Abstract
From a non-African ontology and perspective, African indigenous knowledge, including its spirituality, seems to have as its elements, impreciseness, lack of synthesis, contingency, and vagueness. While much of the Western approach to knowledge production is based on observation and reasoning, the logic of African Indigenous knowledge introduces a third dimension of faith and transcendental knowledge. These three dimensions are not mutually exclusive but are sources of epistemic vocation that are mutually embedded and interpenetrating, which structure its knowledge system and guide its practices. African spirituality, as the total beliefs and practices that pertain to the supernatural with a visible impact on society and individuals’ lives, is examined in this paper about mental health among South Africans. The paper is derived from an ongoing qualitative study of the role of African spirituality within the context of dwindling economic fortunes, dislocation of family structures, and the increasing anxiety associated with crime and high unemployment rates in South Africa. The paper discusses how citizens rely on African spirituality for their well-being and as a coping mechanism against the vagaries of life in post-apartheid South Africa. The paper also situates the position of sangomas (Indigenous healers) as strategic caregivers to urban dwellers, using Johannesburg as a case study, and the implication of this on the government’s health policy.
Presenters
Alex AsakitikpiNational Senior Researcher, Faculty of Humanities, The Independent Institute of Education, Gauteng, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Community and Socialization
KEYWORDS
AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY, INDIGENOUS HEALERS, MENTAL HEALTH, HEALTH POLICY, KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM
