Exploring African Communalism in Relation to Learning in a Visual Arts Course

Elmarie Costandius
Department of Visual Arts
Stellenbosch University
elmarie@sun.ac.za

The research aims to establish whether the communal concept of self has an influence on students studying in a predominantly individualistic environment. The question of cultural influences on the concept of self is an internationally relevant field of study. Markus and Kitayama (2003), for instance, in their study on Japanese and American self-concepts, point out the difference between individualistic concepts of the self in American culture and concepts of the self in relation to others in Japanese culture.

The influence of cultural differences in the formation of self-concepts is also relevant to the African and specifically the South African experience. Mwamwenda (in Mboya, 1999) summarizes the African concept of self as predominantly interdependent and collective, as opposed to a Western concept of self as being independent and individualistic. Mbiti (1970) refers to the saying “I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am”, which explains the concept of ubuntu: a person can only be a person through others. Mwamwenda (1999) specifically emphasizes the importance of the extended family in African society. In such a communal system, life manifests within the context of the community, and the emphasis is on common purpose. The community’s needs take preference over those of the individual, and a high premium is placed on social responsibility towards others.

When extrapolated to the field of learning theories, the communality of this kind of social system has its most sympathetic equivalent in the theories of social constructivism, which emphasize the fundamental importance of social interactions as an essential part of the learning experience. In this regard, Wenger’s (1998) ideas of collective learning and “communities of practice” are particularly valuable.

The students who were interviewed for the purpose of this study were born and raised in a communal structure, but later went to a co-ed high school, where the process of adapting to a more individualistic structure partially took place. Despite this partial adaptation, they experienced the strong individualistic environment of the university proved to be one of the obstacles to academic success.

It is therefore necessary to accommodate an “African space” within the current design course. Several researchers, such as Hoberg (2004), Nakusera (2004), Venter (2004), Tisani (2004) and Kamwangamalu (1999), explore African indigenous knowledge systems and African philosophy of education as an alternative perspective for curriculum development. I argue for a system that incorporates aspects of communalism within the current predominantly individualistic system, and that develops the individual within the group.

In practical terms, this would mean a renewed focus on group work. In their study of communalism, Boykin et al. (1997) found that students from a communal background perform better in a co-operative learning environment. Some guidelines in this regard are:

• Smaller groups rather than large ones;
• Groups separated according to gender;
• Asking individuals for their opinion, to counter the “African politeness” of waiting before participating;
• Using “we” instead of “I”; and
• Stressing common group goals in addition to individual goals.

These ways of considering African traditions in the classroom, making the environment more familiar to African students, could enhance students’ sense of belonging. The incorporation of aspects of a communal system in an individualistic system could result in more creativity enhanced by a greater emphasis on social responsibility.

References