A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MARRIAGE SYSTEM IN PRE-COLONIAL TRADITIONAL AND POST-COLONIAL MORDERN YORUBA SOCIETY

Abstract

Almost all facets of life were touched by the intrusion of colonialism into Africa, in which the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria was not exempted.  There were noticeable divergences between the pre-colonial and post-colonial life of the Yoruba people. This also reflected in their marriage system. It came with both positive and negative dimensions. This paper therefore underscores Yoruba system of marriage before and after colonial era.  The opinions people hold on it are diverse, to some, the pre-colonial marriage system has some good qualities which have gone into oblivion in the contemporary period, while others preferred the innovations of modern marriage. The aim of this study   is not to adjudge the better side, but to identifying the good in the two periods and harmonize it for the betterment of marriage experience in this age. The study is qualitative in nature; hence, oral interview method was adopted to collect relevant information, with the use of relevant literatures.  The findings of the study revealed that, marriage is pivotal to societal stability of all ages and as such, high premium is placed on it among the Yoruba people. It also revealed that, there are noticeable changes in the concept of marriage in the traditional and the contemporary societies among the Yoruba. These changes were orchestrated by the factors of new cultural influences from the west, the impact of Islam and Christianity and the process of social change. Recommendations were therefore made that, the process and the structure of traditional system of marriage should not be totally jettisoned in this contemporary period. That, useful and relevant areas in the Yoruba traditional marriage should be embraced to curtail some of the anomalies ravaging homes in our present days.