In today’s world, it’s important to be culturally aware and sensitive to the beliefs and practices of others. As such, many universities and institutions encourage students to research and explore cultural topics as part of their academic work. However, it’s important to approach these topics with a critical eye and consider the impact they have on the wider community.
One student from Ebiraland learned this lesson the hard way when she chose to write her project on the emergence of the masquerade festival in her community. While this may have seemed like an interesting and relevant topic at first glance, it soon became clear that the student had not fully considered the implications of her research.
During her topic defense, the student was asked what positive contributions the masquerade festival had made to the development of her state or town. Unfortunately, she was unable to provide a satisfactory answer and was left feeling embarrassed and ashamed. She realized that she had not thought critically enough about the topic and had simply chosen it because it was a cultural tradition.
This experience taught the student an important lesson about cultural awareness and sensitivity. While it’s important to celebrate and preserve cultural traditions, it’s equally important to consider their impact on society as a whole. If a cultural practice is harmful or contributes to the destruction of property or lives, it’s no longer a tradition – it’s a disaster.
The student realized that she needed to think more critically about her research topics in the future. She learned that it’s important to choose topics that have positive contributions to the wider community, and to be able to defend cultural traditions in a thoughtful and informed way. By doing so, she can help to promote cultural understanding and appreciation, while also contributing to the development of her state or town.
The student’s experience serves as a reminder that cultural awareness and sensitivity are crucial in today’s world. While it’s important to celebrate and preserve cultural traditions, it’s equally important to consider their impact on society as a whole. By approaching cultural topics with a critical eye and a desire to understand, we can promote cultural understanding and appreciation, and contribute to the development of our communities in a positive way.
Ebira People’s Reactions;
The Emergence of Masquerade Festival in Ebiraland?
YO Suleiman
This topic is actually too deep and I doubt this lady has enough knowledge to research on it, why won’t they attack you, you go dey carry topic you no know.
That’s a good embarrassment. It’s not all topics you just wake up and chose as your project topic, that’s her first stoopidity. Secondly, enough of all these noise about Ebira masquerade. It’s not going away. It wasn’t started last year or just ten years ago. These things started when life was very primitive and it was with a purpose. Some of the masquerade were even dreadful. It may not be palatable to strangers or even some of us, but, it’s the culture. Nobody can wipe it away overnight. It’s not all about beating also in those days and even presently. Ekuechi is not all about beating. There are terrible cultures out there more than just masquerade beating. It would have been good to write the genesis of the masquerade just as a history rather than using it as a project topic.
DS Omeiza
She can simply link masquerade to tourism.
Masquerade is a good tourist attraction if properly planned.
Her project topic can work on how masquerades can generate revenue for the state government.
It is a fact that masquerades can serve as a good tourist attraction.
It all depends on the planning and the management.
I think that’s what the project should have to solve and that’s how best she can defend the project topic.
But she must start by reframing the project topic.
If properly done, that should have been a good project that can be documented in a high-impact journals.Muaz Fahazat
Every project topic should be problematic reason why u are goin on research to find solutions and recommendations.
Sen Bello Jafar
You can’t select a project topic u no nothing about just because u do see masquerades in your home town
Every tribe in Nigeria just like Ebira has masquerades or something close they use in celebrating their festivals and so on.
There is no good or bad thing anywhere in the world that doesn’t have good or bad side respectively.
Least I forget project topics are selected based on your area of interests meaning something u have knowledge of.
You people have started portraying masquerade on this social media as if they are the course of the frustrations in town
Masquerades are meant to entertain just like schools are created to educate people and same people still fight kill and even rape their fellow student in the academic environment does it mean school is a bad thing?
Islamiya is a very necessary place to attend as Muslim children to gain quranic knowledge and understand how best to practice our dear peaceful religion but today some of these mallam in such setting sleep with these female students in care of them and even got them pregnant ???? is that what Islam preaches? And does this act mean Islam is a bad religion?
Pastors now sleeps with their church members wife and even kill people to seek for spiritual power.
Most of us here are wicked and heartless if masquerade in Ebira land has brought killings to the land person wey don do abortion of 1, 2, 3 and 6 months nkor? No be person them dey kill so?
Does that mean they really representing their family family name or following their religion?
To fight is part of life even religious sect fights and kills over irrelevant issues is that what Islam or Christianity preaches?
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Image Credits to: Leco360
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