The economic history of Ilorin in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: the rise and decline of a middleman society

This thesis surveys some of the most important aspects of the economy of Ilorin in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The aspects surveyed are (1) the involvement of Ilorin Town in long-distance trade; (2) three of its major industries, namely, the production of lantana beads, narrow-loom cloth, and pottery; and (3) the town’s agricultural hinterland, called the “metropolitan districts” in colonial times. The initial general impression gained by a student of the Ilorin economy is one of great importance and prosperity in the nineteenth century, followed by a marked decline and failure to redevelop during the colonial period. Thus, a major theme of this thesis is an examination of this impression, with regard to the three aspects named above. Ilorin’s commitment to an intermediary role is of particular importance to an understanding of its prosperity and decline, and this role is examined in the chapters on trade and the metropolitan districts. Further themes include the following: the economic continuities between Old Oyo and Ilorin; the role of the slave trade, slaves and other dependants in the Ilorin economy; the part played in this economy by members of the Ilorin elite; and the similarities and differences between major industrial groups. Prior to the discussion of these themes, a brief outline of the political and administrative history of Ilorin provides necessary background information and an introduction to names and terms

Transformations in Ilorin : actions and artefacts speak louder than words

African Studies Center Papers in the African Humanities No. 4This paper was presented at the Seminar on Transformations in African Material Culture, held at Boston University, January 26-27,1989, as part of the project on "African Expressions of the Colonial Experience. Publication of this paper was made possible by an interpretive research grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Belief

This thesis examines the cognitive attitude of belief, taking belief to be the attitude people take to what they think is true. Can this attitude be analysed in terms of mental occurrences or events? The theories of Hume, Ogden and Richards, and Brentano are examined and criticised for faults peculiar to each of them. Occurrence theories are rejected generally for failing to account satisfactorily for implicit and unformulated beliefs. Is belief then a disposition to act? Behaviourism is discussed in the version presented by R. B. Braithwaite and shown to provide neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for the attribution of belief. Behaviourism is criticised for its general tendency to reduce speculative concerns to practical. Belief, along with attitudes such as hope, is shown to differ from occurrent mental events and states, although sharing with such states a degree of epistemological privacy. How is belief to be identified? Belief of individuals is shown to be founded on each individual's acceptance of public criteria for and attitudes to truth. Wayward beliefs are possible only given that the individual shows in other ways that he grasps these criteria and attitudes. This theory brings out the strengths of both associationist and behaviourist accounts. The object of belief is shown to be a proposition rather than the concrete sentences or statements assented to. In this theory, propositions are thought of in terms of the understanding of the believer rather than as timeless, abstract entities. Attempts to give an extensional account of belief-objects fail because of referential opacity; they also have problems in that two people, particularly if they come from different cultural backgrounds, may assent to the same statement and mean different things by it. Moral beliefs and belief in people and things are shown sometimes to include attitudes of emotive commitment and other feelings which can be distinguished from cognitive belief. The relationship between the long term and largely unformulated attitude of belief and explicit acts of judgment or assent is examined. These assents are constitutive of belief, in that a person making an assent thereby forms his belief on the subject. This is because of what we are doing when we actually judge that something is so. Theories which postulate unconscious, as opposed to unformulated beliefs, and theories which suggest that we know what we believe by introspecting our internal states are rejected. The relationship between belief and the will is discussed. Descartes' account of this relationship in his fourth Meditation is partially defended against criticism made by J. L. Evans, on the grounds that it shows us we ought to make ourselves responsible for our assents. In assenting, we accept certain standards for judgment; we should become conscious of this in order to make ourselves responsible for what we believe. The undesirability, but not the impossibility of having logically inconsistent beliefs is demonstrated. Beliefs naturally tend to form themselves into a coherent picture of the world. But we learn to believe through entering such a system. The influence of the context of belief on individual beliefs is examined in examples taken from the history of science and common sense. Belief systems also influence the way evidence is seen and interpreted. But these factors are shown not to lead necessarily to sceptical or relativistic conclusions

Enhancing credibility, gaining recognition, and eliminating any stigmas associated with developmental education

One distinct obstacle faced by most developmental educators is the ongoing challenge made from a variety of sources about the credibility of this work in higher education. Despite strong histories and demonstrations of success by many programs, we continue to deal with the negative stereotypes and stigma related to our students, our mission, and the appropriateness of our role in institutions of higher education. Additionally, these issues of credibility are fueled by very real and complex circumstances—reports on student retention, achievement on standardized testing, and a changing society in terms of workforce needs and social demographics. It is important to work toward increasing the recognition of positive work being done in developmental education, particularly that which eliminates stigmas and stereotypes informing many of the attitudes that can be counterproductive and misleading

Perceptions of voluntary consent among jail diverted veterans with co-occurring disorders

This study assessed perceptions of voluntary consent among 69 veterans who enrolled in a jail diversion program for co-occurring disorders. Perceptions were measured using modified items from the MacArthur Perceived Coercion and Negative Pressure Scales. A majority reported that they chose to (88.4%) or felt free to (85.5%) enroll. Most reported having control over (69.6%) and more influence than anyone else regarding (60.9%) their participation. About half reported that enrollment was their idea (49.3%). Fewer reported perceptions of negative pressure, including the feeling that someone talked them into enrolling (24.6%), threatened them with the maximum criminal punishment (13.0%), offered or promised them something (5.8%), or forced them to enroll (5.8%). Nobody felt tricked, lied to, or fooled into participating. Total negative pressure scores were higher in those with combat experience, U = 406.50, p = .016. Although potentially inappropriate pressures were reported, these data suggest that the majority perceived enrollment as voluntary

Conceptual learning : the priority for higher education

The common sense notion of learning as the all-pervasive acquisition of new behaviour and knowledge, made vivid by experience, is an incomplete characterisation, because it assumes that the learning of behaviour and the learning of knowledge are indistinguishable, and that acquisition constitutes learning without reference to transfer. A psychological level of analysis is used to argue that conceptual learning should have priority in higher education