Proverbs as Discourse: The Example of Igbo Youth and Cultural Heritage

Proverbs are universally acknowledged as possessive of their own system of logic and have a proven appeal to researchers, who continue to collect and classify them. However, their contextual explication and communicative content are often revealing of the cultural history and contemporary experience of those who use them. Drawing upon the Igbo example, this paper explores the discourse potentials of proverbs with the aim of depicting crucial aspects of the Igbo cultural heritage and as an instrument of youth orientation and mobilization. (J Cultural Studies: 2002 4(1): 109-132