Abstract: This paper aims to explore traditional respect, family relationships and satisfaction in the lived experiences. Previous studies have focused on language, feminine gender, historical and realistic elements, religion, marriage, and mental illness, without examining hospitality in the selected works. This article examines some elements of how Africans demonstrates love like, sharing of gifts, care for members of the family, healing of infirmities, and running of businesses with particular reference to Senegalese and Beninese nationalities as portrayed in Mariama Bâ’s Une si longue lettre (USLL), Un chant écarlate (UCE) and Fassinou’s Modukpè: le rêve brisé (MLRB) and Toute une vie ne suffirait pas pour en parler (TUVNSPPEP). It also discusses hospitality among friends, neighbours, schoolmates, the rich and the poor, and sellers and buyers using the same literary works. Sociological theory serves as a framework, while the qualitative approach is the design. This article investigates kind of help rendered to less privileged in different conditions and circumstances, showing kindness, elevating one another, exposing unknown culture to stranger, assisting son’s friends, providing items needed at a particular time, and friendly behaviour towards customers under the themes such as care of family-in-laws by daughter-in-laws, care for members of family, sharing of gifts among friends, accommodating others, and hospitality at business. This paper, therefore, describes hospitality as a traditional wisdom, indigenous heritage with distinct features to indigenise in contemporary times, showing the wider society the implications of hospitality. Future researchers could further explore indigenous wisdom in dialects, types of food, clothes, and home resources through the lens of other theories and methodology.
Keywords: contemporary time, family relationship, hospitality, indigenous heritage, traditional respect
DOI: 10.36349/atij.2026.v02i01.010
author/Adeagbo, T.J., Akande, O.A. & Babatunde, O.A.
journal/Al-Takamul IJ 2(1) | July 2026 |
