Madonna Journal Of English & Literary Studies (MAJELS)

Snail-Sense Feminist Application for Women Empowerment in Selected Works of Ogochukwu and Adichie

2024-06-19T09:44:35+00:00

In an attempt to analyse the challenges encountered by women in
Nigerian literary context, Akachi Ezeigbo came up with Snail-sense
feminism as a viable option to tackle women's problems and to fill the
gaps of non-consideration of western education and self-identity to
promote women empowerment. The aim of this study is to deploy the
Snail-sense feminist model, derived from the habit of the snail and
which advocates dialogue, negotiation, good education and individual
empowerment, to advocate for women emancipation and
empowerment in Ogochukwu Promise's In The Middle of The Night and
Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus. The objectives of the study
include locating the challenges encountered by women in the selected
novels, projecting the need for effective dialogue, western education
and self-identity in pursuit of success as strategies for women
emancipation and empowerment. The qualitative research
methodology is used to analyse the non-numerical data represented in
the selected novels. The findings of the study include; (i) lack of sound
western education limits the attainment of greater heights for women(ii) lack of effective dialogue and conciliatory approach are
contributory factors to the inability of women's emancipation and
empowerment as portrayed in the novels. This study concluded that the
application of indigenous Snail-sense strategies can complement other
feminist strategies to achieve the desired women emancipation and
empowerment. This study thus recommended Snail-sense feminist
theory as suitable for literary analysis in Nigeria in particular and Africa
in general.

Syntactic Analysis of Topicalization in Ikwuano Igbo

2024-06-19T11:22:35+00:00

The aim of this paper 'Syntactic Analysis of Topicalization in Ikwuano
Igbo' is to examine topicalization in Ikwuano, with a view to
establishing the Ikwuano strategy. Syntax deals with the rules and
guidelines for sentence formation while word order arrangement
contributes a lot in the grammaticality of a sentence. Topicalization is a
mechanism of syntax that establishes an expression as the sentence or
clause topic by having it appear at the front of the sentence. This
research argues that topicalization is an unbounded movement; it claims
that, there is a complex interconnection between topicalization and
focus in the language as no constituents of a sentence can be focused
without topicalizaion. The Theoretical framework for this study is the
movement principle of principles and parameters of Noam Chomsky. In
the process of movement, an element iterates from one place to the
other. This work explains the motivation for the topicalized strategy and
its behavior in the language. The data for this paper is elicited utterances
by adult native speakers from Ikwuano and intuition from the researcher
who is a native speaker. Finding reveals that, when the moving
constituent is extracted from its logical position, it leaves behind a copy that is regarded as a ghost of the moving item. This study argues that
topicalization is a kind of focusing and fronting of constituent's
structure because it involves the preposing of the item to be topicalized
as a leftward movement rule.

The Impact of Religiosity on Human Resource Management in Public Sectors in Nigeria

2024-06-19T11:26:02+00:00

Religiosity has been identified as one of the critical factor that
influences human resource management practices in the public sector in
Nigeria. This paper explores the impact of religiosity on human
resource management in the public sector in Nigeria. Using an ex-post
facto research, this study is anchored on secondary sources, wherein
content analysis was utilized. More so, the social-exchange theory was
applied as theoretical framework of analysis. The findings of the study
show that religiosity influences efficiency, leadership, recruitment,
development, performance appraisal and reward systems in the public
sector in Nigeria. Similarly, it was found that religious beliefs and
practices are considered in the recruitment and staff selection while
training and development programs are align with religious values. On
the other hand, performance appraisal systems are influenced by
religiosity, with managers considering moral and ethical conduct of
staff alongside their job performance. This paper concludes that
religiosity has a significant impact on human resource management
practices in the public sector in Nigeria as well as recommends that
human resource manager need to be aware of religious beliefs and
practices of their staff in order to manage them effectively

A Comparative Analysis of E-learning and Conventional Teaching Methods in Higher Education

2024-06-19T11:39:27+00:00

The rapid advancement of technology has transformed the landscape of
education, with e-learning emerging as a popular alternative to
conventional teaching methods in higher education. With the
widespread availability of online resources, e-learning has gained
popularity as an alternative or complementary method to traditional
face-to-face instruction. However, the extent to which e-learning can
match or surpass the outcomes achieved through conventional teaching
methods remains an open question. This study aims to address this gap
in knowledge and provide a comprehensive analysis of both
approaches. This comparative analysis research specifically
investigates and compares the effectiveness, advantages, and
challenges associated with e-learning and conventional teaching
methods in the higher education context. By examining these factors,
the study intends to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses
of each method, contributing to the understanding of their implications
for teaching and learning in higher education. Research was conducted
with the assistance of teachers from three higher educational institutions in Anambra State, Nigeria. A questionnaire survey was
designed and distributed to voluntary respondents, keeping in mind key
areas of conventional and e-learning teaching methods. The data was
analysed using simple sampling proportions and Modality of
Preference theory, propounded by Neil Fleming (1987). The theory was
designed to help students and others learn more about their individual
learning preferences. Findings indicate that adopting contemporary
digital technology in higher education offers greater benefits, but
teachers should take into account student requirements, class
objectives, and potential challenges before choosing a teaching
technique. It equally advocates the cooperation of both teaching
approaches for optimal learning outcomes. The study will contribute to
a deeper understanding of the benefits and limitations of both
approaches, offering insights to educators, institutions, and
policymakers for informed decision-making.

Sexism and Girl-Child Exploitations Madonna in Akachi Adimora-Ezigbo's Trafficked and Sefi Atta's Swallow

2024-06-19T11:48:21+00:00

This research entitled “Sexism and Girl-Child Exploitations in Akachi
Adimora-Ezigbo's Trafficked and Sefi Atta's Swallow” explores sexual
harassment and exploitation as portrayed by the two novelists in their
novels. The researchers noted the considerable skill used by the authors
in portraying the plight of young girls in a merciless world dominated by
greedy, irresponsible and often cruel men and careless parents in their
lives. In Akachi Adimorah – Ezeigbo's Trafficked: the young, innocent
and naïve girls are taken advantage of, and sold out for prostitution and
other money – making ventures by those they trusted. At the end of the
day, humiliation, dehumanization and even demented lives become
their fate contrary to their expectations. Sefi Attah's Swallow discusses
abuse, domestic violence and intimidation that stare the helpless young
maidens in the face as they cannot change their sad situations
individually. The authors talk about the issue of sexual harassment
which stands out amongst the already existing ones as she did that while
addressing other social issues like drug trafficking, tyranny, bad
governance and parental irresponsibility. The study discovered the
gravity of sexism and exploitation on young girls in our society. The
theoretical approach adopted by the researcher in this work is feminism.
The data for this study is from primary sources like the selected texts and
secondary sources like journals and interviews. The study concludes
that it is highly plausible that there will be positive and visible
representations and construction of gender and gender issues which will create avenues for new challenges and clarification of women's
understanding of the past and present, as well as their visions for the
future.

Phonological Analysis of English Language on Selected Undergraduate Students

2024-06-20T09:34:38+00:00

The English language has been marked as an embodiment of
inconsistencies and this is obvious that special attention needs to be
given to it. The need is especially itching when one considers that by
virtue of it being a prestigious and an international language, students,
specifically, English language students, encounter many problems now
and then; and despite the fact that pronunciation is taught in courses like
Spoken English, Phonetics and Phonology, there are still flaws in
students' pronunciation as they battle with confusion caused by such
inconsistencies. As a result, this study anchored on the factors that
hinder students' competence in oral pronunciation. Specifically, it
studied the impact of inconsistency of English sound-spelling system
on students learning English as their second language in the Department
of English Language and Literature, UNIZIK, Awka. However, its
relevance will bring to bear some unnoticed phonological treasures
embedded in the English language which in turn, helps in speaking the
language without a foreign accent. In order to achieve the set purposes,
the data were collected through the transcription of English words which were administered to forty (40) students from the mentioned
institution through random sample method and were analysed within
the scope of Error Analysis Theory which was propounded by Stephen
Pit Corder and his colleagues in the late of 1970s. It was revealed that
the inconsistency of sound-spelling system militate against students'
proficiency in oral English communication.

African Novel in the 21 Century: Afropolitan Mobility in NoViolet Bulawayo's We Need New Names

2024-06-20T09:47:02+00:00

The body of African novel has come of age after about seven decades. It
has over time borne witness to the myriads of politico-economic and
socio-cultural events in the continent. However, since the inauguration
of the contemporary transnational turn in postcolonial discourses, it has
spread its horizon beyond the frontiers of its continental boundaries via
the route of the literary enterprises of African writers like Chimamanda
Adichie, NoViolet Bulawayo, Yaa Gyasi, Okey Ndibe, Chris Abani and
others in the Diaspora. Applying the thesis of postcolonial studies this
paper examines the phenomenological literary representation of
Afropolitan mobility in Bulawayo's We Need New Names. The aim is to
discover the challenges of the African identities in transit across the
globalized world of transmutation and flux. It concludes that the
mobility of African citizens of the world is an expression of the freedom which postcolonial independence introduced.

Authenticity in Nollywood Costuming

2024-06-20T10:01:30+00:00

Nollywood is often charged by its critics with being insufficiently
authentic in costuming indigenous period and cultural films. This
charge comes from the desire for authenticity; the desire to see
indigenous Nigerian period films costumed in their pristine form and
design. Costume aside authenticating the characters in space and time,
establishes the class, status, gender, age and power of the actor.
Authenticity in costume demands a full knowledge of the cultural and
social identity of the era. This paper examines the authentic
representation and presentation of costume in pristine movies. Two
Nollywood Pristine movies, Adaeze, directed by Amayo Uzo phlips and
costumed by Ogoo Okechi and the film Osun Sengese, directed by
Adebayo tijani, Ojopagogo and costumed by Madam Goldspot are
read. The paper identifies the place of Nollywood in creating
authenticity in costume as there are tools for recording, preservation,
and transmission of our cultural heritage in dress and accessories.

Press Coverage of Agricultural News: A Content Analysis of Selected Newspapers

2024-06-20T10:35:14+00:00

Agricultural input towards national development dropped to an
abysmal level on account of the oil boom and other problems besieging
the agricultural sector. Nevertheless, the importance of agriculture to
national development cannot be over-emphasized especially now that
Nigeria is struggling to get out of the economic recession caused by
declining oil prices, massive unemployment, hunger, etc. Within this
context, this study examined press coverage of agricultural news. The
study adopted quantitative and qualitative content analysis as its
research methodology. Framing and development theories were
considered as theoretical discourse. The population of the study consists
of 310 newspapers, and the four papers under investigation constitute
the sample size of the study. The four papers were purposively selected
due to their circulation strength, and wide coverage of issues. The study
found that 70.2% of stories studied covered agriculture positively.
However, the findings also revealed that only 4.4% of agricultural news
was seen on the front pages, 0.9% on the back page and 6.8% centre
spread pages while 87.10% used in the inside pages in the four
newspapers, which indicate lack of prominence. The study concluded that newspapers' coverage of agriculture in the development of a world
needs to be given prominence bearing in mind the potentials of
agriculture in the development of a world-class economy.

Environmental Degradation and Attendant Consequences in Tanure Ojaide's The Activist

2024-06-21T08:59:05+00:00

This paper entitled “Environmental degradation is one of the
foremost cankerworms plaguing the Niger-Delta region of our
country”, Nigeria. The discovery of oil there has become a curse
instead of a blessing to the people there. The activities of the oil
companies there and with the trait support of the Federal
Government has become a source of sorrow and nightmare to the
inhabitants whose local environment has been destroyed. So in this
study, "Environmental Degradation in Tanure Ojaide's The Activist "
the researcher sets out to portray how the writer criticised the events in
his society, and how the story serves as a reflection of the problems of
the masses and the downtrodden in our society. The novelist made use of
the literary medium to satirise the leaders in Africa and their styles of
exercising reins of power which, instead of ameliorating the problems
of the people and bringing in even development, only succeed in
creating more suffering, pain and disappointment. Tanure Ojaide shows the humiliation, oppression, insensitivity, waste of lives, exploitation,
cruelty of the ruling class, especially the military, on the citizens, as a
result of greed and capitalist tendencies, which impoverish the citizens
further. The researcher used both primary and secondary sources in the
analysis of data. The findings showed that the citizens of the NigerDelta experience betrayal, oppression, deprivation, and environmental
degradation as a result of oil exploration. Unfortunately, their leaders do
not care much about their problems as they are only interested in selfish
acquisition of wealth to the detriment of the people.

Samuel Selvon`s The Lonely Londoners: A Significant Example of World Literature Written in English.

2024-06-21T09:25:06+00:00

World literature is seen as a mode of reading across national boundaries. The Eurocentric nature of world literature in the post-colonial era has made The Lonely Londoners a good example of world literature as it is originally written in English. It is recognized as a text whose reception extends its local readership. This is so because immigrants from around the world relate to the problems encountered while trying to be upwardly mobile in the British center as highlighted in the novel. This study is interested in the discussion of the novel The Lonely Londoners as a significant example of world literature written in English. The study adopts textual analysis as its method. This is done within the theoretical framework of post-colonialism as proposed by scholars. The study shows that The Lonely Londoners is a literary work that is embraced globally and exists as a genre belonging to the literary period of postmodernism. It focuses on the ideas of migration, integration, and post colonialism. Also, it unveils the realities of immigrants in the post- war immigrant communities of the British capital. The author has written many books in which he mostly explores the experience of immigrants from different parts of the world. The novel is considered a world literature because it has been translated into major languages of the world and transcends the culture and civilization of its country of origin to showcase the events and practices in a different society.

Rhetoric of Fake News and Social Media Activism in Nigeria

2024-06-21T09:32:57+00:00

This article examines the meaning of fake news in its different
understandings, the closing of the media space in Nigeria, the rise of
critical voices on social media, analysis of the strategies employed by
the Government “trio” of Nigeria's Information and Culture Minister,
Mr Lai Mohammed, the President's Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina and the president's Senior Special Assistant
(SSA) on media and publicity, Mr Shehu Garba to muzzle critical
voices, particularly in Tweets. The study uses rhetorical analysis to
analyse the selected government officials' tweets and indicate attempts
at muzzling critical voices and thereby endangering Nigeria's
democracy. The study, thus, recommends a new and collaborative local
and global effort to protect free speech and critical voices in Nigeria.

Actualizing Agricultural Development Programmes in Nigeria Using Communication Strategies

2024-06-21T09:39:09+00:00

The paper examines how Agricultural Development Programmes can
be actualized in Nigeria using Communication Strategies. Data was
collected through questionnaire. The population of the study was all
beneficiaries of Agricultural development programme fund in Nigeria
using multi-stage sampling technique. The finding of the study
indicated that some of the beneficiaries of Agricultural development
fund were not well informed. This made Agricultural development not
to be actualized to its potentials, thereby creating scarcity and lack of
Agricultural produce. The paper recommended that, the Federal, State
and Local Government officials through which the donors operate,
should apply verbal communication strategies in educating the farmers
on how to use new technologies and new products in developing
agricultural products in Nigeria.

Representation of Human and Animal Proximity in Zake Mda's The Heart of Redness and The Whale Caller

2024-06-21T10:18:31+00:00

The paper examines human and animal proximity in the novels of Zake
Mda namely The Heart of Redness and The Whale Caller. The study
also examines the relationship between humans and animals in the
aforementioned texts from an ecocritical perspective. Critical attention
is paid to Cajetan Iheka's strand of ecocritcal theory which is peculiar to
Africa and Nigeria in particular. The study considers animals as an
important part of the environment irrespective of human activities that
are detrimental to the lives and living conditions of animals in our ecosystems. While animals are exploited in the novels, on the other hand,
they are indispensable to man as they are fundamental to biodiversity
and the ecosystems. Major ecological issues are illuminated in the
study. In conclusion, humans and animals cannot be totally separated
and the researchers recommend that further critical research should be
conducted on ecocritical studies globally.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Ideologies in Twitter Posts on #EndSARS and Nigeria's 2023 General Elections

2024-06-21T10:38:43+00:00

Nigerian youths have at various times embarked and participated in
protests to register their displeasure at some government policies
through engaging in physical and media movements. For example,
'Occupy Nigeria' one of the notable protests, was staged by these youth
to protest the proposed increment in the prices of petroleum products by
physically occupying streets and government facilities in 2012
following the design of Occupy Wall Street movement in the US.
Another prominent protest, #endSARS in 2020 was staged by the
youths in virtually all the states of Nigeria over police manhandling of
citizens. It is adjudged to be a coordinated protest which involved most
Nigerian youths. Police brutality on Nigerians has increased
exponentially leading to extra-judicial killings in some instances.
Public outcries against the excesses of the police have gone unheeded.
In order to pacify the public, the police authorities had at various times
in the past announced the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad (SARS) in principle. This study critically examines the discourse
of posts by Nigerian youths resident in the country on Twitter in the
#endSARS protests of 2020 and its implications for the 2023 general elections. Data analysis is based on van Dijk's ideological discourse
analysis. Findings reveal the use of a variety of discursive structures and
strategies to express ideological beliefs based on negative
lexicalization, hyperbole, compassion, apparent altruism, apparent
honesty, negative comparison, warning, and norm and value violation
among others.

Effective Communication: An Emphasis on Clarity

2024-06-21T15:32:37+00:00

Communication is a process of shared meaning. When meaning is not
understood in a communication context the whole essence of
communicating with someone is lost due to gap in the process. This
paper attempts to fill the gap which is responsible for obscurity in
meaning and failure in sharing clear and understandable messages in
many of our communication endeavours. It is a discourse analysis of
selected writing problems that hinder clarity in writing and make our
communication ineffective. It is hinged on the three-part theories of
Cognitive Load, Cognitive Learning, and Cognitive Bias. The aim is to
comment on the importance of clarity in the very nature of
communication and re-emphasize its worth for human survival. The
paper appraises the linear, interactive and transactional conceptions of
the communication art. The research randomly assembles some factors
that affect clarity and constitute barrier to effective communication in
daily encounters using documentary and discourse approaches. The
results of the field selection uncover some salient principles and
anatomy of effective communication based on clarity. The field
outcome reveals the need to take clarity seriously if our communication must be devoid of misunderstanding, rift and rancour. Hence the report
stresses the need for a sender of message to have clear purpose for
conveying messages which are received, interpreted and understood by
the receiver exactly as intended by the sender in such a way that both
(sender and receiver) are satisfied and happy with the communication
outcome. The paper recommends a checklist to keep our
communication simple, easy to read, understand and to the point.