13th Congress of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research

Presentation Abstracts

COKER, Oluwole

Gender Representations and the Dynamics of Culture in Yoruba Hegemonic Folktales

Folktales are sub-genres of oral culture that serve multifarious ends. This paper examines selected Yoruba hegemonic folktales and situates the concerns of gender representations within the contexts. The discourse further evaluates the dynamics of culture in these tales. The theoretical framework of the endeavour takes into consideration such yardsticks as character, stereotypes, narrative techniques and thematic thrusts. These are employed to expand the thesis that folktales remain a dynamic sub-genre of African oral culture where issues of contemporary concern seek (and find!) refuge. This is against the backdrop of a resurgence of the folktale motif in the African creative imagination.

An attempt is also made to address the issue of gender roles as they are mirrored in this selection of tales. It is an indubitable fact that hegemonic tales as a base of study become pertinently foregrounded because of the social, political and economic underpinnings inherent in them. It is therefore hoped that the choice of hegemonic tales for the elucidation of theoretical sensibilities shall serve as an exposé of how indigenous Yoruba societies are structured, the contemporary implications of this. It is also envisaged that the inferences that emanate from the present endeavour shall further reaffirm the centrality of folklore in the interplay between tradition and change. This paper contends that the folk tradition shall remain a melting pot, and a cultural resource, to which contemporary critical studies can always turn.