4 - Situating African Indigenous Ideas within Conventional Learning as an Impetus for Knowledge Construction in Africa
Corresponding Author(s) : Babatunde Joshua Omotosho
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 18 No. 1 (2020): Journal of Higher Education in Africa: Special Issue on The Politics of Knowledge Production in Africa
Abstract
Literature regarding knowledge production reveals that Africa can do better than its present state through the exploration and installation of homegrown ideas detached from the Western hold on its academy. This article contributes to this debate by exploring the place of indigenous knowledge within the academy and the challenges facing its popularity within the continent. The article further provides suggestions on how indigenous and conventional orthodox knowledge can cohere towards a more pragmatic knowledge production that can propel Africa’s development.
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- Battiste, M., 2005, ‘Post-colonial remedies for protecting Indigenous Knowledge’, in P. Tripp & L. Muzzin (Eds.), Teaching as activism: Equity meets environmentalism, pp. 224–232, Kingston: McGill–Queen’s University Press.
- Brokensha D., Warren D., Werner O. (eds.), 1980, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Development, Lanham, University Press of America.
- Castellano, M. B., 1999, Updating Aboriginal Traditions of Knowledge. In G.J.S. Dei, B. Hall, and D. Goldin-Rosenberg (eds.) Indigenous Knowledges in Global Contexts: Multiple Reading of Our World. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Cristiano, Lanzano, 2013, ‘What kind of knowledge is ‘indigenous knowledge’? Critical insights from a case study in Burkina Faso’, Transcience, 2013, Vol. 4, Issue 2.
- Dei, G.J.S., 2000, ‘Towards and anti-racism discursive framework’, in G.J.S Dei and A. Calliste (eds), Power, Knowledge and anti-racism education: A critical reader, Halifax, NS: Fernwood Publishing.
- Dei, S.G.J., 2002, ‘African development: The relevance and implications of indigenousness’, in G.J.S. Dei, B.L. Hall, & D.G. Rosenberg (Ed), Indigenous knowledges in global contexts: Multiple readings of our world (pp. vii-x), Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Emeagwali, G., 2014, ‘Intersections between Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems and history’ in G, Emeagwali & G. SefaDei (Eds.), African indigenous knowledge and the disciplines, pp. 1-17, Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
- Fals Borda, O., 1980, Science and the Common People. Yugoslavia.
- Fanon, F., 1963, The Wretched of the Earth, New York: Grove Weidenfeld.
- Hoppers, C.O., 2005, ‘Culture, Indigenous Knowledge and Development: The role of the university, Centre for Education Policy Development’, Occasional paper No. 5, International SAMNM Journal of Marketing and Management, 1, 25-27.
- Johnson, E.B., 2002, Contextual Teaching and Learning: What It Is and Why It Is Here to Say, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
- Laenui, P. (2000). Processes of decolonization. In M. Battiste (Ed.), Reclaiming indigenous voice and vision. Toronto: UBC Press.
- Mafeje, A., 1998, Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?, in: African Sociological Review, 2, 1, 1-43. Adesina, Jimi (2011), Against Alterity – The Pursuit of Endogeneity: Breaking Bread with Archie Mafeje, in: René Devisch and Francis B.Nyamnjoh (eds.), The Postcolonial Turn: Re-Imagining Anthropology and Africa, Bamenda: Langaa/Leiden: African Studies Centre, 45-70.
- Mercer, J., 2012, ‘Knowledge and disaster risk reduction’, in: Wisner B, Gaillard JC, and Kelman, I. (eds) Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction, Abingdon: Routledge: 89–100.
- Nel, P., 2008, ‘Indigenous knowledge Systems: Conceptualization and Methodology’, Unpublished lecture (presented October, 21).
- Nyamnjoh, F. B., 2012, ‘Blinded by Sight: Divining the Future of Anthropology in Africa’ Africa Spectrum, 2-3/: 63-92.
- Nyong, A., Adesina, F. & Osman Elasha, B., 2007, ‘The value of indigenous knowl- edge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel,’ Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 12(5), pp. 787-797, June.
- Okebukola, 2015, ‘Towards Models for Creatively Funding Higher Education in Nigeria’, in Towards Innovative Models for Funding Higher Education in Africa, Okebukola (eds) Association of African Universities, www.aau.org
- Prah, K., 1997, ‘Accusing the Victims - In My Father’s House’ A Review of Kwame Anthony Appiah’s ‘In My Father’s House’, CODESRIA Bulletin 1, pp. 14-22.
- Reij, C., Scoones, I., Toulmin, C., 1996, ‘Sustaining the soil. Indigenous soil and water conservation in Africa’ in: Toulmin C, Reij C, Scoones I, (eds) Sustaining the Soil: Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation in Africa, London: Earthscan; pp. 1–27.
- Roberts, H., 1998, ‘Indigenous Knowledges and Western Science: Perspectives from the Pacific’, in D. Hodson (ed.), Science and Technology Education and Ethnicity: An Aotearoa/New Zealand Perspective, Proceedings of a conference held at the Royal Society of New Zealand, Thorndon, Wellington, May 7-8. The Royal Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series #50.
- Seidman, S., 1994, Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
- Shabani, M.B., 2013, ‘The effect of background knowledge on speaking ability of Iranian EFL learners’, International SAMANM Journal of Marketing and Mana- gement, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 25-33.
- Shizha, E., 2010, ‘Rethinking and reconstituting indigenous knowledge and voices in the Academy in Zimbabwe: A decolonization process’, in D. Kapoor & E. Shizha (Eds.), Indigenous knowledge and learning in Asia/Pacific and Africa, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Slemon, S., 1995, ‘The Scramble for Post-Colonialism’, in B. Ashcroft et al. (eds). The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 45-52.
- Styhre, A. and Roth, J., 2002, ‘Knowledge facilitation at AstraZeneca’ Presented at European Academy of Management Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, May 9-11.
- UNEP, 2008, Indigenous knowledge in disaster management in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme.
- wa Thiong’o, N., 1986, Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. London: James Currey.
- Williams, D.L. and Muchena, O.N., 1991, ‘Utilizing indigenous knowledge systems in agricultural education to promote sustainable agriculture’, Journal of Agricultural Education 32(4), 52–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.5032/jae.1991.04052.
References
Battiste, M., 2005, ‘Post-colonial remedies for protecting Indigenous Knowledge’, in P. Tripp & L. Muzzin (Eds.), Teaching as activism: Equity meets environmentalism, pp. 224–232, Kingston: McGill–Queen’s University Press.
Brokensha D., Warren D., Werner O. (eds.), 1980, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Development, Lanham, University Press of America.
Castellano, M. B., 1999, Updating Aboriginal Traditions of Knowledge. In G.J.S. Dei, B. Hall, and D. Goldin-Rosenberg (eds.) Indigenous Knowledges in Global Contexts: Multiple Reading of Our World. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Cristiano, Lanzano, 2013, ‘What kind of knowledge is ‘indigenous knowledge’? Critical insights from a case study in Burkina Faso’, Transcience, 2013, Vol. 4, Issue 2.
Dei, G.J.S., 2000, ‘Towards and anti-racism discursive framework’, in G.J.S Dei and A. Calliste (eds), Power, Knowledge and anti-racism education: A critical reader, Halifax, NS: Fernwood Publishing.
Dei, S.G.J., 2002, ‘African development: The relevance and implications of indigenousness’, in G.J.S. Dei, B.L. Hall, & D.G. Rosenberg (Ed), Indigenous knowledges in global contexts: Multiple readings of our world (pp. vii-x), Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Emeagwali, G., 2014, ‘Intersections between Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems and history’ in G, Emeagwali & G. SefaDei (Eds.), African indigenous knowledge and the disciplines, pp. 1-17, Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Fals Borda, O., 1980, Science and the Common People. Yugoslavia.
Fanon, F., 1963, The Wretched of the Earth, New York: Grove Weidenfeld.
Hoppers, C.O., 2005, ‘Culture, Indigenous Knowledge and Development: The role of the university, Centre for Education Policy Development’, Occasional paper No. 5, International SAMNM Journal of Marketing and Management, 1, 25-27.
Johnson, E.B., 2002, Contextual Teaching and Learning: What It Is and Why It Is Here to Say, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Laenui, P. (2000). Processes of decolonization. In M. Battiste (Ed.), Reclaiming indigenous voice and vision. Toronto: UBC Press.
Mafeje, A., 1998, Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?, in: African Sociological Review, 2, 1, 1-43. Adesina, Jimi (2011), Against Alterity – The Pursuit of Endogeneity: Breaking Bread with Archie Mafeje, in: René Devisch and Francis B.Nyamnjoh (eds.), The Postcolonial Turn: Re-Imagining Anthropology and Africa, Bamenda: Langaa/Leiden: African Studies Centre, 45-70.
Mercer, J., 2012, ‘Knowledge and disaster risk reduction’, in: Wisner B, Gaillard JC, and Kelman, I. (eds) Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction, Abingdon: Routledge: 89–100.
Nel, P., 2008, ‘Indigenous knowledge Systems: Conceptualization and Methodology’, Unpublished lecture (presented October, 21).
Nyamnjoh, F. B., 2012, ‘Blinded by Sight: Divining the Future of Anthropology in Africa’ Africa Spectrum, 2-3/: 63-92.
Nyong, A., Adesina, F. & Osman Elasha, B., 2007, ‘The value of indigenous knowl- edge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel,’ Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 12(5), pp. 787-797, June.
Okebukola, 2015, ‘Towards Models for Creatively Funding Higher Education in Nigeria’, in Towards Innovative Models for Funding Higher Education in Africa, Okebukola (eds) Association of African Universities, www.aau.org
Prah, K., 1997, ‘Accusing the Victims - In My Father’s House’ A Review of Kwame Anthony Appiah’s ‘In My Father’s House’, CODESRIA Bulletin 1, pp. 14-22.
Reij, C., Scoones, I., Toulmin, C., 1996, ‘Sustaining the soil. Indigenous soil and water conservation in Africa’ in: Toulmin C, Reij C, Scoones I, (eds) Sustaining the Soil: Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation in Africa, London: Earthscan; pp. 1–27.
Roberts, H., 1998, ‘Indigenous Knowledges and Western Science: Perspectives from the Pacific’, in D. Hodson (ed.), Science and Technology Education and Ethnicity: An Aotearoa/New Zealand Perspective, Proceedings of a conference held at the Royal Society of New Zealand, Thorndon, Wellington, May 7-8. The Royal Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series #50.
Seidman, S., 1994, Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Shabani, M.B., 2013, ‘The effect of background knowledge on speaking ability of Iranian EFL learners’, International SAMANM Journal of Marketing and Mana- gement, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 25-33.
Shizha, E., 2010, ‘Rethinking and reconstituting indigenous knowledge and voices in the Academy in Zimbabwe: A decolonization process’, in D. Kapoor & E. Shizha (Eds.), Indigenous knowledge and learning in Asia/Pacific and Africa, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Slemon, S., 1995, ‘The Scramble for Post-Colonialism’, in B. Ashcroft et al. (eds). The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 45-52.
Styhre, A. and Roth, J., 2002, ‘Knowledge facilitation at AstraZeneca’ Presented at European Academy of Management Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, May 9-11.
UNEP, 2008, Indigenous knowledge in disaster management in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme.
wa Thiong’o, N., 1986, Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. London: James Currey.
Williams, D.L. and Muchena, O.N., 1991, ‘Utilizing indigenous knowledge systems in agricultural education to promote sustainable agriculture’, Journal of Agricultural Education 32(4), 52–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.5032/jae.1991.04052.