January - Volume 12, Number 1 (2024)
REFLECTIONS ON QUALIA: CONTEMPLATING THE ESSENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Adesola Olufemi Adeleke, Chioma Ngozi Eze
The mind/body problem has long confounded metaphysicians, epistemologists, and scientists alike, prompting numerous attempts to unravel its complexities. Presently, attention is increasingly drawn to consciousness as a potential key to understanding and resolving this age-old enigma. Contemporary discourse on the mind/body problem revolves around the exploration of consciousness's nature and properties, with the aim of leveraging such insights to address the puzzle at hand. Central to these discussions are two opposing camps: physicalists and anti-physicalists. Physicalists contend that consciousness's properties can be comprehensively explained through empirical means, particularly by elucidating the physical processes within the brain. In contrast, anti-physicalists argue...
PERSPECTIVES ON DISABILITY: EXPLORING ISSUES FACED BY COUNSELORS IN THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP
Benjamin Thomas Campbell, Jasmine Marie Patel
This qualitative study delves into the perceptions and experiences of clients regarding counselors with visible disabilities, focusing on therapist disclosure and its impact on the therapeutic alliance. Individuals with disabilities often encounter prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, stigma, and segregation, mirroring the struggles faced by other marginalized groups. However, a notable distinction lies in the contemporary quest for equality among adults with disabilities. While movements such as the Women's Movement and the fight against racial segregation have historical roots dating back centuries, the struggle for equality among individuals with disabilities remains a more recent endeavor. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this...
HUMAN SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: CURRENT REALITIES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Adebayo Olumide Adeleke, Ngozi Chioma Okoro
Despite centuries of attention, human sexuality remains inadequately understood, with historical shifts and societal influences shaping its perception. Archaeological evidence suggests that pre-agricultural societies viewed sexuality as fluid, but its constraints emerged with the advent of farming. Over time, human sexuality and sexual orientation became tools of social control. In the 18th century, classical demographers, including Malthusians and neo-Malthusians, acknowledged the significance of human sexuality in explaining population dynamics and development. However, their focus on fertility, mortality, migration, and marriage led to the neglect of other critical aspects of human sexuality. This paper seeks to explore the historical trajectory of...
THE NEXUS OF SEXUALITY AND VIOLENCE: UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE AMONG RURAL IGALA WOMEN IN NIGERIA
Aisha Halima Abdullahi, Ngozi Chika Onyeka
The Beijing Platform for Action, outlined during the fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, delineates various forms of violence against women, encompassing physical, sexual, and psychological violence occurring within familial and community settings. Within the family, violence may manifest as battering, sexual abuse of female children, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation, and other harmful traditional practices. Similarly, violence within the broader community encompasses rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, intimidation in the workplace, trafficking in women, and forced prostitution. These acts, identified as detrimental due to their association with violence, predominantly victimize women, perpetuated by men. This paper...