The Oral Epistemologies: The roles of the griot people in the governance of The Gambia
Yahya, Sonko (2022)
Yahya, Sonko
2022
Master's Programme in Leadership for Change
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2022-06-08
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202205185083
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202205185083
Tiivistelmä
The current research focuses on the roles of griot people in the governance of The Gambia. It is no doubt that these groups of people are incredibly vital in maintaining peace and stability in West Africa and The Gambia. However, the government of The Gambia has done so little to promote their engagement in governance processes. One reason griot is critical in addressing issues related to societies is that they have extensive historical knowledge about individuals, families, and communities. As a result, should they be among the foremost authorities on any topic concerning societal issues?
The purpose of this master's thesis was to investigate the current responsibilities of griots in Gambia governance and how their positions evolved from one government administration to the next. The goal is to showcase, protect, and maintain griot culture while also highlighting various ways the government may utilize the knowledge of griots to solve specific societal concerns. Therefore, the main research question was, "What are the roles of the griot people in the Gambia government, and how has it evolved?"
The conceptual framework for this study is derived from how informal institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa play roles in maintaining peace and stability, law and order, politics and the creation of frameworks that sustain the fabrics of a vibrant society. These institutions describe how griots and other members of this group work and their interactions with formal government institutions. In short, it explained the griots' positions as an informal institution inside the social framework.
The thesis benefited from qualitative research in which primary data was gathered through interviews with members of The Gambia's griot communities and documents about the subject. The data was then submitted to thematic analysis, and conclusions were drawn. However, secondary data was also collected and used. The study's most clear result was that Gambia's government administrations had considerably influenced the roles of griots since independence in different forms.
In some ways, the findings are counterintuitive. First, the findings show that in The Gambia the roles of griots have changed depending on which political regime is in power. Second, griots in The Gambia continue to receive rigorous and detailed informal griot education. Third, not only griots, but other members of the informal institution, continue to play roles in Gambia governance. Nonetheless, this community is under resourced.
Following the discussion of the findings, two primary points were suggested: (1) Co-creation: In this part, the study emphatically proposed that any government in The Gambia should not disregard informal institutions. Instead, they should co-create policies, measures, frameworks, and strategies with informal institutions, particularly 'societal experts' such as griots, in order to reduce or eliminate societal issues or disputes like tribalism. Co-creation can bridge the gap between griots' informal and official government institutions. This idea may appear to be a novel concept; however, it was in use during the first republic of The Gambia. As a result, its rebirth could not be timelier given the recent issues of tribalism in politics, government, and beyond Gambian societal structure. (2) Institutionalization of informal institutions: While this research believe that informal institutions should remain informal, however, the government should recognize, support, and compensate them.
The purpose of this master's thesis was to investigate the current responsibilities of griots in Gambia governance and how their positions evolved from one government administration to the next. The goal is to showcase, protect, and maintain griot culture while also highlighting various ways the government may utilize the knowledge of griots to solve specific societal concerns. Therefore, the main research question was, "What are the roles of the griot people in the Gambia government, and how has it evolved?"
The conceptual framework for this study is derived from how informal institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa play roles in maintaining peace and stability, law and order, politics and the creation of frameworks that sustain the fabrics of a vibrant society. These institutions describe how griots and other members of this group work and their interactions with formal government institutions. In short, it explained the griots' positions as an informal institution inside the social framework.
The thesis benefited from qualitative research in which primary data was gathered through interviews with members of The Gambia's griot communities and documents about the subject. The data was then submitted to thematic analysis, and conclusions were drawn. However, secondary data was also collected and used. The study's most clear result was that Gambia's government administrations had considerably influenced the roles of griots since independence in different forms.
In some ways, the findings are counterintuitive. First, the findings show that in The Gambia the roles of griots have changed depending on which political regime is in power. Second, griots in The Gambia continue to receive rigorous and detailed informal griot education. Third, not only griots, but other members of the informal institution, continue to play roles in Gambia governance. Nonetheless, this community is under resourced.
Following the discussion of the findings, two primary points were suggested: (1) Co-creation: In this part, the study emphatically proposed that any government in The Gambia should not disregard informal institutions. Instead, they should co-create policies, measures, frameworks, and strategies with informal institutions, particularly 'societal experts' such as griots, in order to reduce or eliminate societal issues or disputes like tribalism. Co-creation can bridge the gap between griots' informal and official government institutions. This idea may appear to be a novel concept; however, it was in use during the first republic of The Gambia. As a result, its rebirth could not be timelier given the recent issues of tribalism in politics, government, and beyond Gambian societal structure. (2) Institutionalization of informal institutions: While this research believe that informal institutions should remain informal, however, the government should recognize, support, and compensate them.