IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Background and Aim. This study critically examines the culture specific social functions and performance realities of some flogging- meets that existed or exists in regions of Africa. Thus, this study applies Aniago’s Theory of Vicious Performance and Geertz’s Thick Description of culture and interpretive contextualization as the preferred conceptual and analytical approaches. More so, this study examines some of the descriptions which authors variously apply in referring to flogging-meets, in a bid to rationalize on the sociological imagination attributable to such classifications. Furthermore, this study discusses the similarities and dissimilarities in social functions, performance and production processes, participants’ compositions, paraphernalia of performance and rules of engagement of the flogging-meets.
Method. This study applies a mixed methods research technique, which in line with Johnson R. B., et al, is the research approach whereby a researcher or team of researchers combine elements of qualitative and quantitative research techniques in the areas of data collection and analyses, for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding.
Result and Conclusion. In many ways, the data gathered through several interactions with practitioners, critical observers, relevant published scholarly accounts and the findings from the author’s ethnographic research has enhanced the validation or disputation of existing information on flogging-meets in Africa. Thus, the application of interpretive analyses of the collected data has facilitated the pursuance of plausible categorization of forms of African flogging-contests. Lastly, through the application of Thick Description of culture and interpretive attribution, the study observes that flogging-meets in Africa are perceived variously as community approved utilitarian traditional social practice, which provide various social functions such as rite-of-passage, social entertainment and means of acquisition of self-defence skills.