Igbo Tribe Analysis
Political Roles of the Igbo Tribe
In the southeastern portion of Nigeria lies one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, the Igbo. They have a patriarchal society which directly influences their system of government. In addition to this, the tribe is very tight-knit. They often come together as a village to discuss pressing issues, which can be seen in the book Things Fall Apart. However, the way in which they form opinions and make decisions is in direct relation to specific members of the tribe who hold authority; the men, women, and gods all serve a different purpose in the diplomacy of the Igbo tribe.
To begin, men have a very prominent role in Igbo politics. They typically lead the way and set the scene for trials. As described in Things …show more content…
Stated in an analysis of the book Things Fall Apart, "...the elders are simply carrying out what their wisdom tells them is the will of the gods" "A more direct way of interpreting the will of the gods is via the Oracles. They receive messages and tell the people what the gods want. " (Vee). Although the "jury" is comprised of mere mortals, they still refer back to their gods for wisdom, guidance, and concrete decisions. This is done through members of their community called the “Oracles” who have the ability to communicate with those divine beings. Having a process of connection brings the community closer to them, and also makes it easier to seek advice and integrate the gods into their political system. Due to the incorporation and domination of the god’s judgement into their decision making process, there is no separation of church and state.
In conclusion, the men, women, and gods all work together to create the Igbo government. The men are one of the main groups of people in control; however, they fall beneath the gods in the pyramid of power. The gods are the most powerful and they have complete control and say over everything that happens. Lastly, the women are at the bottom of the pyramid, and are rarely given the opportunity to participate in politics unless they are of high status. Although they vary in degree of importance within the political system, they each play a key role in defining the government of the Igbo
In the southeastern portion of Nigeria lies one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, the Igbo. They have a patriarchal society which directly influences their system of government. In addition to this, the tribe is very tight-knit. They often come together as a village to discuss pressing issues, which can be seen in the book Things Fall Apart. However, the way in which they form opinions and make decisions is in direct relation to specific members of the tribe who hold authority; the men, women, and gods all serve a different purpose in the diplomacy of the Igbo tribe.
To begin, men have a very prominent role in Igbo politics. They typically lead the way and set the scene for trials. As described in Things …show more content…
Stated in an analysis of the book Things Fall Apart, "...the elders are simply carrying out what their wisdom tells them is the will of the gods" "A more direct way of interpreting the will of the gods is via the Oracles. They receive messages and tell the people what the gods want. " (Vee). Although the "jury" is comprised of mere mortals, they still refer back to their gods for wisdom, guidance, and concrete decisions. This is done through members of their community called the “Oracles” who have the ability to communicate with those divine beings. Having a process of connection brings the community closer to them, and also makes it easier to seek advice and integrate the gods into their political system. Due to the incorporation and domination of the god’s judgement into their decision making process, there is no separation of church and state.
In conclusion, the men, women, and gods all work together to create the Igbo government. The men are one of the main groups of people in control; however, they fall beneath the gods in the pyramid of power. The gods are the most powerful and they have complete control and say over everything that happens. Lastly, the women are at the bottom of the pyramid, and are rarely given the opportunity to participate in politics unless they are of high status. Although they vary in degree of importance within the political system, they each play a key role in defining the government of the Igbo