The Third Space of Conversion: Selective Cultural Brokerage and the Historical Reconstitution of Tradition Among the Atswean-Asi (A Kuteb Subgroup) in Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study is an exploration of the cultural and traditional practices of the Atswean-Asi people of Kwambai, a distinct subgroup of the Kuteb ethnic group in Taraba State, Nigeria. It interrogates the continuity and transformation of practices such as child-naming ceremonies, menstrual segregation, male circumcision, and associated taboos in the face of external influences. The main argument is that the interaction between Christianity, modernity, and indigenous practices has led to a lively mix of cultures. This has created a 'Third Space' for expression that helps maintain community identity through Selective Cultural Brokerage. The objective is to historicise and analyse these cultural practices within their socio-political and spiritual frameworks, utilising the Theory of Cultural Hybridity to interpret the data as evidence of active cultural resilience rather than passive reception. The study adopts the historical method, relying on oral traditions, ethnographic observation, and documentary sources. The paper concludes that these traditions are being restructured in a focused way. This gives us a new theoretical idea: Selective Cultural Brokerage. Community leaders work together to manage the rules of cultural continuity, which helps maintain the stability of a new, hybrid communal identity.