The Role of Value Creating Education and Ubuntu Philosophy in Fostering Humanism in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (SI) ◽  
pp. 56-68
Author(s):  
Masumi H. Odari

Soka (value creating) education is a Japanese concept propounded by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and further developed by Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda. This educational philosophy aims to foster individuals who can find meaning in their lives and contribute to the well-being of others to better society. Ubuntu, an African philosophy, espouses togetherness and collectivism. Like value creating education, Ubuntu promotes working for the good of all not solely the individual. Examining these two philosophies, this paper explored their role in promoting humanism. Focusing on the education system in Kenya, this paper investigated how the institutionalization of both philosophies can foster global citizens and realize a more humane Kenya. Furthermore, this paper illustrated the importance of educators as agents of change, aiding students to become global citizens who work towards building a more humanistic society. This paper concluded that integrating both value creating education and Ubuntu in the education system can serve as a tool to nurture individuals who will not only improve their quality of life but also contribute positively to promote a more just and prosperous world.    

2020 ◽  
Vol 1(16) (2020) ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
Valentyn Marchuk ◽  

Social and pedagogical support is a guarantee of effective solution of the basic problems of various socially disadvantaged groups. Orphans stand out among all categories, because the quality of their future life depends on quality of social support. The article presents the theoretical aspect of social and pedagogical support as a means of socialization of orphans. The conceptual provisions of social and pedagogical support in working with orphans are revealed. The understanding of the concepts of “help and support” is differentiated. The author emphasizes that orphans remain one of the most socially neglected and least socially protected communities in the country, and the orphan environment accumulates the most complex problems of social and psychological development of the individual. The terminological features of social and pedagogical support, their focus on the preventive and operational nature of assistance in solving problems related to social well-being, interpersonal communications, life and professional self-determination, the role of a social worker in this process are revealed. The aim of the study. The article is devoted to the study of the problem of social and pedagogical support of orphans. Research methods. The research methods used are the following: search of the available methodological and scientific literature with analysis of the found material, elucidation of causal relationships, systematization, abstraction and concretization, analysis of the results of researchers on the problem of the study. The work is based on the analysis of scientific and methodical literature, methodical manuals, scientific articles, periodicals and developments of modern and previous scientists and researchers in the field of social work. Result. The emphasis is placed on the relevance of further development of social and pedagogical support at the appropriate level and outlines promising areas of research in the medium term.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 653-669
Author(s):  
Vicente Martínez-Tur ◽  
Agustín Molina ◽  
Carolina Moliner ◽  
Esther Gracia ◽  
Luisa Andreu ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose that the manager’s perception of the service quality delivered by his/her team acts as a precursor of his/her trust in team members. In turn, the manager’s trust in team members is related to team members’ trust in the manager. Furthermore, engagement and burnout at the individual level are considered outcomes of trust reciprocity. Design/methodology/approach The authors test this trust-mediated multilevel model with a sample of 95 managers and 754 team members working in services for people with intellectual disability. These services are delivered by team-based structures of workers who perform coordinated tasks. Findings The findings suggest that service quality delivered by team members is positively and significantly related to the manager’s trust in them. The results also suggest that the manager’s trust in team members leads to the trust that managers received by team members. Finally, team members who trust their managers show less burnout and high engagement. Research limitations/implications Previous literature has neglected the reciprocity of trust. In contrast, this research study considered the perspective of both managers and team members and how this reciprocity of trust is related to service quality and well-being at work. Practical implications The current study highlights the critical role of service quality and achieving high-quality relationships between managers and team members. Originality/value Performance and well-being are compatible because team members’ efforts are compensated by forming relationships with managers based on trust, and the quality of these relationships, in turn, prevents burnout and stimulates engagement among employees.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Eschen ◽  
Franzisca Zehnder ◽  
Mike Martin

This article introduces Cognitive Health Counseling 40+ (CH.CO40+), an individualized intervention that is conceptually based on the orchestration model of quality-of-life management ( Martin & Kliegel, 2010 ) and aims at improving satisfaction with cognitive health in adults aged 40 years and older. We describe the theoretically deduced characteristics of CH.CO40+, its target group, its multifactorial nature, its individualization, the application of subjective and objective measures, the role of participants as agents of change, and the rationale for choosing participants’ satisfaction with their cognitive health as main outcome variable. A pilot phase with 15 middle-aged and six older adults suggests that CH.CO40+ attracts, and may be particularly suitable for, subjective memory complainers. Implications of the pilot data for the further development of the intervention are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-688
Author(s):  
Shamsi Abbasalizadeh ◽  
Behzad Ebrahimi ◽  
Aslan Azizi ◽  
Rogaye Dargahi ◽  
Maryam Tayebali ◽  
...  

Constipation is a common public health concern experienced by all individuals during their life affecting the quality of life. In this paper, we aimed to provide an overview of the existing evidence regarding the role of food ingredients, including bran, prune, fig, kiwifruit, and flax-seed in constipation treatment. We searched Scopus, Pub Med, and Science Direct by using the keywords, “laxative foods” and “constipation”, for searching studies assessing laxative food ingredients and their beneficial effects on constipation treatment and/or control. Lifestyle modifications such as increasing dietary fiber and fluid intake and daily exercise are the proposed first line treatments for constipation. Optimizing ‘diet’ as an efficient lifestyle factor may contribute to the well-being of patients. The use of laxative food ingredients including bran, prune, fig, kiwifruit, flax-seed, probiotics, and prebiotics is a convenient alternative to cope with constipation. According to previous findings, laxative food ingredients could be considered as effective treatments for subjects suffering from constipation. Many studies have assessed the pharmacological and non-pharmacological roles of these ingredients in treating constipation, however, their importance has not been thoroughly investigated.


Author(s):  
Richard Beardsworth

With its moral commitment to the individual, cosmopolitanism has often downplayed the role of the state in cosmopolitan commitments and their practices. There is, however, emerging concern to put the state back into cosmopolitan concerns. This chapter argues that two outstanding reasons for this intellectual move are of an institutional and political nature. First, despite the recent pluralization of global actors, states remain the major agents of change within a (post-Western) system of states; both the moral and political purpose of the state should therefore be aligned with global imperatives. Second, a clearly formulated “marriage” between the global and the national is required to line up institutional motivation for enlightened global policy. This chapter argues, accordingly, for cosmopolitan state responsibilities toward the provision of global public goods (examples include nuclear disarmament, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development).


Uro ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-22
Author(s):  
Tommaso Cai ◽  
Paolo Verze ◽  
Truls E. Bjerklund Johansen

The quality of life (QoL) concept now includes new aspects related to patients’ well-being because QoL has become more of a personal perception than an an objective and measurable entity. Here, we discuss the principal aspects of QoL-related aspects in urology and andrology by using a narrative review. Some aspects concerning the QoL are essential when managing uro-andrological patients. The aim of treatments should not only include the absence of disease or symptoms relief but also the improvement of a patient’s QoL with regard to his/her internal status and relationship with others. In this sense, any therapeutic approach should be based on the patient’s perspectives and not only on the instrumental and laboratory findings. Finally, we discussed the role of a patient’s sexual partner adding an extra dimension to the patient-centerd approach as part of the QoL concept in andrology.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstratia Arampatzi ◽  
Martijn J. Burger ◽  
Spyridon Stavropoulos ◽  
Frank G. van Oort

Author(s):  
Jane M. Hoey

The newly developing countries desire not only political independence but also economic progress for their people—a progress which they can see, and are now aware of, in the rest of the world. The role of the developed countries is to extend aid to the needy. Moral foundations underlie the donor's contributions, but they are more than that, they are the means for acquiring support for international aid in the donor's country. The United States must assume the leader ship among' the free nations in granting aid; she must accept this role because of her economic achievements and technologi cal advantages. Donators of such aid should take cognizance of the complementary character and interrelatedness of economic and social development. For economic development, however much it is sought, is not an end in itself, rather the aim is the well-being and happiness of the individual. Such a goal neces sitates economic aid accompanied by social aid. Social welfare can also be a vehicle to achieve peace, inasmuch as people-to- people relationships generate brotherly love—the only lasting foundation for peace.—Ed.


Author(s):  
Daniela Di Santo ◽  
Calogero Lo Destro ◽  
Conrad Baldner ◽  
Alessandra Talamo ◽  
Cristina Cabras ◽  
...  

AbstractPositivity (i.e., the individual tendency to positively approach life experiences) has proven to be an effective construct applied in positive psychology. However, individuals’ self-regulation may have contrasting effects on positivity. We specifically examined whether positivity could be partially explained through two aspects of motivation concerned with self-regulation: locomotion (i.e., a motivational orientation concerned with movement) and assessment (i.e., a motivational orientation concerned with comparison and evaluation). Furthermore, based on previous literature that found a link between these aspects and narcissism, we examined whether “adaptive” and “maladaptive” dimensions of narcissism could mediate the effects of locomotion and assessment on increased or decreased positivity. Narcissism was defined by previous research as adaptive or maladaptive insofar as it leads or does not lead to increased psychological well-being. We estimated a mediation model with multiple independent variables and multiple mediators in a cross-sectional study with self-reported data from 190 university students. We found that both locomotion and assessment were associated with adaptive narcissism, which in turn was positively associated with positivity. However, assessment was also associated with maladaptive narcissism, which in turn was negatively associated with positivity. Relationships between aspects of self-regulation, narcissism, and positivity can have significant implications which will be discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Henshall ◽  
Sheila Greenfield ◽  
Nicola Gale

This article explores the relationship between cancer survivors’ use of self-management practices and their search for normality. Using Frank’s illness narratives and other theoretical literature on normality in chronic illness, it draws on findings from a qualitative study to explore different ways cancer survivors use self-management practices to re-establish normality in their lives post-cancer. The findings suggest that “normality” represents different things to cancer survivors. We suggest that normality in survivorship is not a static concept but is fluid, and at certain times, cancer survivors may display some or all of these different versions of normality. The findings show that self-management practices can help cancer survivors experiment with different health and lifestyle processes to help support their “normal” daily lifestyle activities, quality of life, and well-being.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document