factors which affect the social position which one occupies. Refering to the Yoruba the nature of the social status and individual differences that exist in the communities he observes that the Yoruba are divided politically into a number of independent kingdoms of varying sizes under hereditary rulers. These include the Oyo, Egba, Ijebu, Ijesa and Ife. These, according to Bascom, have the same cultural affinities like their immediate neighbours. The Yoruba society according to him, have complex and highly stratified social structure in the society. Rank depends upon a series of factors other than an individual‟s personality or capabilities. These include wealth, sex, station to which a person was born, either as free or slave; his relative age, the rank of the clan into which he is born, the political or religious offices which he is able to achieve or inherit; and the social position of his relatives, friends and associates. The phenomenons of social inequality as described above are clearly those of social conventions. That is, they are created by the society. Like the Urhobo people, the concept of Ori (the head) which asserts that individual status or economic achievement is matter of chosen destiny, is regarded as very significant in determining the social status of an individual.
A lucky person (oloriere, eda rere) is one who has a good head or a good Creator while an unlucky person (olori buruku, eda buruku) has a bad head or creator. To a lucky person, good things come with apparently little effort, while an unlucky person is not only unfortunate in his own affairs, but with associates as well. This belief, which is very strong among the Yoruba people, is also present among the Urhobo. Bascom discusses factors that give man recognition in the Yoruba culture which include character. As an individual‟s luck is located in his head, so his nature is associated with his stomach. A good-natured or kind-hearted person (oninu rere) is one who has a good “belly” or
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„inside, while a bad natured or hard hearted person (oninu lile) has a hard “belly”.
People‟s status is therefore not determined only by wealth but also by character. Both wealth, family descent (i.e. positions that are hereditary) determine people‟s social standing in the society. Wealth, sincerity and individual differences are determinants of social status. In the Yoruba society nine strata of the social structure were identified as follows:
1. The King (Ooni)
2. The town and palace chiefs (Ijoye Ooni) 3. The major priests (Onisoro)
4. The men of leisure (Lodoko), the king‟s body guards (Ogunbe) the king‟s messengers (Emese) and members of the Ogboni society without higher titles of their own.
5. The Modewa clans, from which the palace chiefs are chosen.
6. The Ife clans, or town people, from which the town chiefs are chosen.
7. The royal clan, whose members are known as children of the king (Omoba) from compounds other than that from which the king was chosen.
8. The “strangers” (elu), or Yoruba from other parts of the country.
9. The non-Yoruba (Kogbode) or Hausa, Ibo and members of other tribes.
This social structure which represents the pattern common to most Yoruba communities is same in most Africa tribes. The relationship that exists between the different strata of the African society from its earliest time was often that of respect for one another (a situation which is fast changing) The kingship in Yoruba is not hereditary.
For example, when a king dies, his successor is chosen by the chiefs from the members of
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the royal clan, which includes some 22 compounds and numbers probably about 5,000 individuals. Each of the eligible compounds campaigns for its own candidate to be chosen, and usually spend a lot of money in entertaining the chiefs and conferring with all those who might influence the chiefs who make the final choice. Social inequality can therefore be said to exist in the Yoruba communities as exemplified in the above social structure. The form of relationship that exists between the upper and lower stratum of the society is such that there is a tendency to create imbalance in access to basic necessities of life. Inequalities in the form of status and wealth define the way the society thinks of her values and to what extent those values are pursued to the good of the individuals.
This incisive work of Bascom draws attention to the existence of the phenomenon of social inequality which forms one of the concerns of the Deuteronomic School in ancient Israel.
The most comprehensive work on the sociology of the Yoruba by N.A. Fadipe, examines the Yoruba society, culture and social norms. On social hierarchy the office of the baale is discussed. The baale’s role among other things include; executing punishment for anti-social behaviour such as theft, incest and adultery. It is his duty to warn members of the compound to avoid being engaged in acts which would involve the family in a disgrace such as theft, burglary, on a change of adultery emanating from outside.98 He holds legislative power to punish recalcitrant members of the compound and was formerly responsible for raising taxes.99 The work engages in the social organisation of the Yoruba people and shows the structural functional model of the society. It does not however discuss the disadvantages suffered by the marginal groups.
98 N.A. Fadipe. 1970. The Sociology of the Yoruba. Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, p. 108
99 Ibid, p. 19
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S.A. Afonja100 examines social inequality from the perspective of gender particularly sex roles and sex inequality in the society. Arguing from the point of culturally imposed values he observed that there is a growing consciousness of African women and struggle to free them from the ideological domination imposed by culture.
Thus, this piece of work reiterates the need for a response to the phenomenon of social inequality. He discusses the Yoruba Cultlure which sees a woman who declares herself free from her husband‟s control as deviant. The same applies to the Urhobo society.
Larry M. Bartel‟s et al101 study on American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality examines the report of task force set up to review factors responsible for rising inequality. The majority of the public opinion suggests that persons from society‟s lower social orders have fundamentally different and conflicting interests with those from the higher rungs of economic laden. The study suggests the imbalance associated with social inequality and people‟s reactions. While it is impossible to avoid inequality a more egalitarian disposition is required for the wellbeing of the society.
2.8 Conclusion
From the literatures reviewed in this chapter, it would be observed that the phenomenon of social inequality is a concept discussed in various fields of studies as a matter of major concern. Social inequality in the context of the ancient Near Eastern texts, in the social structure of ancient Israel and the Urhobo society are discussed. The Deuteronomic School responds to this phenomenon in the textual segments which shall be studied in the next chapter using the Historical-critical tool of investigation.
100 S.A. Afonja. 1980. Current Explanations of Sex Role Inequalities: A Reconsideration. The Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies. March. 22. 1: 85-108
101 Larry M. Bartel et al 2006. Comment on American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality. Political Science and Politics. Jan. xxxix. 1.
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CHAPTER THREE
TEXT CRITICAL AND FORM-CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF TEXT SEGMENTS (Deut. 14 22 – 29; 16 9 – 12, 13 – 15;
24 17 – 18, 19 – 20;
26 5 - 15)