Role Of Radio In Propagating Yoruba Culture

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Culture entails peoples’ way of life. Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, belief, values, attitudes meanings, hierarchies, religion, notion of time, roles, concept of the universe, and material objects, possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generation through individual and groups striving. Culture is the system of knowledge shared by a relative large group of people. Culture is communication and communication is culture, culture according to Aguene (2003) is “all the qualities which group mend together and distinguish them from the rest of the animal kingdom. Lawal, A.T. (2000) quoted Edward Tylor who defines culture “as that complex whole of man’s acquisition of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, custom and any other capabilities and ability acquired by man as a member of the society” the above definitions shows that culture is what distinguishes human from animals. Also culture gives the identity of a particular group of people, because through a given peoples culture, one can easily point out where his fellow man came from just as pointed out in the word.Culture is the total way of life of a people, culture can also be defined as the identity through which a particular set of people are identified. Irrespective of the high level of civilization or modernization or low level of civilization every society has its totality way of life, that is simply refers to as culture. This pattern or way of life is carried on from one generation to another. It is technically and naturally impacted on to the young one’s through various agent of socialization of which mass media (radio) is one.Radio plays an important role on the Nigeria culture compared to all other media of mass communication. This is because of the incomparable characteristics it possess. Radio is more portable and it can be carried to almost every place such as room, kitchen, toilet, office, market even on the farm land. This era also make radio more portable and relatively cheap has almost all the mobile phones now come with radio features that make cultural programme available to people.Radio also has the widest coverage compared to all other media. It is the most common among the literates and illiterates in the society, as a result of its simplicity in language, and ability to communicate in various languages in society like Nigeria. Radio programmes come in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, and all forms of local languages.

Some of the cultural orientated programmes on radio include but not limited to discussion programme, talk show, quiz/debate, personality interview, live coverage of carnival such as Abuja Carnival, Lagos Carnival, Oluyole carnival Ibadan, tourism and traditional festival like OsunOsogbo, Eyo festival in Lagos, Crown Festival in Ojo town Osun state and Ifon Osun, Obalufon Festival in Ido-Osun, Sango festival in Ede, Olojo festival in Ile-Ife, New yam festival. Ikiriji War Camp Site, Obatala festival etc. other aspect given prominence attention is dressing, hair style, greeting, music, arts and dying, foods and drinks etc. It is against this backdrop that the research examines the role of radio in propagating Yoruba culture.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Yorùbá is a tonal language spoken natively by about thirty million people in Nigeria and in the neighboring countries of the Republic of Benin and Togo. In Nigeria, Yorùbá speakers reside in the Southwest region in states such as Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, Kogi and Kwara states. Yorùbá is a Kwa language, which belongs to the Yoruboid group under the Niger-Congo phylum. It has three basic but significant tones. One of the effects of the large number of Yorùbá speakers and their geographic spread is the emergence of geography-bound linguistic variations. Yorùbá is a dialect continuum including several distinct dialects (Bamgbose (1966)). Estimates of the total number of Yorùbá dialects vary from twelve to twenty-six (Ojo (1977), Adetugbo (1982), Oyelaran (1970, 1992), Mustapha (1987), Ojo (2001).

The differences inherent in these dialects are marked in the areas of pronunciation, grammatical structure and vocabulary. There are other dialects found all over West Africa. In the Republic of Benin, Yorùbá dialects include Ketu, Nago, Ije, Ajase, Idaitsa, Tsabe; while Ana and Itsa are two of the dialects found in Togo. Some Yorùbá dialects are also found in the African Diaspora, especially the Caribbean. The dialect of Yorùbá used in Brazil is called Nago, while the one used in Cuba is referred to as Lucumi. It is however possible to classify Yorùbá dialectal forms, found in Nigeria, into five regional groupings: North-West Yorùbá (NWY); North Eastern Yorùbá (NEY); Central Yorùbá (CY); South-West Yorùbá (SWY); South-East Yorùbá (SEY). The Yoruba culture in this technological age needs to be upheld by its indigenes and neighbors. The radio is seen as a technological medium of disseminating information. The radio can reach a large number of people who ordinary cannot at the same time. Thus the radio can help to propagate the Yoruba culture. It is against this premise that this study is undertaken to examine the role of radio in propagating the culture of Yoruba.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The following objectives forms the focus of this study:

1. Is radio one of the right medium for propagating the Yoruba culture?
2. How can the radio propagate the Yoruba culture?
3. How can organizations maximize the role of radio in promoting the Yoruba culture?

1.4 Research Hypotheses

H0: The Radio is not the right medium for propagating the Yoruba culture.

H0: There are no ways on how the radio can promote the culture of the Yoruba.

H0: Organization cannot maximize the role of radio in promoting the Yoruba culture.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study will help create awareness on the culture of Yoruba to both the indigenes and non-indigenes of the Yoruba tribe. Furthermore, the study will serve as a reference tool for further research. The study is finally a contribution to academic work.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of Study

The study covers the role of radio in promoting the Yoruba culture. It highlights the possibility of propagating the culture and the various ways through which it can be done. The study is limited to the Yoruba tribe and does not include other tribes. Furthermore, the study largely highlights the radio as a major means of propagating the Yoruba culture and not other forms of medium of information.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Radio:

The transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves of radio frequency, especially those carrying sound messages. It is the activity or industry of broadcasting sound programmes to the public.

Propagating:

To cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area: extend, to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (something, such as an idea or belief)

Culture:

The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

1.8 Organization of the Study

The study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one deals with the study’s introduction and gives a background to the study. Chapter two reviews related and relevant literature. The chapter three gives the research methodology while the chapter four gives the study’s analysis and interpretation of data. The study concludes with chapter five which deals on the summary, conclusion and recommendation.