A THESIS DEFENCE

PRESENTED

BY

ANDREWS LUMORVI
ON

PERFORMATIVE VALUES AND INTELLECTUAL

ROLES OF INDIGENOUS ATI PLAY GAME
 TYPES OF ATI
GAME

The basic ati play game The intermediate ati play game

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The advanced ati play game
Videos Cont’d

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Videos

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 PRESENTATION

Introduction/ Statement of Research Objectives Research

Background of the Problem and Questions Methods &
the Study Designs

Theoretical & Contributions

Research and
Conceptual Conclusion
Findings Significance of
Framework
the Study
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 INTRODUCTIO
N

 (a) ‘game’ is indigenous play activity that is not only sources of leisure, but rather an avenue for acquiring
indigenous cultural knowledge (Agbodeka, 1997; Adenyemi &Adeyinka, 2000 [2002, 2003]; Amlor, 2016);

 (b) ‘game’ entails classroom learning of mathematics and narrow perspective of enjoyment and recreation
(Mosimege, 2000).

 Juul (2005, p. 36), however, avers that game is:

“a rule-based formal system with a variable and quantifiable outcome, where (i) different outcomes
are assigned different values, (ii, a) the player exerts effort to influence the outcome, (ii, b) the
player feels attached to the outcome, and (iii) the consequences of the activity are optional and
negotiable”.

Game, be it indigenous play activity or not, is therefore, an organised competitive activity between contending
participants who follow a set of rules to develop their cognitive, intellects, psychomotor, creative arts, mark-
making, designing, teaching and learning skills and also for handling conflicts, relaxations, recreations, education
and fun, but now for economic gains in most societies and nations. 6
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
See Agbodeka (1997), Ametewee (1997a), Alidza and Amlor (2009), Alidza (2010), Amlor (2016) and many
others cited in the work.

Agbodeka (1997) gives general understanding of the entertainment and leisure activities among the Aŋlↄ-Eʋe
groups, but he could not mention the ati game and types of games that exist in the communities and let alone
touching on what Amlor (2016) has later on elucidated.

Amlor (2016, p. 65) who explicates the philosophical foundations that inform the origin and
historical development of some games in Eʋe social order orates that:

“The names of some Eʋe play games, conferring on vocally orated tradition, originated (a) from the nature of
activity involved in the games, (b) from the song texts used in the games, and (c) from catchy phrases that are
shouted out during the games…” but the ati play game lacks scholarly attention in his work.

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 Statement of the Problem Cont’d
Nevertheless, empirical observation shows that only Ametewee’s (1997a) work exposes the rules and the nature of
ati game without looking at it entirely; what it entails, how it is performed and the vocabulary associated with it;
hence, scholars have neglected what atidada as a crucial game is about.

Subsequent scholars such as Alidza and Amlor (2009), Alidza (2010), Owusu-Mensah and Quan-Baffour (2015)
and others merely highlight and describe the activities in some Akan and Eʋe play games regarding their forms,
participants, equipment, rules/codes of play, socio-cultural settings within which they are performed and their
functions in the socio-cultural lives of both the participants and the society.

This atidada has not crept into the conversational analysis of major scholars; hence, the literature is deficient in
providing what constitutes this game’s and its fading essence.

This has thereby created a paucity of research on atidada which has both performative and intellectual roles,
functions and values; hence, the need for this exploration.
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 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

 To investigate the true nature, functional values and the

intellectual roles of ati play game as a performative art form,
I decide to:

 Explore the different skills and strategies the gamers employ

in atidada.

 Examine and describe various dialectic vocabulary

associated with atidada.

 Document atidada to resuscitate it for posterity.

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 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1 2 3

 Which skills and  What are the  How can atidada

strategies do the functions of the be rejuvenated in
gamers employ various dialectic order not to
to manoeuvre vocabulary extinct?
their opponents? associated with
atidada?

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 THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
Game Theory
Game theory studies the gamers’ strategic interactions and actions that affects the outcome of the games they play
and act upon it to achieve goals or solve a complex challenge.

Thomas Bayes (1763) – using probabilities to form the basis for a logical conclusion

Augustin Cournot (1838) – formalising players’ best decision-making and actions in response to expected actions
and choices from the opponents that potentially permit them to gracefully win, draw or lose in a game.

Performative Theory
Performance theory suggests a particular style and performance people present in a society through their dialogue,
onomatopoeic chanting, clothes or body decorations, food, and the venue (setting) of the activity.

Goffman (1969) – revealing the styles and performance people present

Schechner (1985) – pointing to any action that is framed, presented, highlighted or displayed
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Butler (1993) -- highlighting the continuous portrayal of rehearsed deeds, ritualised gestures and sounds
 METHODS
Research Approach/Design Qualitative/Ethnographic
Sources of data Primary Secondary
Note-taking Books, Articles, Journals
Interviews Online materials
Participatory observation

Analytical Tools Descriptive and sequential exploratory research approach

Target Population Ati game players

Sampling technique Purposive and theoretical saturated sampling which checks the
emerging incident of claims against challenging reality that
repeatedly occurs and becomes redundant.
Sample Size 20 ati game players who are between the ages of 40 and 90
years.

Instrument Unstructured but in-depth interview questions

Data processing and analysis  Coding: Open, Axial and Selective
 Themes
 Thematic Content Analysis 12
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1a
Research Question 1: Which skills and strategies do the gamers employ to manoeuvre their opponents?

Open Coding
Axial Coding
Atidada, a game of Atidada, a game of
(i) creative thinking (i) finding pleasure in winning but to while away time
(ii) intelligence, (ii) following rules and turn-taking
(iii) counting, (iii) using less energy and strength
(iv) observation (iv) eye-hand coordination
(v) vigilance, (v) moral or discipline, teasing and tolerance
(vi) imitation (vi) a time-consuming game but keeps players out of
(vii) concentration trouble
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(viii) imagination, and the rest (vii) utilising sensory organs (auditory, tactile and visual)
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 2
Research Question 2: What functions do dialectic vocabulary associated with atidada play?

Some of those words, terms, expressions and sentences not associated mundane conversations are

(i) kↄkpee (carry it for him or meet him with it)

(ii) ɖe afↄ le nya me (get out of trouble)

(iii) atia kpese; [or] atia kle ni gↄ; [or] atia ɖo aɖikame (the game is tough)

(iv) amededeʋu (“buying tickets for someone to travel” or “sending him to dance arena”)

(v) tumavↄe; [or] damavↄe, (endless shooting)

(vi) to (the game board)

(vii) amedzinↄnↄ (sitting on someone)

(viii) kpɔɖoave (the leopard has gone into the forest)

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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3
Research Question 3: How can atidada be rejuvenated in order not to extinct Eʋe societies?

These are factors that discourage the philanthropists from contributing to the development, promotion and
preservations of the ati game.

These factors are:

(i) parents’ imposition of restrictions on children and adolescents not to engage in the ati game,

(ii) lack of:

(a) innovation and value-adding to ati game as it is played on the floor,

(b) game centre (space) and facility,

(c) sponsorship and support,

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(d) organising periodic competitions; hence, its diminishing essence.
 KEY FINDINGS
There is an indication that the ati games is played in group competitions as well as individual competitions.

The ati game competitions, bet it individual or group, shows a diverse values such as

 promotion of social, health, educational, moral, physical co-ordination and others which enhance peoples’ life
and wellbeing.

 promotion of numeracy and calculation which precede literacy in Eʋe culture; the players learn numerical
counting skills as they use xlẽ which connotes “count” rather than “read” in Eʋe culture.

 promotion of cultural heritage through entertainment, but lack nationwide recognition, support and sponsorships
thereby making the communities and the people not benefitting financially.

On the contrary, women do not involve actively in the ati game due to their expectation of accomplishing domestic
activities like housekeeping, child upbringing, food preparation and production.

Male adolescence at the ages of eighteen years upwards only are eligible to play this type of ati game for they have
acquired some sort of experiences in life.
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 STUDY
The study’s outcome will contribute to the existing literature on games, the indigenous knowledge system and
performance to effect social change.

The research’s findings will be useful to:

 the University by serving as important theoretical source of reference material for future students and
researchers who will influence policy direction on games, performance and indigenous knowledge systems.

 the Directorates and Institutes of Cultural Policy Making and Tourism Promotion as it contributes to supporting
their vision and mission statements and implementation of strategies in that regard.

 the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ministry of Tourism, National Commission on Culture and other
research institutions, organisations and cooperate bodies concerning culture revivification studies.

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 CONCLUSION (WHAT IS SO NEW?)
Although this heritage game has
been undermined, the discussions
prove that the people’s
engagement in the ati helps them
express their oral and practical
knowledge, social realities and
culture.
Holistically, the ati game
improves and develops players’
mental agility, their capacity of
body part coordination and
encourages information learning
through memory, skill and
motivational activity to evaluate
their ability of readiness.
The engagement in this thought-
provoking ati games helps them
develop physically, train their
arts, skills and reinforce their
belief of physical and emotional
hardships-training and decision-
making.
The ati game serves as a broader
traditional cultural component
that displays the cultural thinking
and practices of the Eʋe-speaking
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people.
 RECOMMENDATION
The research could not exhaust the
technical names for the positions in
the ati games; hence, attention
needs to be given them to
determine their full potentials.
Adapting and modifying of ati game
into a carved board will uniquely
enhance and transform it to attract
many people besides the urgent need
of reviving it for cultural identity
and promotion since urbanisation,
technology, foreign games and
cultures have attacked this game.
Teachers and stakeholders
including ati games in the extra
curriculum activities for learners to
play during inter-school
competitions could aid teachers and
students acquire the game’s logical
reasoning when teaching and
learning mathematics, accounting,
language, and probability subjects.
Stakeholders innovating,
commercialising and
technologically programming the
ati game into a computer game
will meet this current fast-growing
digital world demands and to
improve unemployment problems,
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crime reductions and to.
AGBEDϽ NA MI LOO!

THANK YOU!

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