CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1       Background to the study

            Culture entails peoples’ way of life. Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, belief, values, attitudes meanings, hierarchies, religion, notion of time, roles, concept of the universe, and material objects, possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generation through individual and groups striving.

            Culture is the system of knowledge shared by a relative large group of people. Culture is communication and communication is culture, culture according to Aguene (2003) is “all the qualities which group mend together and distinguish them from the rest of the animal kingdom’

            Lawal, A.T. (2000) quoted Edward Tylor who defines culture “as that complex whole of man’s acquisition of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, custom and any other capabilities and ability acquired by man as a member of the society” the above definitions shows that culture is what distinguishes human from animals. Also culture gives the identity of a particular group of people, because through a given peoples culture, one can easily point out where his fellow man came from just as pointed out in the word.

            Culture is the total way of life of a people, culture can also be defined as the identity through which a particular set of people are identified. Irrespective of the high level of civilization or modernization or low level of civilization every society has its totality way of life, that is simply refers to as culture. This pattern or way of life is carried on from one generation to another. It is technically and naturally impacted on to the young one’s through various agent of socialization of which mass media (radio) is one.

            Radio plays an important role on the Nigeria culture compared to all other media of mass communication. This is because of the incomparable characteristics it posses. Radio is more portable and it can be carried to almost every place such as room, kitchen, toilet, office, market even on the farm land. This era also make radio more portable and relatively cheap has almost all the mobile phones now come with radio features that make cultural programme available to people.

             Radio also has the widest coverage compared to all other media. It is the most common among the literates and illiterates in the society, as a result of its simplicity in language, and ability to communicate in various languages in society like Nigeria. Radio programmes come in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, and all forms of local languages.

            Some of the cultural orientated programmes on radio include but not limited to discussion programme, talk show, quiz/debate, personality interview, live coverage of carnival such as Abuja Carnival, Lagos Carnival, Oluyole carnival Ibadan, tourism and traditional festival like Osun Osogbo, Eyo festival in Lagos, Crown Festival in Ojo town Osun state and Ifon Osun, Obalufon Festival in Ido-Osun, Sango festival in Ede, Olojo festival in Ile-Ife, New yam festival. Ikiriji War Camp Site, Obatala festival etc. other aspect given prominence attention is dressing, hair style, greeting, music, arts and dying, foods and drinks etc. It is against this backdrop that the research examines the role of radio in propagating Yoruba culture.     

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