Concept Of Ubuntu Research Articles

Exploring the Interface between Discrimination of Immigrants and Ubuntu Concept in South Africa: A Case of African Migrants in Alice Township of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Exploring the Interface between Discrimination of Immigrants and Ubuntu Concept in South Africa: A Case of African Migrants in Alice Township of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP AND CORRUPTION: EFFECT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA

Pre-colonial communities occupying the space now known as Africa reflected “paradise on earth” having men of integrity, selfless, with focus on community development. The bonding of man with land and the invocation of land-based – spiritual powers allowed for easy enforcement of good morals and conduct in communities. The partitioning of Africa, with the break of the existing social-cultural bonding and the consolidation under colonisation of communities in Africa made communal bonding un-sustainable. The African ubuntu concept gave way, turning an average African a potential drain on his community under a “winner takes all” syndrome, just as he grabs property indiscriminately. The western legal systems introduce private property ownership, but the legal systems in practice record huge breaches of the rule of law, truncation of justice and development. The paper precisely investigates whether development in Africa can be attained based on legal systems foreign to Africa, rather than through indigenous legal tradition.

REARTICULATING UBUNTU AS A VIABLE FRAMEWORK FOR THE REALISATION OF LEGAL CAPACITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

As a right, legal capacity is central to the realisation of an ‘equal status’ for all persons with disabilities. Its attainment is fundamental to the aspirations of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Unfortunately, indicatorsover the past years reveal that realisation of legal capacity has not been straightforward. Furthermore, depending on one’s perspective, the CRPD itself does not offer much in terms of specificity on tangible implementation strategies; instead, it leaves wide room for flexibility of realisation approaches. This chapter posits that rearticulating the traditional African concept of ubuntu holds real potential for local acceptance and recognition of legal capacity in favour persons with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa. Admittedly, and although conceptually contentious in itself as an African personhood philosophy, this chapter argues that there is space for legal capacity to prosper within a rearticulated framework of ubuntu. Its resonance with an inclusive society, community of solidarity and support implies its potential as a real local strategy, not only for legal capacity, but equally for all other disability rights.

Employee engagement in non-Western contexts: The link between social resources Ubuntu and employee engagement

Underpinned by Social Exchange Theory (SET) this study examines the relationship between social resources and employee engagement using the Ubuntu construct as a mediating variable. Employee engagement conceptualized as a positive work-related mind-set has demonstrated positive association with both supervisor support and colleague support. The study uses data collected from employees in organizations in Botswana (n = 438) to assess the relationship between social resources and employee engagement using Ubuntu as a mediating variable. Using mediation analysis, findings suggest that high levels of Ubuntu enhance the strength of the relationship among supervisor support, colleague support and employee engagement. These findings open significant potential for future studies identifying the cultural peculiarities as well as managerial implications of management concepts such as employee engagement in non-western settings and underlining the importance of the Ubuntu concept in managing staff in a sub-Saharan Africa country.

Reflecting on the Role and Impact of the Constitutional Value of uBuntu on the Concept of Contractual Freedom and Autonomy in South Africa

Private parties have the freedom and autonomy to enter into a contract. This autonomy is deeply rooted in their dignity and personal liberties. Private individuals, in furtherance of their autonomy and freedom to enter into a contract, have certain reasonable expectations, most fundamental of which is the desire that maximum respect is given to their legitimately concluded agreement. The concept of contractual freedom and autonomy connotes the idea that private individuals (natural and juristic) have the liberty to arrange their affairs in a manner that meets their economic interest without governmental inhibition, control and/or interference. However, the operative scope and the practical manifestations of the concept of contractual freedom are circumscribed in the constitutional, statutory, legislative and other socio-cultural orders of States. This article seeks to reflect on the role and influence of the constitutional value of ubuntu on the principle of contractual freedom and autonomy, and the naturally accompanying concepts of pacta sunt servanda and sanctity of contract in South Africa. The article provides an analysis of the judicial interpretation and views on the concept of contractual freedom and autonomy relative to other competing values that underlie the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Furthermore, the article appraises the impact of those judicial views on international commercial agreements. The article also discusses the extent to which communitarian values such as the concept of ubuntu have been infused into South African contract law and further reflects on the implication of infusing such communitarian values in both domestic and international contracts. The article concludes with a suggestion that the introduction of traditional African values in South African contract law fundamentally alters the theoretical foundations of the principle of contractual freedom and autonomy in both domestic and international contracts.

Editor’s Comment

Editor’s Comment

Curmudgeon article including reports of two recent African Psychology studies on Covid-19

COVID-19 offers new opportunities for confrontation and transcendence of the givens of life, including illness, suffering and death. These givens also bring humanity’s greatest gifts, such as joy and compassion. This article reports on two recent African psychology studies on COVID-19. The first study on local rural Zulu persons’ COVID-19 coping experiences provides a contemporary context for the second study on universalising and indigenising the meaning and practice of love after COVID-19. Five main points are made. First, African psychology is original psychology. Second, it refers to psychology in, of, for, and from Africa, on, by and for Africans. Third, it has much to offer psychology in other continents. Fourth, the Greek philosophy of love has considerable African origins. Fifth, the concept of Ubuntu both relates to and extends the notion of agape or unconditional love, through its emphasis on human relationships, which require extra compassionate care during and after COVID-19.

I am because we are: (Re)membering Ubuntu in the pedagogy of Black women teachers from Africa to America and back again

ABSTRACT Given the clarion call for culturally relevant and sustaining practices, it is often assumed that Black women have a deep well of knowledge about Black history and culture to draw from. However, given that today’s Black teachers were mostly educated post-integration, they were rarely afforded accurate representations and cultural knowledge of Black histories, heritages, and contributions in the US and the world. This education also did not include understanding their historical and spiritual connection to African people on the continent and throughout its diaspora. Given these historical and cultural omissions in their teacher education, we explore the question: What can be learned about Black women’s pedagogical practices when we begin instead in Africa? Using the concept of Ubuntu, we explore what this shift in standpoint provides that is integral in commitments to (re)membering Africa in teacher education and the professional development for Black women teachers.

Localizing the Human Rights-Based Approach to Fight Corruption: The Role of Ubuntu

Claims by many experts on the connection between corruption and human rights, and especially the realization that corruption undermines the enjoyment of human rights, have led practitioners to advocate a human rights-based approach to corruption. However, it comes at a time where the global human rights movement is under assault, this contribution addresses the emerging localization discourse in human rights. Researchers and campaigners are adapting the international human rights system to local institutions and meanings in a process of “vernacularization”. This is by taking the needs of the community and the language that makes sense locally as the entry point of human rights advocacy. The question that arises is what role can the local understanding of human rights play? This contribution suggests answers to this question by using the African concept of ubuntu (humanness) to reinforce measures against corruption.

Once More uBbuntu: A Reply to Radebe and Phooko

This article is a critical engagement with the most recent contribution to the debate on the nature and content of ubuntu. The contribution (by Radebe and Phooko) attempts to provide the concept of ubuntu with substantive content in order for the concept to provide legal solutions for legal problems. This article shows how this attempt largely fails for three reasons. In the first place because some of the suggested rules are social/moral rules that cannot be enforced by law. In the second place because other rules are already contained in common law, legislation or case law. In the third place the remaining rules are arguably either unconstitutional or inappropriate in an open and democratic society. The conclusion is that the suggested rules are not appropriate in an open society.

Ubuntu in the worship service as heterotopia: A liturgical-ecclesiological exploration

Through taking an interdisciplinary approach to studying liturgy, a connection has been made in this article between three theological concepts: koinonia, liturgical inculturation and the utopian ideal of inclusivity in the form of ‘ heterotopias ’. These concepts are all, to some degree, comparable to the African concept of ubuntu , an ideal or utopia in itself. This article aims to draw comparisons between the collection of normative ideals above and a current multicultural church context empirically researched in postcolonial and pluralistic church societies – in postapartheid South Africa. These comparisons are made as a process of critical interference by doing an empirical probe by asking ‘what is happening’, and a normative probe, which asks ‘what should be happening’. This involves investigating the actual liturgical praxis of worshipping communities in order to navigate toward and better understanding of an inclusive society as depicted by the concepts of the Rainbow Nation or Ubuntu . The conclusion shows that which ‘ought to be happening’ in worship that serves our current South African realities is – to an extent – already happening in some worshipping communities. Insights gained from the liturgical praxis of these communities can serve as best practices for other communities.

‘NNOBOA’ MISSION CONCEPT: A PROPOSAL FOR STRATEGIC COST EFFECTIVE MISSION AND CHURCH PLANTING FOR INDEPENDENT PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES IN GHANA

This paper made a case for the use of co-operative mission approach to plant churches. The paper was curved through observations and concerns of Independent Pentecostal Churches in Ghana of their inability to plant daughter churches due to lack of fund for mission and church planting. The paper made a proposal for the use of nnoboa mission concept. A concept developed from cooperative farming which thrives through trust, communality and reciprocity. Nnoboa in Akan communities in Ghana is similar to Ubuntu concept in Southern African communities. The paper argues that the church (body of Christ) is endowed with spiritual, physical, material and social capital that when brought together cooperatively can help Independent Pentecostal Churches to achieve their missional agenda. Even though the paper is a proposal for Independent Pentecostal Churches in Ghana, its implementation can be used by churches in other parts of the world that are struggling with funding for mission and church planting.

Introducing Ulimisana Optimization Algorithm Based on Ubuntu Philosophy

In this paper we give introduction to the concepts of Ubuntu and how we used Mechanism design concepts to construct Ubuntu as an optimisation algorithm. Ubuntu philosophy is old and consists of many oral proverbs that have been documented in recent years. This work thus introduces an incentive mechanism based on Ubuntu, thus called Ubuntu Incentive, which is modelled according to Mechanism Design principles. This incentive scheme is introduced as a fitness function which the algorithm tries to improve. To achieve this, the algorithm draws inspiration from Bantu proverbs that guide how individuals ought to behave within the Ubuntu community. Trust is an important element within these communities and it is shown how trust influences the obtaining of the Pareto efficiency. The algorithm is introduced with different mathematical configurations which are tested against each other. Ulimisana optimisation algorithm (UOA) manages to solve the benchmark test functions used in this work. This is found to be in accordance to the Ubuntu philosophy as used in the Ulimisana/Letsema practice amongst the Bantu people of Southern Africa. The UOA performed better in some benchmark test function when compared to other algorithms and coming second on most performance to PSO for most test benchmark function.

Symbolic consumption and representation of self: a study of interactions in a virtual community of Ubuntu-Br users

Abstract This study aims to explain how the symbolic consumption of the Ubuntu operating system is used for the representation of self in interactions in the Ubuntu virtual community from Brazil. We adopted the Goffmanian concept of self, the netnography of communication as the research method, and case study as a research strategy. The paralinguistic, the extralinguistic, and the definition of “I” are aspects used in virtual interactions. They have the linguistic function of corroborating and praising the statements of migration of Windows users to Ubuntu, emphasizing the distinctive features of the concept of Ubuntu, highlighting its expression of shared feelings of love and freedom, as ways of projecting the self of humanity to each other. In the case of the operating system, this characteristic is represented through the provision of support among users at the forum of the virtual community.

Symbolic consumption and representation of self: a study of interactions in a virtual community of Ubuntu-Br users

Abstract This study aims to explain how the symbolic consumption of the Ubuntu operating system is used for the representation of self in interactions in the Ubuntu virtual community from Brazil. We adopted the Goffmanian concept of self, the netnography of communication as the research method, and case study as a research strategy. The paralinguistic, the extralinguistic, and the definition of “I” are aspects used in virtual interactions. They have the linguistic function of corroborating and praising the statements of migration of Windows users to Ubuntu, emphasizing the distinctive features of the concept of Ubuntu, highlighting its expression of shared feelings of love and freedom, as ways of projecting the self of humanity to each other. In the case of the operating system, this characteristic is represented through the provision of support among users at the forum of the virtual community.

Developing the notion of ubuntu as African theory for social work practice

Ubuntu is an African concept referring to humanness. It gives expression to deeply-held African ideals of one’s personhood being rooted in one’s interconnectedness with others. Social workers seeking to develop an African framework for decolonial social work practice turn repeatedly to ubuntu for aid. But the term has, for the most part, been limited to the idea of mutual aid – people helping each other in a spirit of solidarity. This article endeavours to extend and deepen the ubuntu concept to strengthen its potential as a theory informing social work practice. This is done by interweaving other African ideas with ubuntu in three domains: ethics, sustainable development and ecospirituality

Supplementing the lack of ubuntu? The ministry of Zimbabwe’s Mashoko Christian Hospital to people living with HIV and AIDS in challenging their stigmatisation in the church

This article uses the African communal concept of ubuntu to reflect on the ministry of Mashoko Christian Hospital (MCH), Zimbabwe, to people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS (PLWHA) during the early days since the discovery of the disease. The main question this article seeks to answer is: from a perspective of the African philosophy of ubuntu, how did the ministry of MCH to PLWHA challenge the fear and judgemental attitudes towards the disease within the Churches of Christ in Zimbabwe? This leads to another question: what should the churches learn from MCH’s response to HIV and AIDS? This article only focusses on trends in conduct and not on a detailed history of engaging HIV and AIDS. The significance of this article is to demonstrate the important role played by faith-based organisations (FBOs) in complementing the compassion and care often lacking in the official churches’ response to HIV and AIDS.

A qualitative approach to developing measurement scales for the concept of Ubuntu

Orientation: This article provides a theoretical consolidation of Ubuntu antecedents to encourage understanding of the relationship between Ubuntu and organisational management. Research purpose: The Ubuntu conceptual elements – compassion, survival, group solidarity and respect and dignity – are appraised in the context of South African hospitality management. Motivation for the study: Ubuntu elements were identified as a regional sub-cultural influence in South Africa in Hofstede’s 1983 research on the influence of culture in managing organisations. Understanding the role of Ubuntu in management is argued as being important to effectively manage culturally diverse work teams in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: Qualitative data were collected from judgementally selected hospitality industry participants (stage 1) as to their perceptions of antecedents of Ubuntu applicable to hotel frontline employee management. Consequently, a Delphi method (stage 2) was applied asking eight purposefully selected participants to review the proposed sub-variables of the four Ubuntu elements derived from stage 1 to establish a theoretical Ubuntu measurement scale. Main findings: The research proposes a theoretical measurement scale for the four broad concepts of Ubuntu. Practical/managerial implications: Theoretically, this article contributes to management research for managing service orientated businesses. Practically, this research stresses the importance of Ubuntu motivational forces as mechanisms that service managers can implement in stimulating group collective achievement of organisational goals. Contribution/value-add: Ubuntu research has predominantly been conceptual related only to four elements (compassion, survival, group solidarity and respect and dignity) and no previous research has delineated antecedents for these elements to propose a multidimensional quantitative measurement scale for Ubuntu.

Using Mobile-based Social Media to Facilitate Interaction and Build Communities through the lens of Ubuntu in Distance Education

This paper examines how WhatsApp can be used to build learning communities and facilitate interaction, through the lens of Ubuntu – an African concept of humanness, which means that an individual person owes his or her existence to the existence of others. The Afrocentric concept of Ubuntu and interaction work concomitantly towards the realisation of vocabulary teaching and learning within distance education. Through this study, students were encouraged to work together through a mobile-based social network to learn English vocabulary. Ubuntu was used as a framework to analyse the WhatsApp chats to find salient themes relating to building communities and enhancing interaction. The key elements of Ubuntu grounded the findings and demonstrated how technology can be used to bridge the interaction distance and how Ubuntu principles are articulated in the communities of learning. This paper illustrates how Ubuntu is manifested in a local context, with principles that can be applied globally to enhance collaboration.

(EVERY)BODY@HOME? A PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE EXPERIENCE OF INCARCERATED EXISTENCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY

Based on a detailed analysis and critical discussion of Leder’s book The absent Body in which he disentangles in an insightful phenomenological manner the Cartesian dualistic heritage, this articles focuses on the experience of incarcerated existence within contemporary crime-ridden South African society, which is characterised as the “disillusionment” of exploited, forgotten and manipulated bodies. In contrast to Leder’s proposal of Neo-Confucianism, the author proposes and explores the African concept of Ubuntu as well as the metaphorical significance of the Christian biblical concept of the body of Christ for the “dys-illusioned” South African society in which the social fabric has been destroyed and human dignity must be restored in order for every(body) to be at home.