A PROPOSED CASE STUDY OF THE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR OF AFRICANS TOWARDS

THEIR CULTURE AFTER ACQUIRING THE WESTERN EDUCATION IN SELECTED

AFRICAN NOVELS: ARE AFRICANS TRULY ACQUIRING A CIVILISED WAY OF LIFE?

Introduction
Many Africans react negatively towards their traditions or culture after acquiring
the western education. Many believe that the acquisition of western education is
a form of freedom from the barbaric, native, and uncivilized lives the feel they
have been living. This attitude of Africans has posed a lot of unanswered
questions. Are Africans truly acquiring a more civilized way of life? Or are they
running away from the more civilized way of life? The feeling of acquiring a
civilized way of life after going through the western education is very much
ironical in my view. Most Africans believe that by subjecting to family planning,
speaking the white man’s language, dressing in the white man’s garment is the
only way to gain civilization. On the contrary, their native language becomes
vernacular, their cultures and traditions become archaic, barbaric,
excommunicated and uncivilized way of life. It is very much evident that even if an
African gets a quality degree in the western education or becomes so fluent in
speaking the Queen’s Language, he will always be considered as a second class
citizen in the white man’s land and English Language will never serve as his
mother tongue.
Interestingly, the cultures and traditions which most Africans are now regarding as
archaic, barbaric, excommunicated, etc. are glittering in the eyes of the white
race. People from Europe and other parts of the world pay huge amount of money
to come admire and understand the African traditions. This is because they know
that Africa is very rich in traditions. Africa is one of the best nations people visit
for tourism. Our historical oral tradition, music and poetry, dance, traditional
African mask, art and sculpture to name but a few are still admired globally.
Despite the fact that the whites are trying all they could to dwindle the value of
African traditions through the western education, and the feeble minds of
Africans, some wise ones are still upholding to their ways of life just like the
whites do. Two weeks ago Spain and England organized a cattle feast in order to
celebrate their traditions. Did any African regard that as archaic or barbaric? Why
should Africans devalue their traditions in exchange for a foreign way of life. This
is very much unfair.

Statement of Problem
Many Africans forswear their traditions due to immigration, poverty, pride,
education etc. Most of them take the western education to be specific as a form
of relief from the barbaric, excommunicated, archaic, and evil ways of life they
propose to have been living. Ironically, the new way of life which they consider to
be the only form of civilization creates more challenges for them. The challenge of
living as a second class citizen in a foreign land is enough to make Africans value
their ways of life. No matter how smart you disguise yourself in the white man’s
traditions, you will always be a black and an African.

Aims and Objective

The undermentioned are the aims and objectives of this work:
To help Africans know the beauty and value of their traditions.
To help Africans know the essence of upholding their values in the midst of
western education.
To help Africans positively implement the western values in their African societies.
To portray that the perception of the whites and some Africans who have acquired
their education should not tempt others to devalue their traditions.
To showcase that an African will remain an African no matter the level of western
education he acquires.

Justification
This work helps in changing the wrong perception of most Africans who believe
that the western values are the only civilized ways of life. The African traditions
are also very rich and admirable. Therefore, we should learn to uphold them.
Research Method
The research method is based on books, personal interviews with one of the writers
of the selected novels, hopefully online; articles, book reviews on the internet on
the topic under study and other relevant internet materials related to the topic.

Limitation
The work is limited to five selected African novels.

Work Plan
This work is divided into five chapters.
Chapter one covers the introduction, statement of problem, aims and objectives,
justification, research methods, limitation and work plan.
Chapter two consists of literature review.
Chapters three and four comprise the challenges Africans encounter in their
societies when they decide to devalue their traditions in favor of the so called
western civilization in the selected African novels.
Chapter five entails the conclusion and recommendation.