Towards Using Literature to Deal with Fear of Ethno-Religious and Linguistic Differences in African Post-colonial Politics

Abstract

Although the ethno-religious and linguistic differences characterising Africa are blessings to the continent and its peoples, politicians’ and other elites’ misdeeds have made these differences to become or seem otherwise. This study rises to demonstrate that literature, both oral and written, could be used as a viable means of dealing with the fear of ethno-religious and linguistic differences in post-colonial African politics. The demonstration shall have reflections on Reiss and McNally’s Expectancy Theory of fear, which theorises and explains fear with its variants and characteristics, offers an understanding of fear and contributes to how to deal with fear. Descriptive survey, qualitative approach and text-content analysis were employed. Drawing from secondary data, observation and focus group discussion, the study reveals that post-colonial African politicians and other elites continuously hold on to these differences, mislead the masses about the differences and use them to cause fear, political tension, intolerance, disintegration, sour intergroup relations and insecurity among Africans in and outside the political arena. The study submits that just as scrupulous African politicians and elites use literature negatively in the light of a culture of deceit to deceive the masses about their differences, it could be used positively to deal with the fear by instilling confidence and the spirit of smooth intergroup relations for peace and unity in post-colonial Africans. Mind training, attitudinal change, wide sensitisation, cultural reformation, good neighbourliness and deconstructing elitist rhetoric, tales and incitement are the panacea.