Reconstructing the social responsibilities of African universities towards citizenship education: perspectives from the ujamaa philosophy of Julius Nyerere

Abstract

Even though the role of higher education in economic development and innovation has been widely discussed, its relevance in constructing democratic and civic values that pervade citizenship education is yet to be properly explored. The significance of higher education in Tanzania has also been discussed within the broad framework of the economic benefits of such education; yet, the social relevance of universities enhancing citizenship and community values has not been properly interrogated. This research approaches universities as social institutions that play significant roles in the social construction of civic values and citizenship. The paper draws its perspective from the ujamaa philosophy of Julius Nyerere. The Swahili word ujamaa is an African philosophy that means ‘familyhood’ or ‘brotherhood’. It deeply entrenches social justice and equality via community, mutual respect, reciprocation and the responsibility of cooperating for the common good of all. This paper sets out to investigate the extent to which graduates of Tanzanian universities inculcate the values of ujamaa philosophy and citizenship education while rendering social services to communities. This enquiry carries fundamental questions, such as what social and civic values are and whether university graduates can acquire these through citizenship education that helps them to engage with their communities. How do the experiences of graduates relate to the African philosophy of ujamaa and Nyerere’s principles of community education? From the analysis of data (n = 30), this paper demonstrates that higher education institutions and graduates have great potential to embrace the values of African philosophy towards the notion of community services, social engagement, civic values and citizenship. The paper concludes that civic values and the sense of community that have been built among graduates show that citizenship education in Tanzanian universities within the framework of ujamaa philosophy can positively influence the exercising of social responsibility by the country’s higher education institutions.