PROMOTING AFRICAN CULTURAL VALUES: ROLE

OF THE MASS MEDIA

EGBULE PHILIP ONYEKACHUKWU

E-MAIL: pastorp4christ@gmail.com
G.S.M: 08035443411

EMUEBIE JOHN EJIME

08037768411

AND

EGWU IFEOMA GRACE

G.S.M: 08068515698

SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,
P.M.B 2090 AGBOR,
DELTA STATE,
NIGERIA

A PAPER RESENTED AT THE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL,

CONFERENCE OF FACULTY OF ARTS,
NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY AWKA,
ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA. DATE
TH TH
19 –20 JUNE, 2015.

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Abstract
The objective of this paper is to help the reader understand the nature of Africa’s
cultural values in relation to the role of the mass media in promoting them. The
paper argues that the cultural values as the custodian of the people’s history are
important focus for national planning and development. This paper concludes by
recommending wider media information and coverage of the African cultural
practices and values with a view to sustaining them for the up-coming
generation(s) to enjoy. Also, the writers call on all stake holders in the education,
tourism and mass communication industries to exploit the potentials the Africa
cultural values offer to promote the “African in us”.
Keywords: Africa, culture, values, cultural values, mass media.

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Introduction
There is no human society without culture and values, Africa inclusive. One

distinguishing feature of man that makes him very unique is that he alone has

culture and values. Davis (1949) cited in Mezieobi and Saliu (2012) most vividly

represented man’s cultural inclusiveness or uniqueness when he noted, and aptly

too, that if there is any single factor explaining man’s uniqueness, it is this: he and

he alone, has culture”. Interestingly, values constitute one of the four very principal

elements of culture others being language, norms (laws, folkways and mores), and

beliefs. This revelation notwithstanding, values are the least contemplated in terms

of being given their desired attention as they guide all actions and decisions of man

which are not in any way value free (Mezieobi & Saliu, 2012). They went further

to state that, in order to ensure that we start in the impressionable years of children

to make them explore values and act as catalyst to their value education, well

articulated value education curriculum becomes very desirable. This underscores

the place of the mass media in bringing the cultural values of the African people to

global view and, by extension boost the peoples’ tourism potential, create

employment, reduce social vices, educate and entertain people. People without a

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past are “no people”. The history of a people therefore represents the peoples

sojourn on earth-where they are coming from and where they are going.

The concept of mass media has been in existence right from time

immemorial as men journey through the ages, science and technology begin to

influence his means of gathering and disseminating information from the

traditional use of gongs, town criers, colours, anon and so on, to the modern-day

television, radio, magazines and newspaper, now include internet: world wide web

(www), social media: face book, twitter, you tube, 2go and so on.

There are indispensable basic values in African tradition which promotes

unity, integration and genuine development. Every society has set of cultural

values, covering every aspect of human endeavour. These values are the guiding

principles found in any society. Over the years, there have been the agitation and

clamour for invigorating and maintaining durable and lasting positive values in

Africa. It is an incontrovertible fact that the advent of colonialism and imperialism

nearly caused a dethronement of African cultural pathway and value system

(Macaulay, 2003). Sharing in the above view, former president Nyerere of

Tanzania (in Akinpelu, 1983) said:

“Of all the crimes of colonialism there is none worse than the attempt to

make us believe that we have no indigenous culture of our own, or that what we

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did have was worthless or something of which we should be ashamed, instead of

being a source of pride”. This paper is a clarion call to reawaken these positive

African traditional culture and value system. Then, what is the role of the mass

media?

Description of Basic Concepts

The Concept of Culture

There is no agreement among scholars as to the exact definition of culture.

Scholars have produced all of sorts of definitions, in relation to the perspective in

which it is viewed. However, Hornby, A.S. (2010) defined culture as the customs

and beliefs, art, ways of life and social organization of a particular country or

group. In this paper, culture is viewed from the social science perspective. To the

social scientists” culture is used to refer to the totality of a man’s ways of life,

including, behaviours, knowledge, beliefs, traditions, customs, religion, music, art

and craft, dressing, food, and any other capabilities. Contributing to the conceptual

framework of the term “culture” Mmadu (2012) conceptualizes culture as the total

of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge which constitute the shared

bases of social action.

The Concept of Values

Values are guiding principles found in any society, the African society

inclusive. Values are views, actions, preferences that are desirable or good,
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positive, worthwhile and important. Hornby (2010) defines values as the belief

about what is right and wrong, and what is important in life. According to Ukadike

and Iwegbu (2012) values in societies define people actions, attitude and conduct

in every human environment. If a society holds particular values dearly, it would

usually make provision at the normative level for the expression of such values.

The Concept of Cultural Values

Cultural values are commonly held standard of what is acceptable or

unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, workable or unworkable,
etc, in a community or society. They connote all the customs that the people have
passed down for generations. These constitute the cherished heritage of the people
passed from generation to generation through the vehicle of communication and
education. These include greeting, music, festivals, arts and craft, language, foods
and so on.

The Concept of Mass Media

For a medium to be considered “mass” it must be capable of conveying

information to audience, regardless of their location, culture, social, political,

economic and educational status. Wimmer and Dominick (2006) define the mass

media as any form of communication that simultaneously reaches a large number

of people, including, but not limited to radio, television, newspapers, magazines,

the internet, billboards, films recording and books. Contributing to the definition of

mass media, Okunna (1999) described the mass media as an intermediate

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transmitter of information that reaches members of the audience simultaneously.

Flowing from the above views, one can conveniently state that mass media

connotes any media used to transmit mass communication.

According to Potter (2013) mass media are classified under: print media,

electronic media, and new age media. Broadcast media such as radio, recorded

music, film and television transmit their information electronically. Print media use

a physical objective such as a newspaper, book, pamphlet or comics to distribute

information. Outdoor media is a form of mass media that comprises bill boards, or

placards placed inside and outside of commercial buildings, sports stadia, shops

and buses. The new age media or digital media comprises both internet and mobile

mass communication. Internet media provides many mass media services such as

e-mail, blogs, websites, and internet based radio and television.

Basic Elements of African Cultural Values

As stated earlier, culture is the way of life of a group of which distinguishes

them from other communities. In general, Africans emphasize communal values

such as family, respect for the elderly, the importance of dignity of labour (hard

work and handiwork), cultural festivals and so on.

Arts and crafts

Africans are known for hard work, in fact, they are achievement driven people.

They firmly believe in the philosophy of the dignity of labour. Africa is a land rich
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with variety of arts. Every corner of the continent is blessed with one form of art or

another. A study of African art shows that what is produced is determined by a

combination of social, geographical and religious factors. Some of the notable arts

and crafts of Africa are as follows: Cloth weaving and dyeing, hair dressing,

blacksmithing, bronze work, leather work, sculpture and painting, wood carving,

raffia weaving, bead work, pottery, skins tanning, jewelry, drawing, needle work,

making of brooms and baskets, making models with clay etc. Products of arts and

crafts provide items of fashion in both traditional and modern society. It also has

economic roles to perform - they are forms of traditional occupations in Africa.

In addition, Africa has a rich tradition of arts and crafts. African arts and crafts

find expression in a variety of wood carvings, brass and leather works. Africa arts

and crafts also include cowry, sculpture, paintings, pottery, masks, ceremonies and

religious headgear and dresses. Example is the Bakongo Voodoo masks from the

Kongo central region of the Democratic Republic of the Kongo.. Art works may be

used to associate a city or a state with greatness. France for example, has a lot of

displayed cultural pieces which impress visitors. In Nigeria, for instance, her

diverse artistic works especially the Benin arts have raised the name and fame of

Nigeria throughout the world.

Language

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 Language as a means of communication and expression is an element of

culture which in many ways determines and unarguably defines dimensions of a

nation’s identity in less organized society (Osa, 2010) Language is the most

important means of communication and information among human beings. The

adulteration of the language (mixing with other languages, especially English

language) has become a normal phenomenon among the owners and speakers of

the language. Many Africans especially among the educated ones cannot

effectively read, write and speak their mother tongue.

The continent of Africa, speaks hundreds of languages, and if dialects

spoken, by various ethnic groups are also included the number is much higher.

These languages and dialects do not have the same importance. Some are spoken

by only few hundred persons. Others are spoken by millions. Among the most

spoken prominent languages, are Arabic, Swahili and Hausa. Very few countries of

Africa use any single language and for this reason several official languages co-

exist -African and European. Some Africans speak various European languages

such as English, Spanish, French and Dutch.

Music

Culture is the sum total of the attainments and activities of a people

including their music. Africans have a very rich musical heritage. They have

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different music for different occasions like new yam festivals, naming ceremonies,

burial ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, etc. Some of the notable

musical/traditional dancing groups include the Adowa traditional dance of the

Asante people of Ghana, which is customarily performed at funerals, not only

serves as an example of an integrated, total art “complex”, but is also proven

representative of traditional African dance (Moss, 1998). Also, notable traditional

dance group in Africa is the Atilogwu and Mkpokiti of Umunze people of eastern

Nigeria.

According to Nketia (1998) cited in Mmadu (2013) numerous suggestions

have been offered as to the necessary attributes of traditional African dance,

ranging from the ability to alternate between straight and bend postures, to the use

of the entire body rather than isolated areas in responding to music, to the creative

variation of movement during a dance performance. Music in the social life is

meant to entertain as well as educate us on certain issues or occurrences in our

immediate and outside environment. Music is used to express love, hatred and

sorrow in terms of occurrence of death in the African community.

Marriage system

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 Marriage is as important as the African culture. However, one aspect of

African culture that varies from one culture area to another is the marriage system.

Generally, inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic marriage is allowed in most parts of Africa.

For instance, among the Yoruba of the western states of Nigeria, men are forbidden

to marry any woman of his own lineage. Marriage could be contracted in the court,

church, mosque or traditionally after all the required materials including bride

price have been exchanged. Traditionally, (especially in the past) the parents select

and marry for their male children. Before marriage is contracted, the parents

make some inquiries of the person they want to marry and have to be satisfied that

he/she is the marriageable type.

Respect for Elders

Africans are known for their reverence for age because reverence for elders is

an aspect of her culture that is not toyed with. According to Nwala (1985) there are

elaborate practices relating to respect for seniority including rank, certain forms of

greeting and address are appropriate for seniors and elders. In the breaking of kola

nut, in the sharing of things, seniority is respected among individuals, families and

towns. Running errands for elders is a very important duty and the young ones see

it as an obligation on their part. This is commendable aspect of African cultural

values which she cannot afford to compromise.

Cultural Festivals

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 Cultural festivals are to commemorate religious events and to honour

deities. African cultural festivals are occasions to inculcate the culture of the

people because each festival has special aims and activities for celebration. They

are therefore very strong agents of socialization and acculturation. These are

traditional ceremonies to commemorate a particular event that took place in the

past. Some of these include the new yam festival. The new yam festival is an

annual festival among the Igbos (eastern Nigeria) it is called “iri ji”. According to

Okaneme (2010) “iri ji” is a festival of thanksgiving to God for the year’s rich

agricultural harvest. It is characterized by heavy feasting and dancing. Cultural

festivals in Africa are not sheer entertainment of cultural history; rather cultural

festivals should be geared towards enhancing the various peoples’ socio-cultural

harmony, integration and peaceful co-existence. This is achievable through drama,

film by African actors and actresses. These cultural festivals are seasoned which

serve to bring a whole tribe, clan, nation and even a whole country together in

spectacular fashion.

Communalism and Love for One Another

The filtration and adoption of certain western cultural values (especially in the

areas of music, dressing and family structure) into our system have brought

abnormality in our society that is why the present social dispensation in some parts

of our society is anti-human. This is manifest in self interest as against

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communalism and brotherly love. For there to be progress and development,

African value system must be promoted and be made attractive. We therefore,

advise that we should jealously guard these values and cultural heritage because;

they give us a character that is distinctively and uniquely African.

Promoting African Cultural Values: What Role could the Mass Media play?
Africa is the second largest continent of the world, after Asia. She is blessed

with abundant human, material resources and rich in cultural heritage. However,

over the years, African cultures have sadly been eroded by external forces and

foreign influences (colonialism, neo colonialism, cultural globalization, cross-

cultural influences) leading to the near extinction of some of these rich traits like

music, festivals, and even language. Lost of culture connotes lost of identity. As

the trademark of any people (African inclusive), the mass media as major agent of

socialization should be adequately motivated to promote and preserve African

culture.

Generally, the role of the mass media is to educate, entertain and enlighten the

people, this is called 3 Es in the information industry. The mass media is the

indispensable means through which citizens of any country learn cultural values. In

their “watch-dog” role, the mass media can play an important role in promoting

and watching (preserving) African cultural values.

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 Since culture is learned, there must be an avenue through which the younger

generation can get information concerning their culture. This without doubt is

timely and necessitated the choice of this title: the role of the mass media in

promoting and preserving the cultural values of the African people. It is an

indisputable truism that the mass media have played some major roles in the

translation of the African cultural values.

Through the media (especially radio and television) music/songs which

reflects the way of life of the African people this is highly displayed in order to

create awareness to the younger generation and even generation unborn about the

kind of music that exists in their traditional environment. Also, the mass media

through televised and recorded programmes act as a reservoir of cultural heritage

from generation to generation. Since culture is taught in schools (formalized

classroom setting) the people in the community who are outside the schools must

benefit from it. Hence, the need for an alternative agent of socialization (mass

media) becomes imperative.

Moemeke (1991) in shedding light on socialization as a function of the mass

media, states that:

“the mass media help to unity society and increase social cohesion by

upholding and teaching a broad base of common social norms, values and

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collective experiences… the mass media help transmit culture and social norms

from generation to generation… education comprises intellectual development,

acquisition of skills and capabilities and formation of character”.

Pulitzer cited in Dunu (2013) summarized his views thus: our republic and

its press will rise or fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with

trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public

virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. A cynical,

mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself. The

power to mould the future of the republic will be in the hand of the journalists of

future generations. What Pulitzer was essentially saying here is that the media can

make or break a society by the way and manner it functions in our information

based society. The media has a disproportionately visible and influential role in

fostering an environment where good governance will flourish. The main

responsibility of the media as is widely acknowledged is to provide comprehensive

analytical and factual news and opinion to the people on everyday issues and

events of popular concern.

Conclusion

The core functions of the mass media include: the provision of information,

countering misinformation, education and enlightenment to the citizenry, so that

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they can effectively make informed decisions and take actions resulting thereof in

the good of the society. Information is power. All human conduct and actions are

guided and determined by cultural values. While promoting African cultural values

among learners, the place of the mass media cannot be undermined. This paper,

therefore, explored the rich and diverse African cultural values with emphases on

the inestimable roles which the mass media can play in transmitting and promoting

these cultural practices and values from one generation to another. There is no

gainsaying that African value system is in the process of decaying. Hence, the need

to invigorate them through the instrumentality of the mass media cannot be

overstressed.

Recommendations
 Cultural revival-various cultural values of the African people including their

languages should be revived.

 Governments of the African countries should encourage (through sponsorship)

research in African cultural values, especially among deserving students and

scholars.

 Culture and value education should be entrenched into school curriculum,

from basic to higher education levels.

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  Cultural centres should be established in each community where cultural

reorientation programmes that are culture education based will be inculcated

to the teeming population out of school citizens.

 We call on all stake-holders in the culture industry (ministry) to take

advantage of the unique opportunities of the mass media in their quest for the

promotion of patriotism and African heritage.

 Cultural festivals that have no positive influences on Africa’s cultural values

and integration should be discouraged.

 The media should showcase and emphasize more of African culture rather

than western culture.

 More importantly, the movie industries today should project more of African

culture and allow such to be recorded and played for future generation.

 The media should be credible and free from any kind of influence from

various pressure groups. In fact, they should keep a distance from any kind of

political and commercial control-to avoid the menace of “paid news”

phenomenon.

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