An auto-ethnographic enquiry : critical reflection on the influences in the development of a black African male educator
Date
2012-09-03
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Abstract
This thesis sets out to demonstrate the influences on the personality of a Black
African Male Educator – specifically mine - as I enquire: ―Why do I do things the
way I do?‖ and ―What has enabled me to meet, face and resolve the challenges
that I have come across in life?‖
I have addressed these questions from a self-study perspective, using narrative
enquiry, living theories methods and auto-ethnography. I have written this thesis
aware that I lived the first thirty seven years of my life under the potentially
personality deforming oppression of apartheid, and that I have conducted my
study and written my thesis in the context of the HIV&AIDS pandemic.
In creating my own ―living theory‖ philosophy, I look at my epistemology - How do
I know what/that I know? - my ontology – Who am I? Who am I becoming? What
do I believe? and my axiology – What do I value? In creating my own ―living
theory‖ (Whitehead, 2008), I examine the influences which have informed my
personality development and that of my research participants.
The originality of the contribution of this thesis to the academy is to demonstrate
the influence of one person‘s personal origin and naming, carers and family,
childhood experiences and learning, sport and sport instructors on his personality
development. In addition, the thesis highlights the usefulness of forms of
knowledge - herding and induku - that have not been explicitly declared as useful
and included formally in education. To this end, I demonstrate the connections
that exist between, induku, herding, work, community involvement and education
as influential in personality development. I use my personal beliefs and values –
principally ubuntu and ukuhlonipha – and the Critical Cross Field Outcomes to
demonstrate the relationship between these values and outcomes, my personal
account and the development of my human personality.
I look at the implications for education. I review the Republic of South Africa‘s
National Curriculum Statement in Life Orientation Grades 10–12. I suggest ways
in which the Beliefs and Values demonstrated and examined in this thesis, and
Critical Cross Field Outcomes can be incorporated in Community Service
Integrated Projects that can help learners to make their beliefs and values explicit
in their learning, all to the end of influencing values-informed personal
development.
Description
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Education, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2011.
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.51415/10321/757