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TELEVISION AS A MEANS OF CULTURAL PROMOTION IN OUR INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

Television is regarded as one of the most powerful modern means of mass media communication. The will power usually ascribed to this medium stem from its audio-visual properties. The impact of television on humans, the young ones in particular cannot be over – emphasized. Donald and Christine (1991) say that television exerts powerful influence on the way people perceive, think, and ultimately act.  It determines the behavioural or attitudinal nature of a person to a large extent. Dennis and Kraus (1996) opine that television shapes our thinking, influences our attitudes and opinions and contributes towards particular behaviour such as voting and buying certain goods. Little wonder, it is generally believed that the mass media communications are veritable agents of socialization. Dominick (1993) says that the media play a significant role in socialization (as cited in John, 2017).

From the above it can be inferred that most evil acts displayed by the youths are as a result of things they watched on TV and how badly it has influenced them badly making the society prone to violence. Research have shown that the average Nigerian child watches thousands of dramatized murders and other acts of violence on television. For many years, psychologists have debated the question of whether watching violence on television has detrimental effects on children. A number of experiments, both inside and outside the laboratories, have found evidence that viewing television violence increases aggression in children (Akindele & Lamidi, 2001).

It is a fact that majority of the foreign programmes shown on NTA, Cable Television, Cartoon network, ESPN – Expanded Sports programmes Network Channel, among others, provided by various satellite transmission operators as DSTV, Multi-TV, MyTV, and so on are sweet enemies. As a result of this, Nigerians have continued to raise eye-brows at the foreign television programmes, as they make the youth behave like television characters. A lot of the programmes are presented by youth and replete with music video of Western origin dominated by musical stars as (Late) Tupac, Beyonce, Ashanti, 50-cent, Sean Paul, Kelly Rowland, Celine Dion, among others. It is the researcher’s belief that television, especially American television exports, has a strategic “weapon” aimed at overpowering the cultural values of Nigerian youth. The Nigerian Communications Commission is not living up to the expectation in terms of curbing the excess of these communication outfits. This is due to the fact that majority of the outfits are owned by politicians and private individuals (as cited in John, 2017).

Culture is an infinite term that encompasses the way of life of a people. Osho (2010) is of the view that it is a term derived from the Latin word “cultural” stemming from “colere”, meaning “to cultivate”. The concept has been defined in various ways by different scholars for it is a wide phenomenon. According to Osho (2010), the duo of Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of culture, and this has increased tremendously overtime (John, 2017).

The following are some of the definitions presented by scholars. Culture is defined as the sum total of knowledge, attitudes and habitual behaviour patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society. Gelles and Levina (1991) perceive culture as how members of a society share certain basic ideas about how the world works, what is important in life, how technology is to be used and what their artifacts and their actions mean. Oke (2002) simply refers to culture as the distinctive way of life of a group of people, their complete design for living. It should be noted that it is dynamic, learned, acquired, transmitted or diffused through contacts or communication from one generation to another. The Nigerian culture is observed to be fading out as a result of the acceptance and adaptation of the modernist’s solution to underdevelopment. However, this current study attempts to investigate the influence that television programmes have made on promoting awareness of indigenous cultural practices among the Gbagyi people in Minna, Niger State.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

The exponential increase of cable networks in 1997 as cited in Page and Crawley (2001) largely influenced the perceptions of young adults who are said to be the highest viewers of TV programmes. This became obvious in their behavioural conducts in terms of dressing, eating habits, greeting styles, professional pursuits, make-ups, attitudinal relational patterns and among other relatives. Thus, a conflict aroused between Nigeria indigenous cultures and televised western values. However, in an attempt to correct and revive the society through culture, the television medium becomes the best outlet to achieve this. Television as a major medium of communication gives the required and needed information that informs and educate the people about their culture through series of programs as documentation, dramas, talk show, music and the likes. Such programs to a large extent is expected to promote cultural values, norms and ethics of the society. Television shows also help promote values that transform Nigeria culture. One of the goal of this research is targeted at making the society a better place and this we intend to achieve by considering television programmes that showcase ways and manners in which culture can be taught and revived to ensure a better society for all and sundry. It is against this backdrop that this study delves to find out the level of influence that television programmes have exercised in promoting the awareness of indigenous cultural practices among the Gbagyi people in Minna, Niger State.

1.3    Aim and Objectives of the Study

The general aim of this study is to understand the level of awareness created by Television in promoting indigenous cultural practices among Gbagyi people in Minna, Niger State.  

1.    To find out the level of awareness of indigenous cultural practices on Television programmes among Gbagyi people in Minna.

2.    To find out the extent to which the TV programmes promotes Nigeria’s indigenous cultural values among Gbagyi people in Minna.

3.    To find out the level of exposure of Gbagyi people to foreign Television cultural programmes.

4.    To determine the level of TV programmes that focus on promoting the indigenous cultures.

5.    To determine the rate of local to foreign content on NTA Minna and Niger State Television (NSTV).

1.4    Research Questions

This research should answer the following questions;

1.    What is the level of awareness of indigenous cultural practices on TV programmes among Gbagyi people in Minna?

2.    To what extent does Television programmes promote Nigeria‟s indigenous cultural values among Gbagyi people in Minna?

3.    What is the level of exposure of Gbagyi people to foreign Television cultural programmes? 

4.    What is the level of Television programmes that focuses on promoting the indigenous cultures? 

5.    What is the rate of local to foreign content on NTA Minna and Niger State Television (NSTV)?

1.5   Significance of the Study

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.6   Scope of the Study

This study is on television as a means of cultural promotion in our indigenous environment. The study will be conducted in gbagi cultural practices in Minna, Niger State.

1.7   Limitations of the Study

The demanding schedule of respondents at work made it very difficult getting the respondents to participate in the survey. As a result, retrieving copies of questionnaire in timely fashion was very challenging. Also, the researcher is a student and therefore has limited time as well as resources in covering extensive literature available in conducting this research. Information provided by the researcher may not hold true for all businesses or organizations but is restricted to the selected organization used as a study in this research especially in the locality where this study is being conducted. Finally, the researcher is restricted only to the evidence provided by the participants in the research and therefore cannot determine the reliability and accuracy of the information provided.

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.8   Definition of Terms

Television: This is an audio-visual device that is used for conveying messages from a source to a large and heterogeneous audience.

Culture: Culture is a word for people's 'way of life, meaning the way groups do things. Different groups of people may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation through learning.

Transformation: This connotes a complete change of something from one stage to the other.

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