Assessment of Roles of Nollywood Movies in Preservation and Diffusion of Benin Culture

ABSTRACT

The Benin culture is one of the great historical African cultures which have lost its values to westernization. Amongst other media related preservative tools, movies have been found to be one of the best ways to educate, influence and preserve culture and this is why this research was conducted to study the role of Nollywood movies in the preservation and diffusion of the Benin culture. Although several attempts have been made by researchers to study the cultural preservation of different ethnic groups through Nollywood movies, none of them was found to have adequately put Benin culture into consideration. To determine the role of Nollywood in preservation and diffusion of Benin culture, 250 Benin respondents were examined through the use of questionnaire. Over three quarter of the respondents state that Nollywood movies have the ability to preserve Benin culture but these movies are not made for this purpose and as such they tend to promote western culture in place of Benin cultures. They misrepresent, dilute and negatively portray the culture that they ought to preserve. This result implies that the Nollywood filmmakers need to be enlightened on the role of their movies in the preservation of Benin culture so that they can consciously make movies that will serve this purpose.

LIST OF FIGURES ….………………………………..…………..……..  XI

ABSTRACT ……..………….………………………….……….……...  XII

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study ……………………………………………,..  1

1.2 Statement of the problem ……………………………………………..  5

1.3 Objectives of the Study ……………………………………………….  6

1.3.1 General Objective ……………………………………………………  6

1.3.2 Specific Objectives …………………………………………………  6

1.4 Research Questions ……………………………………………………  6

1.5 Significance of the Study ……………………………………………..  7

1.6 Scope of the Study ……………………………………………………  7

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms ………………………………………  7

1.8 Organization of the study………………………………………………  7

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical Framework ……………………………..…………………  9

2.1.1 The Cultural Imperialism Theory …………………..………………..  9

2.1.2 The Cultural Hegemony Theory ……………………..…………….  14

2.2 Conceptual Review …………………………………….………….....  19

2.2.1 Film as a medium of Communication ………………..….…………  19

2.2.2 The role of Film in preserving culture ……………………………...  20

2.2.3 The History and Culture of the Benin People ……….…………..…  25

2.3 Empirical Reports Review …………………………….……………..  31

2.4 Summary of Literature ………………………………..……………..  32

CHAPTER THREE: METHODS OF STUDY

3.1 Research Design ………………………..…………………………….  34

3.2 Purpose of Study ……………………..….…………………………..  34

3.3 Sample Size and Sampling technique ……………………………..…  34

3.4 Research Instrument ………………………………………………....  34

3.5 Validity of Research Instrument ……………………………………..  35

3.6 Reliability of the Questionnaire ……………………………..………  35

3.6.1 Test ……………………………………..………………..…………  36

3.6.2 Retest …………………………………………....…………………  36

3.7 Methods of Administration of the Questionnaire ………………….…  36

3.8 Methods of Data Analysis ……………………..………………….…  36

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSES AND RESULTS

4.1Analyses of the Field Performance of the Questionnaire ……..……  37

 

CHAPTER FIIVE:SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary of the Study ………………………………….……………  53

5.2 Limitations of the Study ……………………………………………  55

5.3 Conclusions of the Study …………………………………………...  55

5.4 Recommendations ……………………………………………………  56

5.4.1 Recommendations to Study-Specific stakeholders ……………….  56

5.4.2 Recommendations for further studies ………….…………………..  57

References ……………………..…………………………………………  58

Appendix …………………..…………………………………………….  63

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF TABLES

4.1   Analyses of the Field Performance of the Questionnaire           37

4.2   Distribution of Respondents by Sex                                         38

4.3   Distribution of Respondents by Age                                        38

4.4   Distribution of Respondents by Marital Status                        38

4.5   Distribution of Respondents by Academic Qualification                   39

4.6   Distribution of Respondents by Occupation                                      39

4.7   Distribution of Respondents on whether or not Nollywood

        movies promote Benin culture                                                  40

4.8     Distribution of Respondents on the aspects of Benin

culture that are reflected in Nollywood movies                       40

4.9     Distribution of Respondents on how often Television media

          airs Nollywood movies that promote Benin culture                         40

4.10   Distribution of respondents on the factors that influence

          poor portrayal of Benin culture in Nollywood movies            42

4.11   Distribution of respondents on whether cultural dilution is

          one of the problems of Benin cultural preservation in

          Nollywood movies                                                                            42

4.12   Distribution of Respondents on whether the negligence

of Nollywood filmmakers to Benin culture contributed

to the problem facing her cultural preservation                       43

4.13   Distribution of respondents on the way that Nollywood

portrays the Benin culture                                                       45

4.14  Distribution of respondents on whether Nollywood aims

          to preserve Benin culture through its movies                                    45

 

4.15  Distribution of Respondents on whether Nollywood movies

          have made the Benin culture more popular to the world                  46

4.16 Distribution of Respondents on whether films can affect the

        cultural belief of Benin people                                                  48

4.17 Distribution of respondents on whether film can increase

        the knowledge and practice of Benin culture                                      48

4.18 Distribution of Respondents on the aspects of Benin culture

        that has been promoted in the film industry                                      48

4.19 Distribution of Respondents on whether Nollywood

        misrepresents the Benin culture in films                                   50

4.20 Distribution of Respondent on the aspects of Benin culture

        that Nollywood pay attention                                                  50

4.21 Distribution of Respondents on how many films portray

        Benin culture in every 5 Benin films watched                                    51

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF FIGURES

1. The Benin Hierarchical Organogram                                             29