Mediating Conflict In Nae We Tradtional Court: An Analysis Of Rhetorical Practices

Abstract

Traditional modes of communication encompass varied forms of transmitting and sharing information. African traditional communication has, over the years, used rhetorical practices on different platforms for different purposes. Researchers such as Yankah (1997) has dealt with the Okyeame in traditional Akan Royal Oratory when the mediator thus Okyeame is praised for his oratorial competence an art which earns him the title as the mouthpiece of the Chief. However, the rhetorical practices in the Nae We traditional court has not been studied when it comes African Traditional Communication. The study dealt with the rhetorical practices within the context of the traditional court at the Nae We Traditional Court at Gbese, Jamestown, Accra, Ghana. The practices identified, however, do not only cover the use of language but also communication via symbols and visual rhetoric. These practices come alive during conflict mediation processes at the traditional court. The research design was partly phenomenology and narrative analysis situated within the context of Afrocentricity and Afrocentric Paradigm. Data gathered for analysis was acquired through qualitative methods such as interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation in the Nae We Traditional Court. The sampling procedure was purposive for key informants and actors who played diverse roles at the traditional court. Using the Rhetoric, the Symbolic Interactionism Theory, the Muted Group and Cultural Sustainability Theory, the study revealed that the position of women in the traditional court is silenced considering most protocols observed by audiences present at the traditional court. It was also revealed that, gradually, tradition is giving way to the modernization of these practices as a way of ensuring continuity, trust andsustainability of most of the traditional and rhetorical practices for the generations to come. The study recommends that for the preservation of culture, full inclusivity should be encouraged in order to amend the way of traditional practices. The use of traditional symbolic language should be encouraged, and its interpretation be given a universal phase across cultures within the country. It also recommended that actors within the confines of traditional institutions, such as the traditional courts should be given periodic training by the legal courts to serve as checks and balances.