“Mimicry Has Consequences: Let Thy Mimicry Favour You In Thy Ancestral Abode.”
by
Dr. Kwaku Kusi-Appiah,
Wednesday 20 November 2024
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“Mimicry is… the desire for a reformed, recognizable Other,
as a subject of a difference that is almost the same, but not quite.”
Homi Bhabha
“The Blackman wants to be like the white man. For the Blackman, there is only one destiny. And it is white.”
Franz Fanon
“Genes exert ultimate control over behavior, and mimicry is a
brilliant survival strategy driven by the gene’s agenda.”
Richard Dawkins
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Abstract:
In an earlier article, we discussed education and alienation. In this article, we turn our attention to adoption/copying of systems and the cultural influences affecting them. Mimicry (copying) is the act of imitating behaviors, appearances, or strategies. We argue that copying can be good (as it often leads to progress), and bad or negative if copied-out-of-place, over time (Hegel’s dialectics at work). To resolve this issue, it is our contention that one must endeavour to understand where a practice originates, what that practice was meant to achieve, and for whom and where it is being applied.
Introduction:
Studies about copying reveal its complexity as a mechanism for survival, adaptation, creativity, and resistance (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013; Aboulela, 2010; Achebe, 1994; Diop, 1989, wa Thiong’o, 1986; Aidoo, 1965; Fanon, 1952). Leila Aboulela portray mimicry as a strategy for personal development and cultural adaptation. Characters in her novel, Lyrics Alley, adopt certain aspects of Western culture, which facilitates their navigation through complex social landscapes and contributes to their personal growth (Aboulela, 2010).
Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni also acknowledges that while mimicry has been a tool of colonial dominance, it has also enabled African scholars to engage with and critique Western epistemologies, facilitating the development of unique African perspectives and the reassertion of Indigenous knowledge systems (Ndlovi-Garsheni, 2013). Similarly, Sheik Anta Diop’s work emphasizes the importance of reclaiming African history and identity. Diop argues that selective mimicry allows for the integration of beneficial elements while preserving Indigenous cultures and identities (Diop, 1989).
Mimicry as human ‘nature:
Most biology and psychology scholars contend that copying is a survival mechanism where organisms imitate others for protection or reproductive success (Baten & Cornillie, 2019; Graves, 2019; Jackson, 2008; Dawkins; Lacan, 1978). For example, Richard Dawkins has extensively explored mimicry as a survival mechanism in both animals and humans, particularly through his discussions on evolutionary biology and cultural transmission (Dawkins, 1995, 1991, 1986, 1985, 1976). Analogously, Jacques Lacan (1978) shows that mimicry begins in infancy, when a child sees its reflection in a mirror and begins to form an identity based on this external image. By the same token, Sigmund Freud view mimicry as part of the psychological process of identification, where individuals imitate others to resolve internal conflicts, particularly during their developmental stages (Freud, 1961).
The other side of mimicry:
In spite of its positive attributes, mimicry can also have negative connotations. For example, Jean-Paul Sartre considers copying as a form of ‘bad faith’ when it becomes a denial of one’s freedom and individuality (Sartre, 1956).
Similarly, Franz Fanon examined how colonized individuals mimic the colonizers’ culture to gain recognition, often at the cost of their own identity and heritage (Fanon, 1952).
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o also assert that colonial mimicry enforces conformity to colonial norms, thereby leading to the marginalization of local languages and traditions (Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, 1986).
In Achebe’s book “Things Fall Apart”, the character Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity represents a form of mimicry that aligns with colonial power, leading to conformity and the erosion of traditional Igbo culture (Achebe, 1994).
Culture – an entry point:
The colonizer understood that culture always act as a bridge to all communities. At the time of colonization, European languages were imposed as the primary means of communication in administration, education, and commerce. Thereafter, Africans themselves categorized all their languages under the term ‘vernacular’, and mastery of the colonial language became a way to align with colonial authorities.
This led to the suppression of Indigenous languages and identities. For example, in certain parts of Africa, school children are punished for speaking what has now become known derogatively as ‘vernacular’. Even today, many parents forbid their children from speaking ‘vernacular’ at home. In countries like Senegal and La Côte d’Ivoire, the French language has become a marker of intelligence and status, so too is western-style clothing.
Among the elite and urban dwellers, the necktie has replaced Indigenous garments for formal occasions. In Congo, members of La Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (Sapeurs) are known for their flamboyant and refined fashion sense, which serves as both a cultural expression and a form of resistance (Tamagni, 2009).
These impositions have shaped everything from language and education to governance and lifestyle. Ama Atta-Aidoo’s play, The Dilemma of a Ghost (1965), delves into the complexities of cultural assimilation and the tensions arising from adopting foreign customs.
European norms about family, marriage, and gender roles have all but replaced traditional systems. Today, many African communities identify two types of marriages (traditional vs.. church wedding), with the church wedding seen as authentic and final.
Education as a cultural institution:
Western-formal-education was, and still is, the key tool of colonial/neocolonial control. It has all but erased Indigenous knowledge systems which are regarded as backward, pagan, heathen and barbaric. For example, schools often emphasize European cultural superiority, encouraging African students to adopt western behaviours, dress codes, and ideals. The educated elites have adopted European frameworks for analyzing everything, from politics to the economy to cultural norms, to governance, and to media practices.
Religion a s a cultural institution:
As if that is not enough, a curve ball has been thrown into the midst of this chaos. Western religion, brought to Africa by missionaries, backed by empire, have replaced and/or marginalized traditional African spiritual practices. This has been done subtly via a sophisticated reward and punish system. Religious mimicry has been extended to adopting European moral codes, family structures, and gender roles.
(Eco)-economicus:
The mimicry has also been extended to the economic landscape. The colonizers introduced capitalist systems that emphasized individual wealth and property ownership, replacing communal economic practices in many African societies. Today, most African countries still farm cash crops for export to the ‘empire’. Finished products from ‘empire’ are then sold to the cosmopolitan elites at cutthroat prices. Unfortunately the masses, usually defined as ‘illiterate’ by the educated elites, are left to their own devices, sometimes struggling to put food on the proverbial table. In these spaces, European goods and services have become symbols of prestige, leading to mimicry in consumption patterns and lifestyles.
Architecture as a cultural institution:
In terms of architecture and urban planning, colonial cities were often designed to resemble European urban centres, with segregated ‘European quarters’ and native quarters. For example, cities like Nairobi , Lagos and Accra featured colonial architecture, grid patterns, and European-style public buildings. Mimicry in urban housing often reflected European lifestyles, with western-style homes replacing traditional communal living spaces. Some countries, such as Ghana and Kenya, have maintained and even surpassed this arrangement, as the elites who took over from the colonizers have become more European than the Europeans themselves.
Conclusion:
The mimicry adopted by colonized Africans has been shaped by the systems imposed by colonizers, including language, education, religion, and governance. While mimicry often serves as a tool for survival and adaptation, it has its negative connotations. Obviously, the African education system need to be re-imagined because copying without consciousness may lead to negative outcomes. Change will come when Africans, collectively, #unlearn, #relearn and #rethink, otherwise, change will be elusive.
Works Cited:
Aboulela, L. (2010). Lyrics alley. Grove Press.
Achebe, C. (1994). Things fall apart. Anchor Books.
Aidoo, A. A. (1965). The dilemma of a ghost. Longman.
Baten, K. & Cornillie, F. (2019). ‘Elicited imitation as a window into developmental stages’, Journal of the European Second Language Association, 3(1): 23–34.
Dawkins, R. (1995). River out of Eden: A Darwinian view of life. Basic Books.
Dawkins, R. (1991). Growing up in the universe [BBC Christmas Lectures series]. Oxford University Press.
Dawkins, R. (1986). The blind watchmaker: Why the evidence of evolution reveals a universe without design. W.W. Norton & Company.
Dawkins, R. (1982). The extended phenotype: The long reach of the gene. Oxford University Press.
Dawkins, R. (1976). The selfish gene. Oxford University Press.
Diop, C. A. (1989). The cultural unity of Black Africa: The domains of matriarchy & of patriarchy in classical antiquity. Karnak House.
Fanon, F. (2008). Black skin, white masks (C. L. Markmann, Trans.). Grove Press. (Original work published 1952).
Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id (J. Strachey, Trans.). W.W. Norton & Company. (Original work published 1923)
Graves, J.L. (2019). African Americans in evolutionary science: where we have been, and what’s next. Evo Edu Outreach 12, 18 (2019).
Jackson, F. L. (2008). “Ethnogenetic layering (EL): An alternative to the traditional race model in human variation and health disparity studies”. Annals of Human Biology. 35 (2): 121–44.
Lacan, J. (1978). The seminar of Jacques Lacan: Book XI, The four fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis (A. Sheridan, Trans.). W.W. Norton & Company. (Original work published 1973)
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J. (2013). Coloniality of power in postcolonial Africa: Myths of decolonization. CODESRIA.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. (1986). Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Sartre, J.-P. (1956). Being and nothingness (H. E. Barnes, Trans.). Washington Square Press. (Original work published 1943).
Tamagni, D. (2009). Gentlemen of Bacongo. Trolley Books.
van Baaren, R.B., et al. (2009), ‘Being Imitated: Consequences of Nonconsciously Showing Empathy’, in Jean Decety, and William Ickes (eds), The Social Neuroscience of Empathy (Cambridge, MA).
Dr. Kwaku Kusi-Appiah holds a doctorate in political ecology and the environment from Carleton University, where he teaches and conducts research in the domain of political ecology, water access and its intersection with the environment. He also supervises postgraduate students from Algeria, Malawi and Ghana. His career spans many years of university tutoring and leadership in diversity advocacy, such as serving as senior advisor to the Mayor of Ottawa on diversity issues, revitalizing Black History Ottawa, and contributing to international development projects like providing educational resources to Rwandan schools. He has also served as a visiting professor at Mzuzu University in Malawi, engaging students and NGOs on water and social justice issues . Dr. Kusi-Appiah also co-founded the Canada Education Management Agency to support international education.