Botho as an essential ingredient of African psychology: an insider perspective

Abstract

The African notion of botho appears to have attracted a lot of attention and research efforts in various fields of study. It is presented as a positive concept that is associated with the good side of human beings. In this article, we have adopted an Afrocentric position to analyse the philosophical construct of ‘botho’ as lived and practised in communities that we grew up in. We acknowledge our historical and cultural locatedness in these communities and recognise that this positionality has influenced the way we have engaged with our subject matter. We have interrogated the concept of botho and have identified what we consider as its four key elements. These are African spirituality, botho as personhood, botho and interconnectedness, and botho and communalism. Through a critical discussion of these key elements, we have tried to demonstrate that botho is essentially a valid human experience that forms the bedrock of African psychology. We conclude by suggesting that botho and other themes that constitute the field of African psychology need to be acknowledged, embraced, and mobilised as foundational building blocks in the production of knowledge that is centred on and in Africa.