Western Hegemony: The Influence on Traditional Ritual Mechanism of Addressing the Conflict of Marital Infidelity in Nigeri

Abstract

Abstract Marital faithfulness in the traditional communities of Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, is rooted in moral and spiritual values, where female infidelity is regarded as a communal offence that desecrates the earth goddess (Ala) and angers the ancestors, requiring the cleansing ritual known as Ise-Ala to restore social and spiritual balance. This study addresses the problem of how Western hegemony expressed through colonialism, Christianity, Western education, and the imposition of statutory legal systems has weakened and reinterpreted these indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms, branding them “primitive” or “pagan” while reframing adultery as an individual sin rather than a communal concern. The objectives are to provide a culturally grounded explanation of Ise-Ala as a moral, spiritual, and social system, and to critically examine the consequences of its disruption in contemporary Nigerian communities. Methodologically, the work adopts a qualitative, historical-analytical approach, drawing on postcolonial theory, cultural anthropology, and African religious studies, alongside documentary and literature based sources. The findings reveal that Western hegemony undermined traditional ritual mechanisms by neglecting the authority of elders and ancestors, privileging Western courts and Christian morality, and deepening generational divides, yet it did not entirely eradicate these practices, which persist in modified forms reflecting enduring commitment to communal peace and spiritual accountability. The study recommends a critical integration that preserves the restorative, reconciliatory strengths of indigenous systems while incorporating gender equality and human-rights protections, ensuring conflict resolution that is culturally grounded, socially just, and contextually relevant rather than total displacement of traditional practices by Western frameworks.