Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Moderator's Intervention: Afolayan's Ethnic Theory

isn't the onus on the "nation" as an emergent social and political reality or entity and those dominant in it to present to the ethnic and the local the material and psychological objects with which the local could expand its identity beyond its local self? a failed, failing, unformed or inchoate nation has very little with which to command positive patriotism from the multitude of its preexisting natural constituent local or ethnic units, excepting perhaps in the face of foreign aggression or international sporting competition

Happy New year to all.
-----------------------F. J. Kolapo, (Associate Professor of African History)
History Department * University of Guelph * Guelph * Ontario * Canada* N1G 2W1
Phone:519/824.4120 ex.53212 Fax: 519.766.9516
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Afolayan <mafolayan@yahoo.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:27:09 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Moderator's Intervention: Afolayan's Ethnic Theory
Thanks for calling our attention to this statement, Professor Falola. This is one is one of those melodic tunes that often get lost in the convoluted "ariwo oja," which cyber-discourses often spur, especially among us, elite Nigerians. At my first reading, I thought Adeshina Afolayan (my olooko)'s observation was an exaggerated metaphor but thinking it over, I came to see it as a well known socio-cultural-cum-political reality in Nigeria, where the fact of nationhood is relegated to the dinning table - he who makes provision at the table dictates my allegiance. In Nigeria, there is no organized formal order that makes that provision, not even at the ethnic base. It is the family - the smallest unit of the social institutions. In fact, the individual becomes the pilot of his/her own fortune within the family unit; no wonder why the Yoruba proudly say "atewo lara" (simply put, your two hands are your closest relatives - being your bread winners). Thus, the
allegiance shifts from the global to the local. Should this necessarily be the case? I don't think so. Aren't there countries in the world that fit snugly into the Nigerian paradigm and yet embrace the tenets of patriotism? Certainly there are. Hopefully Professor Olukotun will accept Professor Falola's challenge and help us to further problematize the can of worms that Adeshina Afolayan has opened in our marketplace of reasoning. And by the way, I believe Sara Berry's 1982(?) work, "Fathers Work for Their Sons" underscores this dilemma. Thanks!
Michael O. Afolayan
________________________________
From: Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>
To: dialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>
Cc: ayo_olukotun-yahoo.com <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2012 6:24 AM
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Moderator's Intervention: Afolayan's Ethnic Theory
Dear all:
My eyes caught a sentence in Mr. Adeshina Afolayan's intervention that,I think, is so profound that it merits serious consideration: it shakes the roots of elite theory of ethnicity, while also making nonsense of class analysis. How can this be? I think Professor Olukotun's influential column in Nigeria should be devoted to this. If it is true, it is also the location of untapped power, the very space to rupture the state. Or am I exaggerating the significance of Afolayan's thesis?
"The informal sector of the economy is the burial ground of patriotism in Nigeria." 
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
104 Inner Campus Drive
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com 
http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa  
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs 
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue   
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