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HAS EVOLUTION BEEN INTERRUPTED IN THE AFRICAN OIKOS? : MERGING THE SELF-ORGANIZATION ACTIVITY APPROACH USING AFRICAN FRACTAL SPATIAL PATTERNS WITH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE VALUES. YORUBA CITIES AS A CASE STUDYTokunbo Laotan-Brown, 2019, doctoral dissertation
Abstract: In essence, a qualitative study revealing what the inhabitants reflect as a deep and personal relationship with and within the region, which contributes significantly to their sense of emotional security and self identity. This includes a strong conservation-orientated attitude with regard to the natural rural character of a clan, tribe or unbounded region using linguistic families, especially in the inner core. It acknowledges the journey though time of the dwellers, changes in requirements in a natural way. The principle behind this thesis is to identify the regional, cultural and environmental demands of where and how a fractal spatial function can be observed as well as how a community can be organised to maintain and preserve its culture in a natural way.
Thus, responding to specific characteristics of the local environment and climatic conditions. This lifelong interaction between the cognitive and physical realms has existed overtime. During the evolution of values inhabitants adapted form and materials to the conditions of nature; working with natural forms and climatic cycles rather than considering forces as obstacles to overcome has hermeneutic and practical values; used by intentional makers. The cultural identity in the inhabitant made the home, and then the process of home-making ‘made’ the inhabitant; a reciprocal reward. This will include their connection to the culture, region and environment while proposing a self-organizational solution. The future of conserving African tangible and intangible values, need to take lessons from the past into the future through present resolutions while documenting what maybe an interrupted progression.
To achieve the above, I modified an approach using cultural fractal organizational approach as a basis for defining; 1) The structure of research framework
using computer simulations and thus establishing linkages between space, region and
communal activities. 2) Using African linguistic families (Niger-Congo: Yoruba), as a
distinct way of documenting within the context of co-existing social and discursive practices.
3) By generating a background in ethnographic and sensory archaeological data on Yoruba
regional cities, focusing on the fractal structure of settlements in relation to the social activities that take place in and around them.
Keywords: Fractals, Self Similarity, Conservation, Self Organizational Approach, Cultural Heritage, Spatial Patterns, IFA, Oikos, Cultural Landscapes, Yoruba Cities, Circularity.
Published in RUNG: 18.01.2019; Views: 5050; Downloads: 183
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