The transnational intellectual in contemporary Nigerian literature

[摘要] English: This thesis investigates the effects of globalisation on identity formation and how thisspecifically impacts on the ability of the intellectual to function in Nigerian society as presentedin three contemporary Nigerian novels. Chris Abani's Grace/and (2004), Chimamanda NgoziAdichie's Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) and Sefi Arta's Everything Good Will Come (2006) areexamined in terms of the Afropolitan and Afrotransnational identities that Nigerians developthrough their encounters with and participation in the globalising processes, namely throughcirculation and transformation (Ashcroft, 2009). These identities correlate with the extent towhich intellectuals are able to address the right audience with a message relevant to their contextand concerns and delivering this message effectively so as to affect a positive change in societyas required by Said (1994). The degree to which intellectuals fulfil these three requirementsdetermines whether they are labelled academics or vernacular intellectuals. The former consistsof those intellectuals who exhibit an Afropolitan identity which often causes them to usepredominantly western concepts and perspectives to define and explain African problems. Theyalso seldom go beyond discussing and theorising the causes and effects of problems in Africa.Even when they are able to come up with solutions, they rarely translate this into practicalintellectual activity with others. On the other hand, vernacular intellectuals exhibitAfrotransnational identities. Afrotransnational refers to the unique African expression oftransnationalism that Africans, and specifically Nigerians in this case, develop as they consumeand transform global products and ideas within the local. This enable intellectuals to draw fromboth western and African knowledge, perspectives and practices and combine them in a mannerthat allows them to work towards finding solutions for African problems. Vernacularintellectuals are also able to meaningfully engage a wider audience in a manner that mobilisesthem to take action that subverts and resists oppression. The Nigerian context with its militarypowereddictators complicates the function of the intellectual as they disallow activeparticipation by members of society in the public sphere. Intellectuals, and indeed all member ofsociety, are consequently forced to either remain silent in the face of injustice and oppression,making them complicit; taking revolutionary action in speaking the truth to power, which putstheir lives at risk; or finding alternative ways of resisting oppression. Functioning as vernacular intellectuals is further complicated for women in Nigeria. Like their male counterparts, they toohave to fulfil all three Said's (1994) requirements and have to overcome the effects ofdewomanisation (Sofola, 1998) which renders them unable to effectively engage with women'sissues in Nigeria due to their western education. The development of an Afrotransnationalidentity enables them to combine the knowledge and practices from both sides of the urban andrural divide to address women's issues. Women also have particular challenges in negotiatingthis divide between the urban, modem and rural, traditional spaces in Nigeria. Patriarchal societystill imposes certain limitations on women's role in the home and society which affects theextent to which they are allowed to function as vernacular intellectuals. Women can find ways ofliberating themselves from the limitations of motherhood and the kitchen by using these to theirown advantage, but the use of customary law alongside civil law still disempowers women to alarge extent in Nigeria. It is imperative that men and women collaborate in allowing women thefreedom to function as intellectuals in both the public and private spheres.

[发布机构] University of the Free State