Villanova Journal of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities

AN APPRAISAL OF THE PLACE OF AFRICAN CULTURES IN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CURRICULAR REFORMS FROM INDEPENDENCE TO DEMOCRACY IN BENIN REPUBLIC

Flavien Dossou Lanmantchion — 2020-04-12

This paper examines the value granted to African cultures by different curricular reforms in Benin Republic from the early Independence EFL curricula to those of the period of democracy. Using a documentation review, the study reveals a neglect of African cultural aesthetics in EFL curricular reforms. School, as well as home, should promote the values and norms of learners‟ native cultures.

Cette étude se propose d‘évaluer la place accordée à la culture africaine dans les curricula de l‘anglais langue étrangère depuis la période des indépendances jusqu‘à l‘ère démocratique en République du Bénin. Une étude documentaire a été effectuée pour faciliter la dite évaluation. Il ressort que les valeurs culturelles africaines sont quasi absentes dans les dites réformes sur toutes les périodes de l‘étude. L‘école et la maison devraient promouvoir les valeurs et normes endogènes dans les curricula.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND MIGRATION: DRAWING THE LINES AND MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu — 2020-04-12

This paper has argued that there is a relationship between climate change and migration. It was discovered that most times, climate change results in migration at both local, regional and internationally levels. It may result into temporal or permanent migration. While it is important for local communities to come together to work out modalities of solving climate change problems, there is need on the part of the government to systematically align climate and development policies, aiming at poverty reduction, food security as well as effective structures dealing with climate change. This will go a long way in the aspect of climate-migration relationship. This paper finally suggested that local communities need to come together to alleviate climate change problems; not constantly waiting for the regional and international levels all the time. In some cases, help from the government may not come very fast, while affected communities continue to suffer.

VARIABLES RELATED TO ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Immaculata Olu Omojola — 2020-04-12

The study examined Variables Related to Administrative Effectiveness in Higher Institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The relationship between planning and administrative effectiveness, procrastination and administrative effectiveness were discussed. The sample for the study was 150 administrators and 300 academic and non-academic staff, who rated the administrators. They were selected using simple random and purposive random sampling techniques. An instrument tagged „Questionnaire on Variables Related to Administrative Effectiveness in Higher Institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria (QVR) (For Administrators)‟ and „Questionnaire on Administrative Effectiveness in Higher Institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria (For Academic and Non - Academic staff)‟ (QAE) was used. The data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson‟s product moment correlation analysis. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Face and content were used to establish the validity of the Instrument. To ascertain the reliability of the instruments, the split half method was used. They were found to be 0.84 and 0.87 for (QVR) and (QAE) respectively. The findings revealed that there were relationships planning and procrastination were greatly related to administrative effectiveness. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that administrators of higher institutions like Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, Registrars, Bursars, Librarians, Directors of Programme, Assistant Director of Programme and Heads of departments should be more conscious of deadlines to avoid piling up of administrative work.

HUMANITIES AND OTHER KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS: A DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAY TO EXCELLENCE

Abisola O. Taiwo — 2020-04-12

The success of any discipline depends on one or two fields in the humanities, as it covers every part of the society from the past, present to the future for efficiency and development. In fact, humanities itself is life, as it revolves around the world and people therein. The paper aimed at finding out the synergy that exists between humanities and other fields (Science, Engineering, Technology and Social Sciences), so as to demonstrate the importance of humanities as a passage to other discipline‟s excellence which can be illustrated as „The oesophagus that carries the food to its destination; the stomach.‟ It is evident that in one way or the other, language has been a tool for transmitting knowledge to other domains. More so, history and critical reasoning play a foremost role in any experiment, innovation, or research as these will act as the chain to be connected for the sustainability and development of the result aimed at. Therefore, for a machine to be built, an ailment to get a cure, an application to be designed and implemented, or an account to be calculated, one must understand the origin, do a critical thinking and correctly interpret every detail, to avoid disaster and futility of efforts. SPSS was used to analyse the data gotten from 60 respondents, where six variables (Communication Skills, Critical Thinking, Personal and Spiritual Development, Cultural Heritage, Social Values and Virtues, Aesthetic Appreciation) were listed to be arranged in hierarchy of importance to their field. The result showed that Communication Skills has the highest value followed by Critical Thinking. This paper has made known that humanities are the backbone of other discipline. Consequently, other domains should be serious with the infusion of humanities courses to their curricula for better output.

PORTRAYAL OF YORUBA TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN AWARI OMO ODUDUWA PROGRAMME OF MITV

Oladimeji Simon Pinheiro — 2020-04-12

African culture intertwined with religion which makes religion permeates into all aspects of life, which made impossible to isolate. This study therefore examined how the television programmes has portrayed the Yoruba traditional belief system, and as well analyzed the controversies in the representation of Yoruba Traditional Religion on television and in tandem to the actual practice of Yoruba Traditional Religion. The study was anchored on Media-Society Theory of Functionalism. It explains that, mass communication can be considered as both a „societal‟ and a „cultural‟ phenomenon and also as part of the structure of society, and its technological infrastructure is part of the economic and power base, while the ideas, images and information disseminated by the media are evidently an important aspect of our culture. The Study also anchored on Culturalist Theory. The study adopted the ethnographic research design with the use of key-informants interview and content analysis to elicit in-depth information needed. A collection of some recorded episodes of the programme and interviews were analyzed to ascertain the extent it has portrayed the belief system of Yoruba traditional religion. The finding revealed that media owners have not seen relevance of promoting such programmes on their stations, the rites and ritual practices of the Yoruba traditional religion on which the belief system is anchored on are not permitted to be broadcast due to NBC law. The findings further revealed that presenters and producers of the Yoruba traditional religion programmes on Television are not core worshipers or traditionalist of the religion which pave way for misrepresentation. The researchers therefore recommend that National Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC) is to make better policies and laws that will make the african religion practices to be aired by media stations, which would have given opportunity to the audience to understand the belief system of Yoruba traditional religion. And also the core practitioners should be core producers and presenters of Yoruba traditional religion programmes.

RISK MANAGEMENT: A PREVENTIVE MEASURE FOR NATIONAL DISASTER

Esther O. ABIMBOLA — 2020-04-12

Every developing and under-developing countries of the world in which Nigeria is not left out are aiming for a total transformation in order to lead to all round development. Natural transformation and development are essential factors needed for the growth of any individual, family, cooperate bodies and the society at large. Risks which take different forms and are numerous across all facets of life require proper planning and management for effectiveness and advancement in the society. The purpose of this write up is to identify risk management as an important means for national transformation and development against risk of any form. Due to inadequate distribution of resources and social vices across the nation, risk such as insecurity, ill-health issues, poverty, bribery and corruption etc abound at every level of the society. Therefore, risk management serves as a controlling factor against every type of risk. The paper is an exploratory review on risk management where it has been deduced that there is the need to revisit the way things are done in the country in which the solution rest in risk management so as to add value and quality to the citizens. It is advisable for every nation to request the help of risk management personnel for the growth of the nation‟s administration.

BUSINESS ETHICS AS A TOOL FOR ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH

Ngunan Helen Iorliam — 2020-04-12

There is growing recognition that good ethics can have a positive economic impact on the performance of organizations. Many statistics support the premise that ethics, values, integrity and responsibility are required in the modern workplace. As a result of behavioral and financial scandals, corporate fraud and unethical issues, the importance of Business ethics in modern day business organization has been brought to light. The growth of business organization relies on its sound ethical code of conduct to guide both management and employees in its daily activities. The study, therefore, examined the relationship between business ethics and organizational growth. It also explains the concept of ethical code of conduct for a more productive workplace. The study was descriptive in nature. The result therefore showed that the application of ethical code of conduct is a by-product of organizational growth.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND BEHAVIOURIAL CHANGES OF ELECTORATES DURING 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN NIGERIA

Oladimeji Simon Pinheiro — 2020-04-12

The use of social media to rally support during electioneering process is no longer in doubt, to advance the conversation and mobilize political supports. Social media has become a strong political tool for campaigning strategists. Nigerian politicians indeed, have taken their campaigns to the social networking sites and other online platforms while the electorates also have embraced the platform as a vehicle of activities for political engagement, within the election period, political aspirants were disposing of all means to gear up their support based beyond traditional forms of media, following the realization that electioneering process requires more than just handshake and physical persuasion. The study was anchored on the theoretical framework of technological determinism, it explains new media technologies in communication that it would soon determine social changes, turning the world into a global village. Also, grounded on the Agenda-setting theory of the mass media, the theory opined that the media set agenda for the public to follow. The study adopted quantitative research approach, surveyed 150 respondents purposively drawn from Students of Mass Communication Department, Interlink Polytechnic, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, and used the questionnaire as instrument of data collection. The percentage method was also used to analyse data. Findings of the study show that usage of social media for electioneering greatly influenced the electorates behavior towards voting pattern for their preferred candidates during 2015 general election. Also, it revealed that, the two leading political parties in Nigeria did use the social media much in the electioneering campaigns of the 2015 elections, and the candidates of the two leading political parties utilised the social media and other platforms to engage the electorates more than traditional media. Lastly the activities they disseminated in the social media bordered mainly on announcement of programmes, personalities of the party flag bearers and their manifestoes. The researcher recommended more proactive and continual use of the social media platforms by the Political Aspirants, leading political parties and all registered parties in Nigeria.

MIGRATION AND CHILDREN

Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu — 2020-04-12

The involvement of children in migration remains a major issue in the migration discourse. It is very vital for Governments and civil society organizations to pay attention to migrant children who are forced to isolate themselves from home and family ties because of situations. This can be done by providing security and economic strength, education, and health initiatives, building a robust, responsive, and child protection system security and economic strength that offers a powerful tool in preventing dangerous migration. The paper discusses children and migration in relation to education, health and welfare. It was established that insecurity and natural disaster may be some of the factors responsible for migration of children. They are therefore exposed to psychological trauma of separation from their homes. Also, they suffer mental and physical injuries that result from malnutrition, lack of medical attention, sexual and physical abuse, forced labour, and they eventually drop out of schools. It was then suggested that proper system that responds to children affairs and prevent them from dangerous migration should be set up by the government.