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The Moving Finger: A Rhetorical, Grammatological and Afrinographic Exploration of Nsibidi in Nigeria and Cameroon

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2015, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Communication Studies (Communication).
The debate involving the origins, nature and utilization of Nsibidi has raged since the earliest years of the twentieth century. Western scholars in the fields of archeology, anthropology, linguistics and other areas of study have offered differing insights to the collective body of information now known as Nsibidi Studies. Three central questions, using communication studies as a disciplinary frame, allowed me to probe deeply into Nsibidi to see if it could be reframed and reimagined as visual rhetoric, visual nommo and actual writing. I first wanted to know what is Nsibidi? Next, how does this system work? Lastly, I wanted to discern who created and used Nsibidi? It was at this point that I had to also investigate so-called African secret societies. Nsibidi is a system consisting mainly of gestures, tattoos, symbols, signs and other markings. It is possible that Nsibidi is one of the oldest organized systems of nonverbal human communication, dating back to at least 2000 C.E. As such, I believe it is time to explore in far more detail the ways in which communication studies scholarship can explore its rhetorical and grammatological potential. I spent three months in southeast Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon conducting fieldwork, which includes my investiture into the ancient West Africa so-called secret society known as Ekpe/Mgbe. My method of exploration was initially ethnography, but I ultimately utilized a significantly newer, fresher and less stigmatized approach called Afronography. I prefer spelling this method as Afrinography. I ultimately concluded that Nsibidi can be understood as visual rhetoric and visual nommo. Whether or not the system is truly actual writing as defined by Western scholarship is debatable. Further examination is possible on all three issues.
John Smith (Advisor)
201 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hales, K. (2015). The Moving Finger: A Rhetorical, Grammatological and Afrinographic Exploration of Nsibidi in Nigeria and Cameroon [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1431071905

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hales, Kevin. The Moving Finger: A Rhetorical, Grammatological and Afrinographic Exploration of Nsibidi in Nigeria and Cameroon. 2015. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1431071905.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hales, Kevin. "The Moving Finger: A Rhetorical, Grammatological and Afrinographic Exploration of Nsibidi in Nigeria and Cameroon." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1431071905

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)