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THE PHILOSOPHY OF UBUNTU: STRUCTURING COMMUNITIES OF LEARNING
Dr JA Chabilall STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
ABSTRACT
This review of “ubuntu” focuses on the philosophy as a concept of humanness and a guiding framework in the facilitation of functional communities of learning in higher education postgraduate development. Ubuntu, as part of the Africanisation discourse and an “ancient African code of ethics” is meant to cultivate “a framework and human dignity or 'humanness' that resonates with the notion of human rights” (Murithi 2007, 281-282). “African rationality” (Waghid 2005, 83) supports the claim that African higher education transformation will do well to incorporate the revival of cultural and societal principles to foster long term institutional and research directed goals in keeping with global targets. Thus the review takes into account that African feminism allows women to confidently become their own agents of change, despite their diverse African cultures and experiences, to exemplify and promote humanism.
From a third wave feminist perspective the review provides that African women develop the ability to define their own positions and identities within social contexts (Okome 2005). To establish and nurture unbiased, humane identities, individuals need to create values, goals and communities of learning enabling a strong institutional culture suggestive of “ubuntu”. If one determines that a higher education institution is representative of the African cultural context of a kinship it ought to be the ideal platform to stimulate moral attributes within teaching and learning where knowledge- sharing occurs in a spirit of respect for humanity.