Onitsha Ado N'Idu On My Mind

About the Book

This is a commentary on complex ideas, values and attitudes that shape the cultural life of Onitsha society as well as changes experienced over a period starting from the late 1990s till date. The Onitsha society has many customs and habits handed down by tradition and central among these are, the notions of kinship, marriage, birth and death. The role of women and their influence and power in the society are seen as primarily influenced by their conceived ability to play a key role within the family and community. There is also a focus on the attitudes and cultural values that shape the concepts of age and ageing as well as the respect and care given to the aged and dying. The impact on societal values resulting from modernization (call it Western values) is interpreted as an attempt to reposition certain cultural practices in a way that makes them withstand a fast changing world. Exploitation fostered by the abject neglect and misinterpretation of societal values and norms are also discussed.

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