161,912 research outputs found
Proletarian Philosophy in Selected Plays by Ola Rotimi
No full textThe early plays of Ola Rotimi are literary works in which Rotimi places an emphasis on the position of the gods in man’s life. They are plays in which the concept of tragedy is portrayed through the eyes of noble people. They are plays in which Rotimi places an emphasis on the nobility of birth of the protagonists. His later plays, however, put an emphasis on the proletariat. This article examines the Marxist aesthetics and ideology in Ola Rotimi’s If: A Tragedy of the Ruled 1983 and Hopes of the Living Dead 1988. It reflects on Rotimi’s ideological departure into revolutionary drama in his later plays compared to such earlier plays as The Gods Are Not To Blame 1979, Kurunmi 1971 and Ovonranwem Nogbaisi 1974. The study shows that Rotimi stresses the importance of the proletariat in society as reflected in If: A Tragedy of the Ruled 1983 and Hopes of the Living Dead 1988. The paper argues that Rotimi’s acceptance of a new vision of commitment as revealed in the plays is an act of intellectual decolonisation. The paper concludes that Rotimi wrote these particular plays with the conscious aim of not only representing society as it is, but also with the aim of presenting society as it ought to be.The early plays of Ola Rotimi are literary works in which Rotimi places an emphasis on the position of the gods in man’s life. They are plays in which the concept of tragedy is portrayed through the eyes of noble people. They are plays in which Rotimi places an emphasis on the nobility of birth of the protagonists. His later plays, however, put an emphasis on the proletariat. This article examines the Marxist aesthetics and ideology in Ola Rotimi’s If: A Tragedy of the Ruled 1983 and Hopes of the Living Dead 1988. It reflects on Rotimi’s ideological departure into revolutionary drama in his later plays compared to such earlier plays as The Gods Are Not To Blame 1979, Kurunmi 1971 and Ovonranwem Nogbaisi 1974. The study shows that Rotimi stresses the importance of the proletariat in society as reflected in If: A Tragedy of the Ruled 1983 and Hopes of the Living Dead 1988. The paper argues that Rotimi’s acceptance of a new vision of commitment as revealed in the plays is an act of intellectual decolonisation. The paper concludes that Rotimi wrote these particular plays with the conscious aim of not only representing society as it is, but also with the aim of presenting society as it ought to be
Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s Sacred Erotism - A portrait of black body in African diaspora
No full textIn the context of emerging debates about issues of race, diaspora, spirituality and sexuality, the art of Rotimi Fani-Kayode is characterized as a unique and provocative work to think about the black body in contemporaneity. In Fani-Kayode's photography, sexuality becomes a path that allows the ancestral encounter through the mystical experience, wheres the ritual is established as a place of reconnection with this imagined past and which reconfigures itself in the present under the distinct trait of a body in terms of its own desire. Concepts such as “between-being” and “crossroads-body” used to deal with the ambiguity through which the artist leads the black body in the image, thus proposing a new subjectivity from the central point of the crossroads. Therefore, even in this context, to deal with the dynamic, transitory and metamorphic character of the representation of the black body in Rotimi's photography, the concept of “corpo-exusíaco” manifests as a transforming pulsion and subversive potention.No contexto dos debates emergentes acerca das questões de raça, diáspora, espiritualidade e sexualidade, o trabalho artístico de Rotimi Fani-Kayode se caracteriza como uma obra singular e provocadora para pensar o corpo negro na contemporaneidade. Na fotografia de Fani-Kayode, a sexualidade torna-se um caminho que permite o reencontro ancestral por meio da experiência mística, onde o rito é estabelecido enquanto local de reconexão com esse passado imaginado e que se reconfigura no presente sob o traço distinto de um corpo em face do próprio desejo. Conceitos como entre-ser e corpo-encruzilhada, utilizados para tratar da ambiguidade pela qual o artista conduz o corpo negro na imagem, pressupõem possibilidades afirmativas frente à experiência da diáspora propondo assim uma nova subjetividade a partir do ponto central da encruzilhada. Portanto, ainda nesse contexto, para tratar do caráter dinâmico, transitório e metamórfico da representação do corpo negro na fotografia de Rotimi, o conceito de corpo-exusíaco se manifesta enquanto pulsão transformadora e potência subversiva
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Contexts and Functions of Proverbs in Selected Plays of Ola Rotimi
No full textA Dissertation in the Department of English, Submitted to the Faculty of Arts, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy of the University of IbadanProverbs describe, classify and judge a given situation with emphasis on moral/ethical recommendations. They also point to the life patterns of the society from which they are derived. Many studies have been undertaken on classification and definition of proverbs from various cultures and disciplines. Much attention has also been drawn to Ola Rotimi‘s proverbs from the point of view of pragmatics and sociolinguistics, but enough scholarly attention has not been given to the contexts in which the proverbs have been used to develop characters. Therefore, this study investigates the contexts in which proverbs have been used and how they have helped to develop dramatic characters in selected plays of Ola Rotimi. Aspects of Troike‘s Ethnography of Communication served as the theoretical framework. Three plays of Ola Rotimi which have abundant proverbs and which exhibit thematic and stylistic similarities were purposively selected. These are The Gods Are Not to Blame, Kurunmi, and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. One hundred and fifty-six proverbs were identified and selected from the three texts. The proverbs were subjected to content analysis and percentages. Proverbs in the selected plays of Ola Rotimi are used in psychological and socio-cultural contexts. The psychological contexts are characterised by philosophical, religious and crisis-induced proverbs while the socio-cultural contexts are marked by political, moral/ethical and ideological proverbs. Philosophical proverbs are peculiar to major characters in the three texts while minor characters use more of moral/ethical proverbs. Philosophical and crisis-induced proverbs point out the major characters‘ submission to fate in the face of grave socio-political challenges. Ideological proverbs point to predestination and asymmetrical relations reflected in the Yoruba social structure and gender perspectives. Moral/ethical proverbs describe minor characters‘ submission to the influence and manipulation of major characters over social, physical and psychosomatic conditions. In all the three texts, the major characters employ more proverbs than any of the other characters. Traditional title holders, warlords, and political leaders (major characters) employ more proverbs than women, servants and ordinary citizens (minor characters). Out of the 67 proverbs in The Gods Are not to Blame, 38 (56.7%) are cited by Odewale, the king of Kutuje land. Kurunmi cites 36 (53.7%) out of the 67 proverbs used in Kurunmi, while Lejoka Brown alone cites 10 (45.5%) out of the 22 proverbs used in Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. The predominant speech acts of proverbs include promising, acknowledging (in socio-cultural contexts); denying, criticising and advising (in psychological contexts), respectively performed by major characters and minor characters. Proverbs, used in psychological and socio-cultural contexts, serve to delineate characters in the selected plays of Ola Rotimi. They, thus, add profound meanings to the texts and define their socio-cultural settings. Future studies could compare the character-development potential of proverbs as demonstrated in this study with that of other major Nigerian playwrights in their major plays
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Larry O. Spencer, Conference Author Presentation
No full textGen. Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), author of Dark Horse: A Journey from the Horseshoe to the Pentago
La tragedia greca in Africa: l'Edipo re di Ola Rotimi
No full textLo studio esplora l'impatto della drammaturgia classica in Africa, attraverso un momento paradigmatico: The Gods are not to Blame (Gli dei non vanno maledetti, 1969) di Emmanuel Gladstone Rotimi, riscrittura dell'Edipo re sofocleo. Attraverso la reinterpretazione di un testo canonico della cultura occidentale, l'autore ha cercato di presentare, rappresentare, definire ed esplorare la storia e l'identità del proprio paese, la Nigeria, e della propria etnia, gli Yoruba. Il mito greco viene ridiscusso all'interno di una cornice dualistica, contemporaneamente postcoloniale e indigena, che ne permea gli stratagemmi, lo stile e i contenuti, fondendosi in una sintesi di protesta e imitazione, in una mescolanza di rivolta e conciliazione. D’altronde, la storia del rapporto tra l’Europa e l’Africa è tragicamente segnata da episodi di sofferenza, oppressione e razzismo. L’analisi condotta si dispiega attraversa una serrata comparazione, a tratti filologica, tra i due drammi, nel tentativo di evidenziarne e motivarne analogie e incongruenze. Il risultato di questa meticolosa ricognizione critica ci conduce verso un prodotto ibrido che non mistifica o neglige la sacralità classica, ma ne divelte le porte del tempio in modo tale che al suo interno si crei lo spazio per altre forme di esperienza e nuovi timbri di voce.The study explores the impact of classical dramaturgy in Africa, through a paradigmatic moment: The Gods are not to Blame (1969) by Emmanuel Gladstone Rotimi, a rewriting of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Through the reinterpretation of a canonical text of Western culture, the author sought to present, represent, define and explore the history and identity of his own country, Nigeria, and of his own ethnic group, the Yoruba. The Greek myth is rediscussed within a dualistic framework, simultaneously postcolonial and indigenous, which permeates its stratagems, style and contents, merging in a synthesis of protest and imitation, in a mixture of revolt and conciliation. On the other hand, the history of the relationship between Europe and Africa is tragically marked by episodes of suffering, oppression and racism. The analysis conducted unfolds through a close comparison, at times philological, between the two dramas, in an attempt to highlight and motivate analogies and inconsistencies. The result of this meticulous critical reconnaissance leads us towards a hybrid product that does not mystify or neglect classical sacredness, but demolishes the doors of the temple in such a way that space is created inside for other forms of experience and new timbres of voice
Measurement of agricultural mechanization index and analysis of agricultural productivity of farm settlements in Southwest Nigeria
No full textThe levels of agricultural mechanization on some farms in two states in Southwest of Nigeria were measured and the productivity of each of the surveyed farms was analyzed. Factors that lead to profitability of farm activities and whole farms were deduced. Structured questionnaire was used to establish the socio – economic characteristics, educational level, and technical knowhow of the farmers. The inventory of the farm machinery was also established at each of the farm settlements visited. Agricultural mechanization index was used to evaluate the level of agricultural mechanization while the level of productivity for each farm settlement was determined as an inverse of the work output of the explicit factors involved in production function (capital or machine and labour). Profitability of activities was measured in terms of gross margin and of whole farms. This was measured subjectively as net benefits of physical productivity (crop yield) and the returns from the resources used during production activities. The results of the farm mechanization index revealed that the average level of mechanization in Ogun and Osun States was 31.3% and 28.6%, respectively and the average level of mechanization in the two States was 30.6% while the total productivity ranges between 0.0115 ha/kWh and 0.0951 ha/kWh. The average physical productivity (crop yield) on maize ranges between 1.2 to 1.7 tons/ha and that of cassava was about 11.5 tons/ha in the two states. The sustainability analysis of the schemes indicated that inconsistency in agricultural mechanization policy, lack of favorable conditions for full integration of agricultural mechanization, lack of essential infrastructure and financial credits among other variables explained the observed low spectrum in the scale of production.Keywords: agricultural mechanization, mechanization index, agricultural productivity, farm settlement, farm machinery, settlement, sustainability Citation: Olaoye, J. O., and A. O. Rotimi. Measurement of agricultural mechanization index and analysis of agricultural productivity of farm settlements in Southwest Nigeria. Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal. 2010, 12(1): 125-134. 
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Body, ancestry, and ecstasy: reading Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s photographs in contemporary times
No full textO presente artigo aborda diferentes apropriações e representações da vida de homens negros gays, oriundos da diáspora africana e com trânsitos estabelecidos na Europa do final do século XX, a partir dos ensaios fotográficos do artista nigeriano Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989), que viveu durante muito tempo na Inglaterra do final do século XX. Busca-se, no trânsito vivido pelo artista entre África e Europa, bem como na potência das mais diversas linguagens empregadas em seus ensaios fotográficos, conferir uma leitura contemporânea sobre o corpo negro homossexual masculino a partir de um erotismo e uma espiritualidade que escapam às narrativas hegemônicas e heteronormativas, que durante muito tempo aprisionaram esses modos de ver e narrar o homem negro gay na clausura das tensões raciais, dos crimes de caráter homofóbico que ainda marcam ambos os espaços geográficos em evidência e de conflitos da ordem da sexualidade.This article addresses different appropriations and representations of the lives of Black gay men, from the African diaspora and with transits established in late twentieth-century Europe, concerning the photographic essays of the Nigerian artist Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989), who lived for a long time in late twentieth-century England. This work seeks, through the analysis of the transit experienced by the artist between Africa and Europe, as well as in the power of the most diverse languages used in his photo essays, to give a contemporary reading of the male homosexual black body based on an eroticism and spirituality that escape the hegemonic and heteronormative narratives that have long imprisoned these ways of seeing and narrating Black gay men in the enclosure of racial tensions, homophobic crimes and conflicts of other order of sexuality
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