AN ASSESSMENT ON ORAL NARRATIVES AMONG THE MAKONDE COMMUNITY. A CASE STUDY OF MTWARA MIKINDANI MUNCIPAL

                           

AN ASSESSMENT ON ORAL NARRATIVES AMONG THE MAKONDE COMMUNITY.

A CASE STUDY OF   MTWARA MIKINDANI MUNCIPAL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0  Introduction

This chapter consists of the background of the study its important, statement of the problem to gather with objectives  of the study and research questions, significance of the study, the scope and limitations of the study and definition of key terms

1.1 Background of the study

Since the Makonde is ethnic and linguistic group in Mtwara Mikindani Municipal in Mtwara region there was time of expansion due to practice on metal work. There are organized into small group which are affected by feudalism system in which language is an important means of culture maintaining in which Makonde use their vernacular language “Makonde language” is shaping their society. The historical development of narratives in general is transmitted from old man to the young generation. Young generation were narrated myths, legend and short stories to his or her parents as well as old man. Therefore due to use of language in Makonde community different narratives are passed on from one generation to another including Myth, legend, and short stories.

1.2  Significance of the study

 After this research the stakeholders will gain the following from the study

It will help in the process of learning, teaching and training especially in schools, colleges to improves knowledge and develop skills in which society deliberately will transmit and accumulate knowledge and skills in which it will be used for academic purpose.

It will help the process of passing societal values, beliefs and norms, from  one generation to another.

Since the narratives reflects to society and the society reflects narratives, the study will help in the social function in which it will be used to disseminate the culture of people in which will help people learn about their culture and neighbor’s culture

It will also liberate people in which by reading it they will be free and aware in understand about cultural identity and also be entertained

According to Engel (1995) these skills not only tells about child’s language and literacy development, they also give us insight into their social, emotional and cognitive skills

1.3  Statement of the problem

 All communities in the world have their own oral tradition. Among these are songs, narratives, proverbs, and riddle. The Makonde people also have oral narratives just like any other community.  However much has not been done by scholars in examining the oral narrative. This research therefore will examine the type of narrative that exist among the Makonde, themes present and other different functions they play

1.4  Objectives of the study

 The main objectives of this study will be:-

To investigate the functions of oral narrative among Makonde communities.

The specific objective under this study includes:-

·         To find out the types of narratives that are told among the Makonde people.

·         To find the themes in the narratives.

·         To investigate different functions of oral narratives.

1.5  Research questions

·         What are the types of narratives that are told among Makonde community?

·         What are themes in the oral narratives?

·         What are different functions of oral narratives?

1.6 The scope of the study

In this research the investigation on functions of oral narratives in Makonde community it will be conducted at Kawawa village in which different oral narrative found on given area will be assessed to find out their functions. This will be done through mixed approaches research method. The study will go on further on giving out suggestions on maintenance of culture.

1.7 Limitation of the study

During the research, the researcher is expected to come up or face different limitations and problems as follows:-

Negative response of participants during the research, where by the narrator may tend to ignore or have negative attitude towards the research and so will make researcher not conduct well the research.

Unconduncive environment that will make the researcher fail to get the targeted population in which most of Mtwara district areas are not reachable particularly Kawawa village where common people who can give more information live.

1.8 Definition of the key terms:-

Narrator: Is a speaker or character who tells story

Protagonist: Is a main character in literacy work

Setting: Is the time and place of the actions

Value: Are collected ideas about what is right or wrong in particular culture.

Point of view: Is the perspective or vantage point from which a story is told

Suspense: Is a feeling of anxious uncertain about the outcome of events in literary work

Oral narrative: Is the passed songs, stories and poems from one generation to another by word of mouth                           

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

 2.1 Introduction

2.2 Theoretical Frame work

 It is said that from earliest time, the spoken word has attracted audience and influenced their thinking. Story telling is makes the listeners gain knowledge and experiences about life, values are collected in which ideas about what is good or bad in a particular culture is identified through narrative expression since we value to justify our behavior. As Diana r( 1977:91) argues that the belief that the behavior and customs of society  must be viewed and analyzed within the context of its own culture in which myths are based on the assumption that  society is a stable orderly system with interrelated parts that serve specific function while symbolic interactions perspective unlike functions and conflicts  theorists who focus primarily on micro level concerns level symbolic integrationists engage in a micro level analysis that viewed society as the sum of the all people interactions , people create, maintain and modify culture as they go about their every day activity

As in Ethnocentrism theory suggest that one’s own culture and way of life is superior to all other in which from the factionist point of view, this can promote people solidarity and legality and by encouraging people to conform to societal norms and values

Therefore theory reconnects literature with other are of knowledge not to find the meaning of the text but to explore currents

 2.1 Literature review

According to Karadzing (1787:1864) Oral narrative as a field of the study have its origins, therefore oral narrative is the way a society transmit history, literature law and other knowledge across generations without a writing system, one of the criteria specifies material held in community by a group of people over several generation and this destination from testimony or oral history. In the general sense, Oral narrative refers to the transmission of cultural materials through vocal literature.

As an academic discipline, ‘it refers to a set of objects  of  study and method by which they are studied “The method may be called variously ‘Oral tradition theory ‘The theory of oral distinct from the study of orality which can be defined as through and its verbal expression in societies where there are technologies. According to Marshall Mc Luhan (1911-1980) states that show the focus attention on the ways that communicate media shape of the context conveyed.

Mc Carthy (1994:5) explains that discourse analysis is concerned with the study of relationship between language and context in which is used. As Airchison (1992: 97) say that” when we use language we do not necessarily do so in random and unconstructed way. Therefore, the spoken made language wide variety of feature that should be taken into account before analyzing an oral narratives in term of paralinguistic such as body language, facial expression or proxemics the speaker has more resources to convey meaning. So other features have to supra-segmental elements of language that include stress, rhythm, and intonation. As Brown and Yule (1983:4) state that speaker has available to him full range of voice quality effects as well as facial expressions postural and system. Also according to Brown and Yule point out that “in a spoken to monitor his listener’s minute by minute reaction to what he says pg 5.

Beside the aspect that characterize the spoken made. Interruptions can take place at anytime. Furthermore the speaker can paraphrase his message by giving examples. He or she can also relate the content of the message to his or her listener’s background knowledge and so to make both interlocutors easily to negotiate meaning or give feedback. The listener or receiver, who has a very active role in this communicative process, has more opportunities to comprehend what he or she is being said.

 The common shorthand for approaches to texts which are not particularly concerned about two obsessions of traditional criticism meaning and value. The theory reconnects literature with other areas of knowledge not to find the meaning or the text, but to explore across currents between for example fiction and psychoanalysis, capitalism and realism sexuality and writing history literacy form and language and other sign systems.

Narratives can be composed of idea that can be classified in different ways. As  Chate (1980:18) suggest many narratives begin with the establishment of a setting, this deal with all the clues that help the listener locate in particular settings including distances of places in fact, the subject’s study does begin with clear example term of arrangement of the spatial orientation which help the receiver or listener understand the narrative.

A third aspect found in many narratives in the introduction and characterization of the people involved in the story. Even through this introduction on does not belong to the main event of the narrative; they provide the accidence with key regarding interesting aspect of the participant live. When one listens to Oral narrative the audience has to cope with frequent interruptions or insertions of extra ideas. As Chate (1980:33) points out that “speakers do not achieve the expression of a series of idea units without some trouble, natural speech, exhibits a variety of perbation in this process.

Narratives normally begin with an orientation introduction and identify the participating in the action, the time, the place and the initial behavior.

According to Norrick (2005) oral narratives are related to the situation and the relations of the narrator with the audience. Most narratives are focused on a most reportable event. Therefore narrative of personal experiences normally shows great variation in the length of time concerned by the clauses in Orientation decades to minute to second.

Goffman (1981) argues that the participant in many narratives include protagonist, antagonist and third part witness of which the first is the most complex. Therefore when a narrator has made the decision to tell a narrative, he must solve the fundamental and universal problem “where should I begin”. For a narrator to be successful it can be report only that most reportable event. It most also credible if the narrative is not to be rejected as a while by the listener.

2.2   Research Gap

Many studies have been conducted about oral narratives among the makonde. Those studies have been conducted by different researchers investigating same issue but in different areas. Brown (1980) conducted research on oral narratives to Yao community; William (2000) in his book titled “the special stratification of English” conducted research on oral narratives to sukuma community. This study therefore, assesses on oral narratives among the makonde which has not be the case as reported above.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

  In this part research will base on research  design, area of the study, to find out target population in which research will take place, the sample and sampling procedure to be used, validation of the research instruments, data collection techniques and data analysis techniques.

3.1 Research design

  Research design According to Kothari (1990) argues that research design in conceptual structure with which the research is conducted. It is a logical sequence in which the study is to be carried out and constitute the blue print for the collection and measuring and analysis of data. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative approach for explaining the functions of oral narrative

3.2 Area of the study

The study will take place under case study design in Mtwara Mikindani Municipality particularly Kawawa village which has wards namely Mayanga, found in Mtwara region

3.3 Target population       

This deal with the all members of any well defined group of people events object each possible information about the study can be found out or obtained. The groups have common characteristics that the researcher is interested for the study process. The target population of this study will be all community members including children and old people called “common people” in Kawawa village in which the narrator introduce the narratives using a good suspense and mostly narrator use symbols or personification to present people in which the protagonist mostly can succeed or fail at the end

3.4 sample and sampling procedures

This refers to any samples from which researcher can choose. Kothari (2000:)the researcher will use simple random sampling which is among the techniques of the probability sampling also the researcher will use snowball sampling in which the researcher choose the small group who  be think they can nominate them those participant selected tell researcher other participants who can serve some interest.

For this study: the researcher will write five  names of the participants from particular ward mentioned above on slip of paper and then the researcher will pass after the other for research. The researcher will collect 100 respondents where by 50 will be children because children gives more information, the second group will be old people since old people and children are the ones who can give more information about oral narratives.

Since this study will deal with people” common people ”who can give out information , the researcher sampling  procedure to take place the researcher will pass one house hood after the other in particular ward talking note on the names of old people and children who could provide out information in which participants will be interviewed and observed about the research topic under taken. According to paul.l.cozbg (1977; 60) in of being selected for the sample.

3.5.0. Research instruments

3.5.1. Interview

The researcher  will use interview in qualitative study which  the unstructured interview will be used,  where the interview intend a number of answer to be given or more information  on explanation in which  the researcher should build a report to her respondents therefore the interview are able to give proper acute and reliable information.

3.5.2. Observation schedule

This instrument is mostly used where by the research stand aside and tends to look on what is conducted or done by participants in which the observer will less control herself and determine the context. According to Paul. (1977:49) field observation sometimes is called field work naturalistic observation where by the researcher makes observation in a particular natural setting over extended period of time.

According to (Ross 2001:896) observation is an observation you describe an event that you have witnessed firsthand often over an extended period of time.

3.5.3. Participatory

This is one of the method which will be used in collecting information by the researcher in which the researcher will include herself in the participants so that to make friend lines or classiness and collect more materials.

3.5.4. Group discussion

Using this method the researcher will conduct discussion with her respondents and also let the participants later discuss themselves in older to make the respondents aware of what is needed in the study. The research will group respondents according to  age and sex in older to collect information needed effectively.

3.6. Validation of research instruments

The research instruments will be cross- checked by experts especially supervisor after being formulated by the researcher before being used in the field.

3.7. Data collection

Both qualitative and quantitave data collection design will be by researcher, because it needs descriptive, facts and figures in collecting and analyzing data, qualitative  will be used in which the researcher will relay on the view of participant. Will base on subjective, biased manner (Greswell 2005:39) where the research will study things in their natural setting attempting to make sense of or interpreted phenonomena in terms of the meaning people bring to her. Qualitative will be done to survey using open and close ended questionnaires.

3.8. Data analysis techniques.

The research will conduct data analysis after the completion of respondent and collection of data from participant in oral narratives that will mostly be selected from participant children and old people in Kawawa village in Mtwara Mikindani Municipality. The research will make sure there is neither underestimation nor exaggeration of the findings s

Summary

Research methodology and design used in this research will enable the researcher to collect vividly information for the study basing on the environment  and audience where information  are collected.

                                      

                                            REFERENCES

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Goffman erving 1981 forms of talk exford Blackwell.

William. L (2001) the special stratification of English in New York City 2 edition

                   Cambridge.cambridge University press.

Carthy .m. (1994) discourse analysis for language teachers Cambridge university press

Mc luban, marshall, the guteriberg galay. The making  of typographic man toront university of

                     toranto press 1962, toranto.

Norrick neal .r. (2005). The dark side of tellability narrative in inquiry 15:323:344.