International Journal of Arts and Humanities https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH <p><a title="Registered Journal" href="https://www.reviewercredits.com/user/int-j-arts-humanit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="journalreviewercredits" src="/journal/public/site/images/jasongong/Logo_ReviewerCredits-journal.jpg" alt="ReviewerCredits" align="right"></a><strong>International Journal of Arts and Humanities</strong> (<strong>IJAH</strong>) <strong>(eISSN: 2661-4928)&nbsp;</strong>is an open access, continuously published, international, refereed&nbsp; journal publishing high quality, peer-reviewed articles that bring critical research to the fore and stimulate debate. Serve the community of arts and humanities educators and researchers around the world, by publishing significant opinion and research into contemporary issues of teaching and learning within the domain.</p> <p>Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:<br> • Culture, Media &amp; Film<br> • Digital Humanities<br> • History<br> • Literature, Linguistics &amp; Criticism<br> • Philosophy &amp; Religion<br> • Visual &amp; Performing Arts<br>• etc.</p> Syncsci Publishing Pte. Ltd., Singapore en-US International Journal of Arts and Humanities 2661-4928 <p>Authors contributing to&nbsp;<em> International Journal of Arts and Humanities</em>&nbsp;agree to publish their articles under the&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License</a>, allowing third parties to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it, under the condition that the authors are given credit, that the work is not used for commercial purposes, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear.</p> Civil-Military Participation in Hostility Model: Theorizing attack of security personnel by civilians and vice versa https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2024.01.005 <p>Theorizing civilian attacks on military and police officers in Ghana, the author adopted the Direct Participation in Hostilities concept applied in International Humanitarian Law during war time to protect civilians in the “Civil-Military Participation in Hostility Model”. It seeks to theorize the factors coalescing into incidence of hostilities during peace time by civilians against agents of State Security and vice versa. The Direct Participation in Hostilities refers to the cancellation of security protection of civilians during war, when they opt to participate in hostilities caused by the enemy, military or police intervention or operations. That conduct evaporates the expectation of protection from the military or police personnel, which makes the civilians targets in war times. In peace time, when civilians attack security personnel for cause or without cause, the withdrawal of protective performative services by State Security services should be the same as if it is war time situation justified by the concepts of self-defence and State Security. The “Civil-Military Participation in Hostilities Model” is a constructivist and realist approach to the resulting harm either perpetrated by civilians on the security personnel or the security personnel attacks due to civilian infractions or breach of public order. The eruption of hostilities from either angle may be due to the absence of a capable guardian or legal framework; and the absence of culpability, probity and accountability in security services delivery post-facto.</p> Ishmael D. Norman Copyright (c) 2024 Ishmael D. Norman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-08-19 2024-08-19 5 1 234 242 10.25082/IJAH.2024.01.005 Coup d’états in Africa: A cure or prophylactic for good governance? https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2024.01.004 <p>Military Coups in Africa share a “cause-and-effect” relationship with civilian mal-administration, by way of the military auditing, disrupting and helping to arrest or capture, and re-organize defective governance system in politically sick-nations. This aim appears consistent with the mandate of the Military to serve, protect and defend the national interests, therefore, turning coups into constitutional cure and prophylactic? The analysis in this paper is conducted under the concept of <em>Military-Coup-Symbiosis</em>: consisting of <em>mutualism, commensalism and parasitism</em>. Military-Coup-Symbiosis espouses the cyclical nature of military-takeovers, and the beneficial effects on democracy in general. It also rationalizes the justification why coups are bound to co-exist with civilian governments, for as long as political leaders continue to support and engage in De-democratization processes, exhibiting inimical conducts such as neopatrimonialism, and non-meritorious job recruitment and promotions. This paper investigates the possible curative qualities of military coups on good governance by posing as perpetual threat caution to democracy, and the normative values as political prophylactic to arrest and prevent potential leadership abuses. The ultimate question is how military interventions in politics can be harnessed to clean up mal-administration in politically sick-nations?</p> Ishmael D. Norman Copyright (c) 2024 Ishmael D. Norman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-07-03 2024-07-03 5 1 227 233 10.25082/IJAH.2024.01.004 Feminist identity crisis in Africa https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2024.01.003 <p>Feminist movement in Africa lacks capable guardians to steer the development of feminine identity or theory, and to operationalize the feminist agenda. The apparent lack of a national or continental feminist theory has not helped to elevate the status of the majority of women beyond the patriarchal controls, particularly in the rural and peri-urban communities, despite improved social modernization. Africa’s feminist crisis involves the lack of leadership, ideological vacuity, absence of structure or movement, and the non-application of cultural; political; class; religious and tribal identities in developing feminist theory. In search of capable feminist guardians, the tendency of feminist groups is to co-opt self-actualized African women into feminism with or without their consent, and without regard to the accidental coincidence of those personalities’ narratives with feminist epistemology. Feminism in Africa is in search of relevance within the public space. This paper interrogates these issues and uses the narrative of several self-actualized women in Africa, who have, apparently, been co-opted into feminism as a result, to discuss aspects of the crisis and the delimiting public policy and legislation against, perhaps, the development of feminine identity.</p> Ishmael D. Norman Blandina M. Awiah-Norman Copyright (c) 2024 Ishmael D. Norman, Blandina M. Awiah-Norman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-06-19 2024-06-19 5 1 216 226 10.25082/IJAH.2024.01.003 A pragmalinguistic analysis of Im/Politeness in selected Nigerian Open Letters https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2024.01.002 <p>This study examines the pragmatic and linguistic aspects of politeness and impoliteness in Nigerian open letters. Its objectives are to: examine how linguistic choices indicate [im]politeness and investigate how common ground influences the expression of im/politeness in the selected open letters. The study employed the qualitative research method while it deployed the purposive sampling technique to select three open letters written to two sitting presidents in the Fourth Republic between 1999 and 2015. The letters are Wole Soyinka’s ‘<em>You're Rambo on the loose</em>’, Umar Abubakar Dangiwa’s ‘<em>The Devil Is It</em>’ and Olusegun Obasanjo’s <em>Before it is Too Late</em>’. The recipients of the letters were Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Only the letters that centred on political matters and the state of the nation were considered in this study. The study uses the pragmalinguistic framework of Geoffrey Leech (2014) to analyse how im/politeness is grammticalised in the selected open letters. The analysis showed that iterative lexemes such as ‘never’, more, many and routine iterative lexemes are deployed to activate face threatening acts to attack the recipient’s face. From the analysis, it was revealed that the use of the iterative verb ‘repeat’ presupposes the writers’ misalignments with the recipient’s allegation of breaching the maxim of quality, i.e., fabricating lies; the adverb ‘more’ reveals a determination to debunk the allegation of mediocrity, etc. The study concludes that the open letters grammaticalise im/politeness in such a way that an understanding of the political narrative background prompting the writing of the letters is indispensable.</p> Rasaq Atanda Ajadi Faosat Biola Olagunju Copyright (c) 2024 Rasaq Atanda Ajadi, Faosat Biola Olagunju https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-02-15 2024-02-15 5 1 203 215 10.25082/IJAH.2024.01.002 An examination of the strategic logic of nonviolent resistance in Fela's Afrobeat https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2024.01.001 <p>This study explores Fela Anikulapo Kuti, arguably Africa’s most iconic resistant artist of the twentieth century by analysing the strategic logic of Nonviolence in his responses to numerous violent attacks by the repressive and oppressive regimes of the post independent Africa, nay Nigeria. Using the conceptual tool of music as social process and philosophical tool of critical and constructive analysis, the study combines documentary data in Fela’s Afrobeat and Key Informant Interview, in order to demonstrate the strategic logic of nonviolence in conflict engagement and transformation in Fela. The study argues that Afrobeat is a musical philosophy shaped by disregard for human rights and gross irresponsibility on the part of government that have manifested in Africa/Nigeria’s underdevelopment since the Union Jack was lowered in 1960s. The study avers that chose to be part of politics of revolution by using his music to exude protest and persuasion, non-cooperation and intervention against injustice that has created the many problems of man and social reality. The study concludes that Fela won against the oppressed post-colonial African leaders as he was the public conscience of the oppressed Africans who have continued to win despite being repressed.</p> Noah Opeyemi Balogun Temidayo David Oladipo Copyright (c) 2024 Noah Opeyemi Balogun, Temidayo David Oladipo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-01-03 2024-01-03 5 1 192 202 10.25082/IJAH.2024.01.001 The philosophy of nonviolent resistance in Fela's Afrobeat https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2023.01.006 <p>This study explores Fela Anikulapo Kuti, arguably Africa's most iconic resistant artist of the twentieth century by analysing his philosophy of nonviolence in his responses to numerous violent attacks by the repressive and oppressive regimes of the post independent Africa, nay Nigeria. Using the conceptual tool of music as social process and philosophical tool of critical and constructive analysis, the study combines documentary data in Fela's Afrobeat and Key Informant's Interview, in order to demonstrate the philosophical status of nonviolence resistance in conflict engagement and transformation in Fela's Afrobeat. The study argues that Afrobeat is a musical philosophy shaped by disregard for human rights and gross irresponsibility on the part of government that have manifested in Africa/Nigeria's underdevelopment since the Union Jack was lowered in 1960s. The study avers that Fela chose to be part of politics of revolution by using his music to exude protest and persuasion, non-cooperation and intervention against injustice that has created the many problems of man and social reality. The study concludes that for Fela, it is unAfrican to exert coercion; beat, kill or lynch and hopeful that Africans will eventually value nonviolence rooted in their cultural tradition.</p> Noah Opeyemi Balogun Copyright (c) 2023 Noah Opeyemi Balogun https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2023-11-24 2023-11-24 5 1 181 191 10.25082/IJAH.2023.01.006 Graffiti and new media: Leveraging technology to advance creativity and learning in Nigeria https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2023.01.005 <p>The paper explored the relationship between graffiti and new media, with specific focus on the effect of new media appropriation on the growth of graffiti writing in Nigeria. Qualitative research design and methodologies were used. The theory of technological determinism provided the conceptual directions. Findings showed that graffiti artists were increasingly active on social media; and, used social media for different purposes, including graffiti-based artistic activities. While a wide range of social media were used, only Instagram was the most preferred, because of its unique technical qualities. The engagements of graffiti artists with new media were, in varying ways, bearing innovative and socio-cultural benefits. Apart from providing opportunities for the showcasing of talents or the digital documentation of graffiti, the interface had also allowed for improved artistic creativity, through the placements of graffiti arts unto virtual spaces as Non-Fundable Token Arts (NFTs), as well as the education of young adults online/offline on graffiti arts. Also, in order to mitigate the low status of public awareness on graffiti in Nigeria, graffiti artists should heighten their engagements with social media to popularize the practice in its contextual form; and, the placements of graffiti arts on NFT panels should be seen as a step in the right direction, towards the preservation of graffiti arts for posterity.</p> Patrick Edem Okon Okon Effiong Udoyo Leonard Odum Ojorgu Copyright (c) 2023 Patrick Edem Okon, Okon Effiong Udoyo, Leonard Odum Ojorgu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2023-10-06 2023-10-06 5 1 166 180 10.25082/IJAH.2023.01.005 (Non)violent protest in Africa: Echoes and lessons from Fela Anikulapo Kuti https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2023.01.004 <p>This study examines the intersection of popular music/culture, social movement and protest by analysing the numerous protest music produced and performed by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Africa’s most iconic resistant artist of the twentieth century. It engages the core questions of right, injustice and inequality that have manifested in Africa/Nigeria’s underdevelopment since the Union Jack was lowered in 1960. It argues that Fela’s music did have obvious impact on Nigerian youth and the working class who attempted to revise or renegotiate their relationship with the Nigerian state. Yet, it posed hitherto unanswered questions of the changing meaning of social movement in relation to artistic production -- an aspect of peace studies that scholars have completely overlooked. It concludes that as people reconfigure social relations from one stage to another in their life, their engagement with the State and the social meaning attributed to social justice, which Fela’s music emphasised, also change. Thus, popular consciousness shaped by resistant music is not immutable to nonviolent social protest. Rather, it continued to change as individuals and groups reconstitute their relationship with the society, and as their social status transformed in accordance with the acquisition of better education, wealth/resources, among other significant elements that shape human’s consciousness.</p> Noah Opeyemi Balogun Copyright (c) 2023 Noah Opeyemi Balogun http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2023-09-05 2023-09-05 5 1 153 165 10.25082/IJAH.2023.01.004 Challenges and limitations of ChatGPT and other large language models https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2023.01.003 <p>This article explores the challenges and limitations of large language models, focusing on ChatGPT as a representative example. We begin by discussing the potential benefits of large language models, such as their ability to generate natural language text and assist with language-related tasks. However, we also acknowledge the concerns around these models, including their environmental impact, potential for bias, and lack of interpretability. We then delve into specific challenges faced by ChatGPT and similar models, including limitations in their understanding of context, difficulty in handling rare or out-of-vocabulary words, and their tendency to generate nonsensical or offensive text. We conclude with recommendations for future research and development, including the need for increased transparency, interpretability, and ethical considerations in the creation and deployment of large language models.</p> Erwin L. Rimban Copyright (c) 2023 Erwin L. Rimban http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2023-06-21 2023-06-21 5 1 147 152 10.25082/IJAH.2023.01.003 The Coca-Cola Company advertising history illustrated through phonecards https://www.syncsci.com/journal/IJAH/article/view/IJAH.2023.01.002 <p>Coca-Cola is a carbonated beverage created by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America (USA) which leadership in the soft drink business was achieved after development of advertising programs. Phonecards are items collected by people worldwide. Telecommunication companies along with The Coca-Cola Company displayed Coca-Cola advertising on phonecards. The objective was to illustrate The Coca-Cola Company advertising history through Coca-Cola phonecards. Single phonecards and those in the form of sets and puzzles, besides phonecard folders were used in the study. The number of Coca-Cola phonecards ever produced per country and continent was listed. Coca-Cola advertising slogans were extensively displayed on phonecards, including “Always in Motion”, “Delicious &amp; Refreshing”, “Drive Refreshed”, “Enjoy”, “Have a Coke”, “Refreshing”, “Refresh Yourself”, “Talk about Refreshing”, and “What I Want is a Coke” from Japan as well as “Refreshment Right Out of the Bottle” and “Always Together” from Hungary and Indonesia, respectively. Japan had the highest number of Coca-Cola phonecards ever produced, 584, followed by USA, 441, China, 95, Germany, 51, and Australia, 41. Asia had the highest number of Coca-Cola phonecards ever produced, 760, followed by America, 519 and Europe, 211. The Coca-Cola Company history was successfully illustrated through advertising phonecards.</p> Wagner de Souza Tavares Rani Uli Silitonga Copyright (c) 2023 Wagner de Souza Tavares, Rani Uli Silitonga http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2023-03-20 2023-03-20 5 1 137 146 10.25082/IJAH.2023.01.002