Description
"Discursive Strategies in Africa" explores the unique ways in which communication is shaped by culture, context, and power in African societies. The text examines how meaning is often conveyed indirectly through proverbs, storytelling, metaphors, and silence—strategies that reflect a deep respect for social hierarchy, diplomacy, and communal values. Rather than relying on direct speech, African discourse often privileges subtlety and layered meanings, allowing speakers to express criticism, persuasion, or resistance without open confrontation.
The work also highlights how these discursive forms are not random but are governed by culturally understood rules that vary across settings such as the courtroom, the palace, the marketplace, or the family. These strategies serve both to maintain social harmony and to navigate complex power relations. By analyzing these communication styles, the text reveals the richness and sophistication of African verbal art and challenges Western assumptions about what constitutes rational or effective speech.
