Anacletus, I. Ogbunkwu and Urom, Glory Innocent (2024) DEMYSTIFICATION OF DADA (DREADLOCKS) INTERPRETATIONS IN TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SOCIETY: TOWARDS PHILOSOPHICAL APPRAISAL OF PSYCHO-MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS. In: Trends in Health Administration, Politics and Academia: a Festschrift in Honour of His Excellency, Elder Prof. Chigozie Ogbu. OFR. Enugu: Rhycr Kerex Publishers, pp. 675-685.
![[img]](https://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
Dada (plica polonica) Paper(1) (1).pdf Download (244kB) |
Abstract
It is worrisome that traditional African communities are bedeviled by skewed spiritual interpretations of Dada or dreadlocks leading to fear, simony, abuses and some inhuman practices. This research aims at demystification of Dada practice minding the findings of psycho-medical enquires. This study applies the methods of ethnography and hermeneutics in order to empirically understand the practices of Dada and offer philosophical interpretations /analysis on available data minding implications of psycho-medical discoveries. The findings reveal Dada/dreadlocks as hair shaft disorder leading to hair matting, felting or knotting rather than spiritual visitation as presumed in the traditional African society. Most unfortunate is that some spiritual leaders in the traditional African communities harvest the ignorance of the congregation by offering surplus spiritual meaning to the concept of Dada leading to simony, extortion and fear. Also, in the modern time, it is obvious that the practice of Dada or dreadlocks has gained lots of metamorphosis to become highly fashionable among the youths, artists, footballers, e.t.c. This metamorphosis is an evident sign that dada/dreadlocks is demystifiable. The implication of this study is to show that Dada practice is demystifiable and divestible of the frightening and spiritual skewed interpretations, hence unlocking Africans who are still under spiritual bondage for lack of awareness. More so this work will contribute to research resource on Dada.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > Faculty of Law > Faculty of Management and Social Sciences > Faculty of Education |
| Depositing User: | mrs chioma hannah |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Sep 2025 20:54 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Sep 2025 20:54 |
| URI: | http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5536 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
