SOCIOLOGY BEFORE MAX WEBER;A POSITION PAPER ON ANNANG SOCIAL ACTIONS AND YAM CULTURES By Da Effiong Daniel

SOCIOLOGY BEFORE MAX WEBER: A POSITION PAPER ON ANNANG SOCIAL ACTIONS AND YAM CULTURE

By Da Effiong Daniel

From the African Holy Land – Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Introduction

Max Weber, a towering figure in sociology, revolutionized the understanding of human behavior with his concept of verstehen and emphasis on social action. He argued that actions should be interpreted through the meanings individuals assign to them. However, while Weber is credited for these contributions in the academic canon of Western sociology, it is imperative to recognize that various non-Western societies, such as the Annang people of the African Holy Land—Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria—practiced rich and deeply sociological traditions long before Weber’s writings. These traditions embodied social actions, symbolic interactions, economic redistribution, and communal values that, although undocumented academically, reflect core sociological principles.

The Annang Yam Harvest and Social Action

Among the Annang people, the practice surrounding yam farming and harvesting reveals a highly sociological system. During yam harvests, it was customary for wealthier yam farmers to allow the less privileged to assist in harvesting. In return, these helpers received smaller yams called afop. The system was guided by the proverb: "Owuo inwang uwueme ese abuame ntok ofop"—“The latecomer to yam harvesting rushes for the eating yams (afop).” This proverb encapsulates a cultural mechanism of social encouragement and moral education.

This practice fostered both food security and upward mobility. Poorer individuals began their own yam farms from the afop they gathered. In essence, farming was not only an economic activity but a social one—rooted in mutual aid, delayed gratification, and the belief in communal upliftment.

Redistribution and Social Cohesion

Furthermore, once the yam was brought home, it was customary for the owner to distribute portions of the harvest to extended family members and neighbors. This act went beyond charity; it was a reinforcement of kinship, social bonds, and communal solidarity. Such behavior mirrors Weber’s theory of value-oriented social action, where the motivation for action is deeply rooted in cultural or spiritual values rather than material gain alone.

Reframing the Origins of Social Action

Weber’s theory of social action categorized human behavior into four types: traditional, affective, value-rational, and instrumental-rational. However, the Annang yam tradition illustrates these categories centuries before Western sociology defined them. Their actions were:

- Traditional, in their repeated cultural practices around farming and food distribution.

- Affective, in the emotional bonds reinforced through sharing and mutual help.

- Value-rational, in the cultural ethics embedded in the afop practice and the proverbial wisdom.

- Instrumental-rational, in the practical aim of enabling poorer members to start yam farming.

Thus, Max Weber did not "invent" social action; he articulated what many societies already practiced. His value lies in offering a theoretical framework that now allows these indigenous practices to be recognized academically.

Conclusion

The Annang people’s yam culture embodies sociological wisdom, ethical traditions, and economic practices that rival, and in some ways predate, the conceptual contributions of Max Weber. It is crucial for African sociologists and scholars to document and reinterpret indigenous practices through academic frameworks. This not only decolonizes knowledge but also affirms the intellectual heritage of African societies. Social action, as lived by the Annang people, affirms that sociology did not begin with Europe—it began with humanity.

Da Effiong Daniel

From the African Holy Land – Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria