YORUBA HOUSEFORM
YORUBA HOUSEFORM
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Date
1974-04
Authors
Balogun, Olaniran Wilson
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Abstract
Yoruba houses, like those of the various cultural groups in tropical
Africa, are generally thought to be a mere place of abode and shelter from
the tropical downpour and the sun. This is a physical environmental view
which underestimates the importance of the socio-cultural values of the
Yoruba in house formation.
The Yoruba household is considered in this paper to be a structured,
socio-cultural institution which has three important components. The overriding
influence of the lineage ancestor on the household makes up the first
component, and this is considered to be the spiritual foundation of the
institution. The head of the lineage forms a link between the ancestor
and the living members. He ensures maximum cohesion among the extended
family members through the exercise of his legislative, judicial and
administrative powers. The roles of the lineage head constitute the
second component of the institution, i.e., the administrative component.
The complex socio-economic interactions among the members of the extended
family make up the third component.
These three main components jointly determine the siting of Yoruba
houses, the various building and space-formation elements of the house,
the processes of construction and the materials used for building. Thus
socio-cultural factors, as opposed to physical environmental ones, are
considered to be the primary forces that create Yoruba house forms.
Description
AN EXTENDED ESSAY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS
in the Department
of
Geography
Keywords
YORUBA,, HOUSEFORM,