Akinsola Akiwowo: Born to Rebel; His Autobiography As the Pathways to Indigenization Debate in Sociology

For Sociology to be meaningful to us all, it must be able to encourage, rather than discourage the values, maturation of indigenous discourse, norms, beliefs social systems and social processes. . There is no universal solution that will promote the benefits of sociology to all people and culture. Giving the same theory and method to every society did not and will not work. Akinsola Akiwowo Sociology represents a unique opportunity to the debate. This paper looks at the ways in which the socio-cultural background of Akinsola Akiwowo influenced his interest of indigenous knowledge to formulate theories and methodologies in his quest for an emic sociological paradigm of society. There is a great need to decolonize sociology so as to allow for more particularistic perspectives without compromising world sociology which is to be nourished/nurtured by progressive and revolutionary ideas derived from other socio-cultural environments. At present, sociology does not represent or reflect hopes, ideas and challenges of other continents apart from Europe. Little is known about how his autobiography and his socio-background influence his derivation from the Universal paradox. This paper attempts to re-assess Akinsola Akiwowo’s personal life histories as well as his deep attachment to “Orunmila divination and Ifogbon Taiyese” perspectives of man and society, throughout his life as the basis for his theoretical formulations.