Augustine Agwuele, 2019

Professor

Research Areas

  • Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
  • Cultural and Social Dynamics
  • Language, Cultures & Cultural Practices
  • Popular Expressions 
  • African Studies

Scholarly Interest

I am a linguist. My scholarship is focused on language, the use of language in everyday life, and the dynamic interactions of language with socio-cultural institutions, including social media, film, music, popular performances, and religion across Africa and African Diaspora. Broadly, I study how individuals and communities use language interactively to navigate daily life concerns and express cultural ideologies. The themes of my current research include language and health, language and religion, and language and social mobility.

Selected Publications

Agwuele, A. (2025). “Explicating Ohùn Igboro: A Yoruba agentive device for rapid social mobility. Accepted: Journal of African Cultural Studies

Agwuele, A. and Bonface Nyamweya (2025). “Case of Mental Health and Witchcraft in Kisii” in Agwuele, A., Ogeto, E & Okinyi, B.O. (2025) (Eds). Everyday echoes among African scholars and raconteurs: Essays, Short Stories and Poems. (Newcastle, CPS).

Agwuele, A. (2024). “Greyness Is Aged, Bearded Is Adult: Yoruba Age and Seniority”. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 33(4), 269-285

Agwuele, A. (2024). “Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations”. Journal of Ethiopian Studies, 57(1), 1-34.

Agwuele, A. (2023) “Ohùn-Yoruba anti-archy youth attitude and expressions”. The Mouth: Critical Studies on Language, culture and society. Vol 10. Chapter 9.140-158

Agwuele, A. (2022). ““Igboro ni mo wa”: Popular Linguistic Innovation among Yoruba youth in urban cities” In, Deborah Pellow and Suzanne Scheld (eds.) Africa and Urban Anthropology: Theoretical and methodological contributions from contemporary fieldwork. NY.  Routledge

Agwuele, A. (2021). “‘Exertion is not connected to success: everyday Yoruba discourse of work and success’”. Africa 91 (5): 810-831. doi:10.1017/S0001972021000590

Agwuele, A. & Tafesse, Matewos Karo. (2021) “Fichee- Cambalaalla (ፍቼ ጫንባላላ) of the Sidaama People s” In Akinyemi, Akintunde & Falola, Toyin (eds.) Handbook of Oral Traditions and Folklore. NY. Palgrave