Journals Information
Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 4(8), pp. 679 - 684
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2016.040802
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The Unconquered Grounds: Christian Response to the Traditional Religious Discrimination against the Osu Caste in Igbo Land, Nigeria
Ernest O. Anyacho 1,*, Eunice I. Anyacho 2
1 Department of Christian Religious Studies, Federal College of Education, Nigeria
2 Department of Igbo Language Culture, Federal College of Education, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The traditional religion of the Igbo of Nigeria stratified the society into two major groups namely the Diala and the Osu. The former enjoys every right and privilege in the community while the latter has limited acceptance. There are also other areas of social inequality which the paper addresses as social stigmatization that make the so-called Osu second class citizens in Igbo land. All these are based on Igbo traditional religious beliefs and/or superstitions. The continued existence of these stigmatizations in the twenty-first century and in the land where Christianity has stayed for more than a century is a major of the study. The paper, therefore, investigates into different dimensions of the discrimination and inequality against the Osu even after they have been converted to Christianity. It further looks at the reason why these have remained unconquered grounds when writers claim that Christianity conquered Igbo land many decades ago. The paper presents an ecumenical model that could be explored in handling the delicate issues so that conflicts could be avoided while trying to make the Osu assert their full fundamental rights in Igbo land.
KEYWORDS
Osu-caste, Caste System, Social Discrimination, Fundamental Human Right
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Ernest O. Anyacho , Eunice I. Anyacho , "The Unconquered Grounds: Christian Response to the Traditional Religious Discrimination against the Osu Caste in Igbo Land, Nigeria," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 4, No. 8, pp. 679 - 684, 2016. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2016.040802.
(b). APA Format:
Ernest O. Anyacho , Eunice I. Anyacho (2016). The Unconquered Grounds: Christian Response to the Traditional Religious Discrimination against the Osu Caste in Igbo Land, Nigeria. Sociology and Anthropology, 4(8), 679 - 684. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2016.040802.