MORAL DECADENCE AS SOCIAL CANCER: RESOCIALIZATION AS AESTHETICS OF NECESSITY IN EVERY DAY IS FOR THE THIEF

Boussangue Kokou

Abstract


Moral decadence, which is the collapse of moral and ethical values, norms, and principles, has not escaped the creative imagination of the American-Nigerian novelist, Teju Cole in his novel Every Day is for the Thief. In this novel, the unnamed narrator discusses this issue without sympathy and shows the extent to which unethical deeds have cut across the social strata with the benediction of all the stakeholders, unfortunately. The corruption and violence inherent in these unethical activities are characteristics of a society in decadence. The analysis of data gathered shows that the perceived causes of these have their roots in the activities of corrupt civil servants in complicity with government officials, and the youth who are exposed to inappropriate media with a lack of parental guidance. This paper examines the issue of moral decadence, its root catalysts and the urgent need to address this problem in an effort to bring back moral sanity through socialization and resocialization. The analysis is done through the lens of psychoanalysis, and the findings suggest that resocialization/re-education and a shift in mindset can aid in the restoration of ethical values, ultimately paving the way for a thriving and sustainable society.

La décadence morale, qui est l’effondrement des valeurs, normes et principes moraux et éthiques, n’a pas échappé à l’imagination créatrice du romancier américano-nigérian Teju Cole dans son roman « plusieurs jours pour le voleur ». Dans ce roman, le narrateur anonyme aborde cette question sans sympathie et montre à quel point les actes contraires à l'éthique ont malheureusement traversé les couches sociales avec la bénédiction de toutes les parties prenantes. La corruption et la violence inhérentes à ces activités contraires à l’éthique sont les caractéristiques d’une société en décadence. L'analyse des données recueillies montre que les causes perçues de ces phénomènes trouvent leur origine dans les activités des fonctionnaires d’état corrompus en complicités avec les responsables du gouvernement, et une jeunesse qui est exposée à des médias inappropriés et sans surveillance parentale. Cet article examine la question de la décadence morale, ses catalyseurs fondamentaux et le besoin urgent de résoudre ce problème dans le but de ramener la morale par la socialisation et la resocialisation. L'analyse est effectuée à travers le prisme de la psychanalyse et les résultats suggèrent que la resocialisation/rééducation et un changement de mentalité peuvent contribuer à la restauration des valeurs éthiques, ouvrant ainsi la voie à une société prospère et durable.

 

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Keywords


moral decadence, mindset, socialization, society, religion, moral sanity / décadence morale, état d’esprit, socialisation, société, religion, santé mentale

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejls.v5i2.536

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