ifelandofthegods

[Djoser]

Western Impact on the Igbo Status System.

"The church, the school, the city, and politics have all created new statuses. The church has produced indigenous bishops, priests, and a hierarchy of church elders; the school has various grades of teachers distinguished by professional training, salaries and varying consumption patterns and social expectations. The city has brought about a rural-urban distinction marked by differences in role-specialization. Merchants, petty traders, clerks, and migrant laborers are among the important status positions in the cities. In politics, we have a whole hiearchy of statuses in which ministers of state, parliamentarians, the traditional and the "new" chiefs, and, at the local government level, the councilors occupy the most important positions."

In the traditional sense the Igbo placed wealth and status in seperate categories, unlike western civilization, the Igbo with wealth who contributes nothing to the community, enjoys no prestige or social status. The Igbo who contributes much to his community is respected and reveranced much more so than the empty handed wealth you find so valued in western culture.