African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Human Rights: Implications for Higher Education, Based on the South African Experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mubangizi ◽  
Hassan Kaya
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The South ◽  
African Experience ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems

scholarly journals Dewesternising the South African social security law: a leap towards an Afrocentric legal curricular

De Jure ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelton Tapiwa Mota Makore ◽  
Nombulelo Lubisi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Third World ◽  
Legal Education ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The South ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems

SUMMARY Recent calls to dewesternise the curricular are especially pertinent to the teaching of Social Security Law in South Africa, which has traditionally been dominated by the Eurocentric canon. This article argues that South African Social Security Law is a western-centric phenomenon and dewesternising it is necessary for the decolonisation of legal education. On this score, it provides a critique of the South African Social Security Law in search of pragmatic ideas that can advance the project of decolonising it and creating Third World perspectives. The article unsettles the dominant Eurocentric model on the origin of South Africa Social Security Law which marginalise the role that indigenous knowledge play in the development of this area of law. It argues that placing indigenous knowledge systems on the epicentre of the historiography of teaching South African Social Security Law will lead to some epistemic disruption of the current historic paradigm, a project necessary for the decolonisation of the legal mind and intellectual landscape. The article re-contextualising the orthodox social security theory in the historical scene of colonial and post-era; constructing alternative social security historiography; offering an Africanised dialogue on the origins of the informal strands of social security law; the elaboration of alternative methodologies of actualising the constitutionally protected right to have access to social security. The paper also contends with concepts and ideas such as the deemed trans-colonial importation of social security origins, decolonial philosophy as an epoch of transforming legal education in the context of South African Social Security Law.

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.

scholarly journals "Living in two worlds" : optimizing our indigenous knowledge systems to address the modern pandemic, HIV and AIDS

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Theobald Zwelibanzi Nyawose
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Sexuality Education ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The People ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems

This thesis focuses on the alarming situation of the rate of HIV infection which is escalating every day in South Africa, and what can be done to address the rate of HIV infection. Much has been tried to curb this escalation, but all efforts have had little effect. This concerns me deeply. So I have looked at the problem from the perspective of education. I have personally experienced how Zulu indigenous knowledge, in the form of traditional modes of Zulu sexuality education, was used in the past to address the problems of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy before it was sanctioned. I have seen that the rituals performed as part of traditional Zulu sexuality education have been effective. I believe that indigenous knowledge systems in the South African context refer to a body of knowledge embedded in African philosophical thinking and social practices that have evolved over thousands years. Indigenous knowledge systems acknowledge the rich history and heritage of the people as important contributors to nurturing the values and norms in society, and so form the basis of education for the people. I believe that our indigenous knowledge systems according to the dictates of rites and rituals observed by our forefathers can play a major role in the (sexuality) education of our youth, and can optimise our efforts to fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This study focuses on the adolescent stage. Adolescence is a phase of discovery and experimentation in which young people develop new feelings, which (coupled with physical maturing) lead to exploring new behaviors and relationships, including sexual behaviours and sexual relationships. Therefore, I believe that adolescents should be targeted because they are just beginning to face social situations in which their decisions and actions about their sexual behaviours and sexual relationships will determine their future. In addition, adolescents are – or should be – school going, so they can be influenced by what is in their school curriculum. I have made suggestions about how the Life Orientation Grades 10—12 curriculum can be used to include traditional sexuality education for this purpose. In doing so, I do not suggest that all South African school going teenagers should perform the traditional Zulu rituals, but I am suggesting that the revival and adaption of traditional modes of sexuality education in all cultures could be helpful in the fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic. I use the Zulu traditions because they are the traditions with which I am familiar. I have carried out this study to promote the use of Zulu traditional sexuality education to curb the rate of HIV infection among young Zulu people. I believe that this traditional method, if it is used optimally, can reduce the rate of infection and the speed of mortality, as well as the problem of early pregnancy among our Zulu youth, in South Africa.

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