Digital Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge in South African Rural Communities

2022 ◽  
pp. 317-340
Author(s):  
Tlou Maggie Masenya
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Digital Preservation ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Modern Methods

Indigenous knowledge is mainly preserved in the memories of elders, and most of this knowledge is slowly disappearing in rural communities due to various factors such as death, sickness, and memory loss. Digital preservation is regarded as one of the modern methods to preserve indigenous knowledge as it can be shared with others and be passed on to future generations. But how can indigenous knowledge be documented and preserved to benefit indigenous knowledge owners and accessible for future generations? The chapter thus looked into the policy, techniques, and technologies being employed to document and preserve indigenous knowledge in rural communities. Knowledge management frameworks were also used as underpinning theories to guide the study. The findings revealed that rural communities are still relying mostly on traditional methods such as oral tradition, storytelling, and community of practice in sharing their indigenous knowledge in this digital era.

Indigenous Knowledge Management Practices in Indigenous Organizations in South Africa and Tanzania

2017 ◽  
pp. 181-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edda Tandi Lwoga ◽  
Patrick Ngulube ◽  
Christine Stilwell
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Indigenous Organizations ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
Traditional Communities

Traditional communities have a highly developed knowledge system. They struggle, however, to lobby for critical issues as this knowledge is not documented. The chapter addresses this problem by seeking a suitable knowledge creation model for South African and Tanzanian indigenous organizations. It draws on fieldwork and reviews the literature and organizational websites. It applies Myer's seven C's model (2014) to determine how knowledge management may assist organizations in addressing challenges effectively. The findings demonstrate that Myers's model (2014) has been successful in part in explaining the knowledge management practices of indigenous organizations in these two countries. It is also difficult for indigenous organizations to motivate people to share knowledge because indigenous knowledge is individualized and used as a source of power, status and income in the communities. It is therefore important to promote integration of indigenous knowledge with other knowledge systems for socio-economic growth, and advocating change in institutional structures.

An Ontology-Based Indigenous Knowledge Management Portal for Subfertility of Females

2022 ◽  
pp. 112-132
Author(s):  
Thenuka Yogarajah ◽  
Kuhaneswaran Banujan ◽  
Shanmuganathan Vasanthapriyan
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
Local Language ◽  
The Future ◽  
Technological World

Subfertility in humans is the major problem in the technological world mostly by their habits and foods. There are many treatment methods for the subfertility of females, but the documentation in this field is mostly available in the local language, which cannot be understood by others, and time by time, this knowledge towards the future generation is diminished. The authors have depicted the knowledge using ontology and thereafter the knowledge management portal (KMP) for the indigenous knowledge was developed using the modeled ontology. They believe that the indigenous knowledge management portal (IKMP) will help future generations to get knowledge easily by using this system. They also strongly believe that the IKMP will serve as the experience-sharing tool for the subfertility-related indigenous knowledge.

Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage

2021 ◽  
pp. 128-150
Author(s):  
Tlou Maggie Masenya
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
South African ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Digital Preservation ◽  
Popular Method ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Heritage Policy

Given that cultural heritage resources are irreplaceable, their protection is critical. Digital preservation has become a popular method for safeguarding cultural heritage resources in recent years. The purpose of this chapter was to determine how digital preservation can be used as a strategy to promote access to cultural heritage for sustainable development of South African rural communities. Data collection was based on a critical review of literature in order to analyze policy and mechanisms being put in place for effective preservation of cultural heritage. Findings revealed that most of African rural communities do not have mechanisms for safeguarding their cultural heritage, and there is lack of technological tools for preservation of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage policy should also be implemented and better explained to the rural communities' authorities.

Indigenous Knowledge Management Practices in Indigenous Organizations in South Africa and Tanzania

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edda Tandi Lwoga ◽  
Patrick Ngulube ◽  
Christine Stilwell
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Indigenous Organizations ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
Traditional Communities

Traditional communities have a highly developed knowledge system. They struggle, however, to lobby for critical issues as this knowledge is not documented. The chapter addresses this problem by seeking a suitable knowledge creation model for South African and Tanzanian indigenous organizations. It draws on fieldwork and reviews the literature and organizational websites. It applies Myer's seven C's model (2014) to determine how knowledge management may assist organizations in addressing challenges effectively. The findings demonstrate that Myers's model (2014) has been successful in part in explaining the knowledge management practices of indigenous organizations in these two countries. It is also difficult for indigenous organizations to motivate people to share knowledge because indigenous knowledge is individualized and used as a source of power, status and income in the communities. It is therefore important to promote integration of indigenous knowledge with other knowledge systems for socio-economic growth, and advocating change in institutional structures.

scholarly journals A deeper meaning of sustainability: Insights from indigenous knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-93
Author(s):  
Fulvio Mazzocchi
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Main Motivation ◽  
Alternative Perspective ◽  
Western View ◽  
Different Cultures

This article argues that different cultures and their respective knowledge systems should partake to the sustainability debate. The focus is on insights that indigenous knowledge may provide, analyzing the principles which oversee indigenous relationship with nature, like reciprocity and caretaking. These principles move from a profound sense of unity and interconnectedness and put emphasis on the importance of giving back to nature. They offer an alternative perspective on sustainability that challenges the Western view. Such a view is still focused on maintaining the possibility of exploitation and embedded in a sense of separation from nature. The article discusses the need of creating a laboratory for sustainability, that is, a genuinely pluralist space in which multiple cultural expertise can interact and mutually enrich, yet maintaining their distinction and integrity. The main motivation of such an endevor should be to redefine the notion of sustainability in a more refined and thoughtful way: this is something vital for present and future generations.

Is Decentralisation a Suitable Response to Improve South African Rural Education?

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 211-224
Author(s):  
Kevin Teise ◽  
Emma Barnett
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Education ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
South African ◽  
School Level ◽  
High Quality ◽  
African Education ◽  
Departments Of Education ◽  
South African Education ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency

South Africa (SA) has a decentralised education system. It is generally assumed that decentralisation improves the effectiveness and efficiency of education by responding to the needs, values, and expectations of both local and rural communities. A large part of SA could be described as rural and a large number of learners attend rural schools. This makes rural education a significant part of the South African education context. With education being decentralised, and with decentralisation being heralded as the panacea to the problems faced by rural communities as well as rural education, the assumption is that rural education should be of a high quality. This desk-top paper assesses the potential of decentralisation to improve the quality and effectiveness of South African rural education. This it does by locating decentralisation within neoliberalism which this paper argues is the impetus behind the decentralisation of South African education, and the reason for the decline in the quality and effectiveness of rural education. The paper also highlights certain tensions between the various decentralised spheres of governance, namely the central and provincial Departments of Education and school-level governance structures. The paper further indicates how these tensions potentially hamper the effectiveness and efficiency of rural education. The paper concludes with some recommendations aimed at improving rural education.

scholarly journals Knowledge management according to organisational size: A South African perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelius Kruger ◽  
Roy D. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Middle Management ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Urban South ◽  
Embedded Knowledge ◽  
Personal Approach ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
Insight Into

Background:To date, few studies have focused on how embedded Knowledge Management (KM) is found in the roots of an organisation. Specifically, not much is known whether employees and managers hold similar perceptions regarding KM or if organisational size plays a role in the establishment of KM maturity.Objective: The objective of this article was to determine what role organisational size plays in the establishment of KM maturity and how different managerial levels viewed their organisations KM maturity.Method: The authors gained insight into KM maturity in different industry groupings over a five-year period from a large urban South African University engaged in numerous collaboration programmes with industry. In total, 434 employees were interviewed over three grouping levels (operational, middle and senior management).Results: The findings support arguments that irrespective of organisational size, knowledge orientated issues are applicable to all organisations. However, with significant differences in scores recorded over all maturity sections in South Africa, the findings indicated that different sized organisations address knowledge-orientated issues differently.Conclusion: Findings challenge the argument that the manner in which knowledge-orientated issues are addressed differ only slightly depending on organisational size. Smaller-sized organisations prefer a more personal approach, whilst larger-sized organisations prefer knowledge transfer via technology. Irrespective of organisational size, commitment holds the key to KM success. Commitment shown by middle management regarding KM is a differentiator.

scholarly journals Indigenous knowledge in the life sciences classroom: Science, pseudo-science or a missing link?

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef J. De Beer ◽  
Ben-Erik Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Pedagogical Content ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
The Status ◽  
Classroom Science ◽  
Scientific Fields

Although the life sciences curriculum asks for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in the classroom, it is either done very superficially by only providing an example or two, or ignored completely. This mixed-methods study (with emphasis on the qualitative inquiry) on the status of indigenous knowledge in the life sciences classroom in Gauteng and Limpopo, once again echoed what Rogan and Grayston (2003) reported: the South African curriculum process focuses too much on the what (the curriculum itself) at the expense of the how (the implementation of the curriculum). Although the progressive curriculum makes it clear that indigenous knowledge should be addressed, it provides very little guidance to teachers on how this should be done. Two problems are highlighted in this article: teachers’ lack of pedagogical content knowledge in addressing indigenous knowledge systems, as well as their poor understanding of the nature of science. A teacher’s social responsibility also entails making learners aware of the cultural and practical value of indigenous knowledge, and stimulating learners’ interest in scientific fields such as ethnobotany and chemotaxonomy.

Collaboration Scenario in the Indian LIS Papers of the 21st Century

2014 ◽  
pp. 322-328
Author(s):  
Bimal Kanti Sen
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Management ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Gradual Transition ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
National Conference ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
National Convention ◽  
Organizational Cooperation ◽  
Business And Management

There was a gradual transition from single-authored papers to collaborative papers in the 20th century, especially in science subjects. The trend caught up with LIS papers as well in late 20th century. With the passage of time, collaboration took various forms, which outlined. The chapter is based on more than 600 publications of which 341 were covered in Bibliography on Work-Flow in Libraries (1966) and the rest published in National Conference on Advances in Knowledge Management –NCAKM’10 - Proceedings (2010), Proceedings of the 9th Annual National Convention of MANLIBNET on Business and Management Librarianship (2008), Proceedings of the 11th Annual National Convention of MANLIBNET on Trends and Challenges in Management in Corporate Libraries in Digital Era (2010), and Proceedings of the National Conference on ICT Impact on Knowledge and Information Management (2010). The earliest collaborative papers found in this study are from 1941. The collaborative papers published from 2008-2010 accounted for 68.6% of the total and filled on average 6.3 pages. A predominance of inter-organizational cooperation in the generation of papers is observed in the study. There is hardly any international cooperation for producing LIS papers.

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