The family as basis of social order: insights from the Yoruba traditional culture
The family as basis of social order: insights from the Yoruba traditional culture

Summary/Abstract: Western form of civilization, which has afforded every nook and cranny of the world the opportunity to witness advancements in various facets of life, is accompanied by orientations which destroy traditional efforts – like the family systems – that engendered peace in various societies; and thus, with high-tech advancements today, the quest for social order is more pronounced than ever before. This paper interrogates the Yoruba traditional culture with a view to account for the role of the family system in achieving social order. Thus, it proceeds with a critical analysis of the idea of the family and the family system in Yoruba traditional society. It examines the notion of social order for the purpose of invoking a clear and distinct working understanding of the term. In order to achieve the set objectives identified above, this paper employs the trio methodology of translation, interpretation, and critical analysis. The translation and interpretation methods are employed as viable approaches to interrogate the oral texts with which we shall partly be dealing with; and the critical analysis method is adopted to achieve the twin goals of clarity and simplification of both the oral and the written literatures at our disposal. In the light of the above, this paper invigorates a discourse on the Yoruba traditional culture, and specifically unveils the importance of the family system within the culture in achieving social order. It seeks to bring into focus the impacts of the family in the society within the ambit of the Yoruba philosophical traditions, and how this matters in engendering social order.

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