scholarly journals Akan Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Christian Faith in Ghana: A Review of the Major Works of Robert Rattray

2021 ◽  
pp. 107-119
Author(s):  
Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
The People ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge System ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Set Up

The Western missionaries’ attitude towards Asante indigenous belief systems created the impression that Christianity was unable to live side by side with Asante indigenous knowledge systems. The missionaries ended up creating tension between the Christian faith and the pre-missionary cultural values. The indigenous knowledge systems that informed the world views of the people were not considered an integral part of the available resources for the shaping of the Asante Christian worldview. The Salem communities, for example, were set up to facilitate the disconnection of the new converts from their cultural past. This study is about the available pre-missionary Asante indigenous knowledge systems that Robert Sutherland Rattray after thorough studies published and made available to facilitate all aspects of the Asante life especially interpretation and transmission of the Christian faith. With a critical examination of the various major works of Robert Rattray and observation of Asante cultural and Christian activities, the study identified some specific areas that the Asante indigenous knowledge systems have lived side by side with the Christian faith. The study concludes with a call for respect, pride and intentional exploration into the indigenous knowledge systems to serve the Asante and other Akan Christian needs. Keywords: Robert Sutherland Rattray, Indigenous Knowledge System, Christian Faith, Asante, Cultural Values.

scholarly journals Practice of indigenous knowledge system by the farmers in maintaining ecosystem in Bangladesh

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafizur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Knowledge System ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Organizational Participation ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge System ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
High Level ◽  
Moderate User ◽  
Rural Appraisal

The main focus of the study was to identify the indigenous knowledge system being used by the rural men in farming and household activities and also to examine its extent. Data were collected from Poba upazila under Rajshahi district and Gabtoli upazila under Bogra district in Bangladesh from 125 randomly selected rural men out of total population of 1,145 from 15 February to 14 May, 2009. The fifty potential indigenous knowledge systems were identified through participatory rural appraisal prior to finalizing the schedule. The findings reveal that greater proportion of rural men were illiterate, middle aged categories, small farmer category, medium agricultural and environmental knowledge category, high level farming experience, medium cosmopoliteness, medium communication exposure, no organizational participation and moderately favorable category. Among the 50 identified indigenous knowledge systems, ?Setting up bamboo sticks, branches of trees etc., in rice fields to let the birds sit and eat away insects? reached the highest extent of use by the farmers in agricultural practices. ?Soaking boro rice seeds in water for 1-3 days before sowing in the bed for rapid germination?, ?Drying mature bottle gourds (Lagenaria vulgaris) in the sun and storing the seeds inside without rupturing the fruits? and ?Keeping rice seedlings under shed for 1-2 days before transplanting for the purpose of increasing tolerance? took the 2nd, 3rd and 4th position regarding the extent of use. Considering farmers? practicing category, the highest proportion (47.2%) of the respondents belonged to the low user as compared to 39.2% in the moderate user and 13.6% in the high user. Recommendations were forwarded to the extension specialists, researchers and administrators to undertake desk and experimental research concerning indigenous knowledge systems.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

2019 ◽  
pp. 344-355
Author(s):  
Osarumwense Iguisi ◽  
Osaro Rawlings Igbinomwanhia
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The West ◽  
Management Philosophy ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Management Theories

This chapter draws attention to the relevance of cultures to management philosophy with the purpose of contributing to a culturally viable practice of management in Africa. It has been shown that the different management theories in the form that they have been developed in the West may not fit culturally in Africa. However, in developing theories and building models of management theories in Africa, it is unlikely to pay Africans to throw away all that the West has to offer. Rather, the process of appropriate management theorizing should be to reflect on the assumptions of Western management theories, compare Western assumptions about social and cultural values with African cultural values, and rebuild the theories or models through experimentation. The use of anthropological and philosophical concepts in this context will help in development of appropriate management practice.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

2018 ◽  
pp. 5036-5045
Author(s):  
Osarumwense Iguisi ◽  
Osaro Rawlings Igbinomwanhia
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The West ◽  
Management Philosophy ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Management Theories

This conceptual paper draws attention to the relevance of cultures to management philosophy with the purpose of contributing to a culturally viable practice of management in Africa. It has been shown that the different management theories in the form that they have been developed in the West may not fit culturally in Africa. However, in developing theories and building models of management theories in Africa, it is unlikely to pay Africans to throw away all that the West has to offer. Rather, the process of appropriate management theorizing should be to reflect on the assumptions of Western management theories, compare Western assumptions about social and cultural values with African cultural values and rebuild the theories or models through experimentation. The use of anthropological and philosophical concepts in this context will help in development of appropriate management practice.

scholarly journals Identity Reconstruction of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument: An Indigenous Knowledge Systems Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Temba T. Rugwiji
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The People ◽  
Great Zimbabwe ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The One

Various theories have been advanced on the identity of the people who built the Great Zimbabwe National Monument (GZNM). On the one hand, some ancient Mediterranean communities (Lebanese and Phoenicians) are associated with the construction of GZNM. On the other hand, some archaeological discoveries have claimed that the unique architecture could be assigned to King Solomon and Queen of Sheba, suggesting a religious/biblical basis regarding the construction of the structures. In some instances, those in favour of local indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) argue that the Shona people of the Rozvi dynasty in Zimbabwe were the architects of the magnificent structure. Despite voluminous literature published to date, including more recent contributions, consensus has not been reached on the identity of the people who constructed GZNM. From an IKS perspective, this study attempts to reconstruct an identity formation surrounding GZNM by exploring some similarities in terms of cultural customs between the Ancient Mediterranean World (AMW) and the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The aim of such an investigation is to search for some certainty about the identity of the people who built GZNM. The research findings will complement and contribute to the existing body of knowledge about GZNM.

scholarly journals Cosmovision and African conservation philosophy: indigenous knowledge system perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Sivave Mashingaidze
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
The People ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Colonial Legacies ◽  
High Crime

Cosmovision is the worldview of a society that is deeply imbedded in the way in which that society is organized and evolves over time. It is a society’s attempt to explain and better understand all that surrounds it, including its place within the cosmos, or universe and how it conserves it environment. In Africa, like elsewhere, indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) were used to administer peace, harmony, and order amongst the people and their physical environment. However, with the advent of colonialism in Africa, IKSs were not only marginalized, but demonized leaving their potentials for establishing and maintaining a moral, virtuous society, unexploited. It is in this light that this article argues for a correction to the vestiges of colonialism. The article adopts examples of IKS success stories in pre-colonial era showing the beauty of the undiluted African indigenous knowledge systems and their potential for establishing a moral, virtuous society. To this end, the article argues that Africa, today, is in the grips of high crime rates, serious moral decadence, and other calamities because of the marginalization, false, and pejorative label attached to the African IKSs. This article criticizes, pulls down, and challenges the inherited colonial legacies, which have morally and socially injured many African societies. Keywords: cosmovision, indigenous, knowledge, conservation, philosophy, taboos. JEL Classification: D83, O13, O15

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.

The Relevance of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Local Governance toward Environmental Management for Sustainable Development: A Case of Bulawayo City Council, Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-92
Author(s):  
Chiedza Angela Hari
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
City Council ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Sacred Sites ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Set Up

Background: Inspired by Bertalanffy (1954)’s Systems Theory, this study sought to establish the relevance of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in local governance. Regardless of the overwhelming research on IKS, less attention has been put on its relevance to m.odern service delivery and seems to have lost its impact in influencing decision making. It was at the centre of this study,, therefore, to establish the relevance of IKS in local governance and establish the interconnectedness among local governance, IKS and environmental management for sustainable development. Predominantly, it focused on how IKS can be utilised as an integral system that contributes to the effective management of natural environment in urban cities, precisely Bulawayo Objective: The study strived towards contributing to the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals within the Zimbabwean context in the best interest of the furtherance of sustainable cities for development with IKS at the centre of it all. Methods: Informed by the ontological interpretivist approach, this study adopted mixed methods of collecting data from 90 randomly selected residents of Bulawayo, three  Environmental Management Agency officers and three Bulawayo City Council employees. Findings: One of the major findings was that IKS is silent in urban areas compared to the rural because of (although not limited to) a) lack of historical and sacred sites, b) ignorance of theexistence of IKS and c) adoption of technology. Referring to how IKS has been effectively utilised in the rural set up, this paper strongly believed that IKS as a system has an important role to play in this development discourse. Conclusions and Recommendations: Research should focus on the applicability of IKS in urban set up especial on its applicability to other environmental management aspects such as pollution and waste management. Implications: There must also be adequate transmission of information using proper channels for affirmation of IKS especially to the young generation and stakeholders should work together for sustainable management of the environment.

scholarly journals Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Governance in Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
The People ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Effective Inclusion ◽  
Effective Models

This contribution addresses key issues around the application of Indigenous knowledge in contexts where such knowledge is neither generated nor held (academy, industry, governments, etc.). Effective models for the ethical incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into environmental governance in Canada have remained elusive despite decades of attempts. The predominant research paradigm of “incorporating” Indigenous knowledge into environmental governance is one of extraction by the external interests who seek to include specific aspects of such knowledge in their undertakings. This approach continues to fail because Indigenous knowledge exists as an integral component of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). It is often hollow and potentially damaging to consider any knowledge without understanding the societal systems and peoples that produced it. Indigenous knowledge is not just “knowledge” (a noun) but a way of life, something that must be lived (a verb) in order to be understood.  Indigenous knowledge is inseparable from the people who hold and live this knowledge. Although government policy and legislation have evolved in attempts to treat Indigenous knowledge more holistically, the overriding paradigm of extraction remains essentially unchanged.  Even the most recent frameworks will meet with limited success as a result. Appropriate and effective inclusion of Indigenous knowledge requires recognition of the systems that support it, which in turn necessitates support for Indigenous self-determination.   

Colonizing Innovation:

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhinav CHATURVEDI ◽  
Alf REHN
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Frugal Innovation ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Management Literature

Innovation is one of the most popular concepts and desired phenomena of contemporary Western capitalism. As such, there is a perennial drive to capture said phenomena, and particularly to find new ways to incite and drive the same. In this text, we analyze one specific tactic through which this is done, namely by the culturally colonial appropriation of indigenous knowledge systems. By looking to how jugaad, a system   of   frugal   innovation   in   India,   has been   made   into   fodder   for   Western management literature, we argue for the need of a more developed innovation critique, e.g., by looking to postcolonial theory.

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