The Idea of Interconnectedness in Igbo Subaltern Knowledges: A Quest for Identity in Response to Modernity

Modernity could not have come to Africa without a substantial disruption of premodern thought-patterns and ways of life of African people. This is true of the Igbo people of Nigeria, which forms the context of this research. In their case, modernity comes with all-ramifying transformations that resulted in identity crises. The term 'identity' is here used in the widest possible sense of a people's entire way of life. Identity is not fixed; it could undergo transformations. This disruption that modernity represents calls for a 'home-grown' response on the part of the Igbo people, a response that may form part of a larger quest for identity and a balanced modernity. To be effective and worthwhile, this response must draw on Igbo modes of knowing and social imaginaries. Therefore, this work explores the idea of interconnectedness, an important element of Igbo thought-pattern or mode of knowing, in the belief that it could serve this purpose. It argues that the solidarity that derives from the sense of interconnectedness as a mode of knowing could be built into the Igbo modernization process, and that the result would be a more balanced and wholesome modernity. To buttress this argument, the work demonstrates that this particular sense of solidarity is indeed compatible with modern realities and ideals while at the same time able to furnish some equilibrating dimensions.

Publication year:2021

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