Nigerian’s Children’s Literature: A Viable Tool for Addressing Social Issues in Nigeria (original) (raw)
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2021
Literature plays a major role in constructing gender roles and in presenting the image of the girl and the boy as having different roles, which are transmitted as part of cultural anthropology and methodology. Gender roles confine both sexes to traditional duties and responsibilities. In most children’s literature in Nigeria, the female child is seen as helping her mother in the kitchen whereas the male child is seen playing with friends or viewing television. The objective of the study is to portray the significance of the representations of gender in children’s literature because studies have shown that most readers tend to identify with the characters of their own sex in books. Therefore, the relative presence of active, independent, competent, self-sufficient, adventurous and strong female characters in children’s literature increases the opportunity for girls to transcend the imposed gender roles or to validate another desired place in the society. The research attempted a holistic study of issues, challenges and consequences involved in the transformation of perceived roles of boys/girls in children’s literature in Nigeria. The research consisted of analyses of the content and context of selected children’s literature, their language and illustrations, in Nigeria. Primary data was collected through interviews of a number of teachers in nursery, primary and junior secondary schools, in Nigeria. Key words: gender, gender transformation, children’s literature in Nigeria, gender equality.
2015
Abstract: This study examines Nigerian children’s literature as a metaphorical construction and process for a better understanding of our world. Among the several reasons why authors write children’s literature are to entertain and to teach the children about their cultural, traditional, political and social history. Most authors, therefore, have moral reasons for embarking on the arduous task of writing for children. The entertainment and education of the child have been at the heart of children’s literature right from the eighteenth century. Thus, the education and inculcation of moral values are central to the writing and production of children’s literature. Besides, children’s literature appears to be an attempt to protect the innocence of the child from the vagaries of socio-moral decadence that pervade the adult mind and world. That, of course, was the eighteenth century romantic ideology that has found its way into contemporary literary production and expression. Working with...
This study focused on the effect availability of children's literature on library use by secondary school students in two selec Government Area of Oyo State. The Study was a descriptive survey type. Questionnaire was the major instrument used for data collection. The findings of the study revealed that fantasy stories (62.0%), and children literature in the libraries of the selected private secondary schools. The study further showed that the effect of children literature on the students were that of improvement in their vocab stimulation of students imaginative ability(54.3) and instilling moral values(52.6%) students. The study also revealed that the students used the library for the purpose of reading for pleasure and relaxation (66.4%) rather than preparing assignment study recommended that the school libraries should ensure provision of rich and balanced collection of children's literature and that Students should be encouraged to also borrow fiction books just as they borrow non houses should take it upon themselves to publish attractive children books that will reflect the reality on ground both in background and setting to the average Nigerian child. L awareness of the collection of the library in respect to children's literature should always be created at regular intervals which could be done by the way of exhibitions. It is only as a result of this sensitization that the critical role of the bo the "literacy for all" and the "Books for All" campaign of the government would become truly meaningful and the Nigeria society would be more hospitable to the flourishing of a reading culture.
Metaphor and Education: Exploring the Social Semiotic of Nigerian Children’s Literature
2013
This study examines Nigerian children’s literature as a metaphorical construction and process for a better understanding of our world. Among the several reasons why authors write children’s literature are to entertain and to teach the children about their cultural, traditional, political and social history. Most authors, therefore, have moral reasons for embarking on the arduous task of writing for children. The entertainment and education of the child have been at the heart of children’s literature right from the eighteenth century. Thus, the education and inculcation of moral values are central to the writing and production of children’s literature. Besides, children’s literature appears to be an attempt to protect the innocence of the child from the vagaries of socio-moral decadence that pervade the adult mind and world. That, of course, was the eighteenth century romantic ideology that has found its way into contemporary literary production and expression. Working within the fra...
Children literature remains the focus of discussions among those concerned with the positive socialisation of children within the African society. However, how it can serve for the socialisation of children by the home has not been clearly understood. This paper discusses the tangible role children literature can play in the socialisation process. It specifically focuses on the way the absentee parent(s) can effectively use children literature as a tool of child training. It outlined the nature of children literature as it exists in the Nigerian society. It identified some important techniques such as didactism, journey motif, child abuse, characterisation, etc. which writers use to convey their messages in Nigerian children literature. It identified how writers use aesthetics to attract, keep and teach children the needed morality in the society. It concludes by outlining the way that the teacher/parent can effectively bring to life children literature to youngsters and thus engage it for positive socialisation of children within the African social milieu.
Children Literature: A Potent Tool in the Hands of Absentee Parent(s)
Advances in Language and Literary StudiesLLS-AIAC, 2015
Children literature remains the focus of discussions among those concerned with the positive socialisation of children within the African society. However, how it can serve for the socialisation of children by the home has not been clearly understood. This paper discusses the tangible role children literature can play in the socialisation process. It specifically focuses on the way the absentee parent(s) can effectively use children literature as a tool of child training. It outlined the nature of children literature as it exists in the Nigerian society. It identified some important techniques such as didactism, journey motif, child abuse, characterisation, etc. which writers use to convey their messages in Nigerian children literature. It identified how writers use aesthetics to attract, keep and teach children the needed morality in the society. It concludes by outlining the way that the teacher/parent can effectively bring to life children literature to youngsters and thus engage it for positive socialisation of children within the African social milieu.
Literature, the Reflector of Society: A Study of African Literature
Like sociology, Literature is concerned with man"s social world, his adaptation to it and his desire to improve it. Literature is a social institution, which uses Language as its medium. Literature represents life and to a large extent, a social reality. An ideal literature therefore reflects the happenings in its society. It reflects the economy, politics, religion and culture of its society. It consequently mirrors the diverse mood and tempers of its society. Specifically, African Literature is a vital tool in the hands of African literary artists, used to criticize the social, economic and political situations in their African society with the aim of challenging and proffering solutions to the unpleasant and oppressive practices by its leaders and the led. This particular inquiry examines how Otagburuagu"s "Echoes of violence" and Osorfisan"s "Colours Makes the Thunder King" have revealed the political situations in Nigeria. This exploration is anchored on the sociological theory of literature. This theory studies the correlation between Literature and society as the different norms of behavior in different societies and they are reflected in their respective literature; descriptive data analysis technique, primary and secondary data collection methods. This study reveals that African literary writers have taken the position of judges, Umpires, national reformers, civil right activists and cultural revivalists all for the emancipation of Africa and Africans.