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Abstract
In South Africa the task of decolonising the curriculum in higher education institutions falls upon researchers and lecturers. Within the case study of the Visual Communication Design curriculum at Stellenbosch University we noticed that students’ superstitious and religious beliefs and rituals surfaced in their responses to the coursework even though there was an attempt to steer away from traditional religious education. Students’ experiences included engagement with African religious rituals, the effects of omens, the use of rituals for academic success and the rejections of superstitious and religious beliefs. These experiences were interpreted from a post-colonial perspective. Critical citizenship education and appreciation of worldview diversity is suggested as tools for transformation toward decolonising the curriculum by recognising and legitimising different experiences and actions related to superstitious and religious beliefs in higher education classrooms. Key words: Superstition, higher education, belief, South Africa, post-colonial.
Highlights
South Africa is a nation where everyone is directly or indirectly influenced by Western science and philosophy as well as African and Christian worldviews (Malcolm and Alant, 2004)
Superstition, African indigenous religion, Christian beliefs, and Islamic beliefs play a role in the everyday lives of South Africans, including, for example, taxi drivers‟ perceptions of road traffic accidents (Peltzer and Renner, 2003) and individuals‟ decisions regarding HIV and AIDS (Tenkorang et al, 2011)
Superstitious and religious beliefs and rituals by extension exist in the higher education context of South Africa
Summary
South Africa is a nation where everyone is directly or indirectly influenced by Western science and philosophy as well as African and Christian worldviews (Malcolm and Alant, 2004). Superstitious rituals play a crucial role in the social fabric of South African society where unexplainable events are attributed to the supernatural even if this seems scientifically irrational (Tenkorang et al, 2011). Religious rituals are practised in South Africa and reflect the diverse beliefs present in the country. Superstition, African indigenous religion, Christian beliefs, and Islamic beliefs play a role in the everyday lives of South Africans, including, for example, taxi drivers‟ perceptions of road traffic accidents (Peltzer and Renner, 2003) and individuals‟ decisions regarding HIV and AIDS (Tenkorang et al, 2011). Superstitious and religious beliefs and rituals by extension exist in the higher education context of South Africa. The focus of the module was critical citizenship education and there was an effort to steer
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