- Title
- The ontological reality of spirit and its ways of knowing as a form of embodied intangible cultural heritage: a case of the oGobela teaching approaches and techniques within Ubungoma practice
- Creator
- Jacobs, Venetia Rose
- ThesisAdvisor
- Kulundu-Bolus, I.
- ThesisAdvisor
- Lotz-Sisitka, H.
- ThesisAdvisor
- Masuku, Sibongile
- Subject
- Uncatalogued
- Date
- 2024-10-11
- Type
- Academic theses
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463570
- Identifier
- vital:76421
- Description
- This study uses an ethnographic lens to explore the lived experiences, learning processes and experiential knowledge of oGobela (spiritual teachers). The study explores oGobela teaching approaches, techniques, and ways of knowing in Ubungoma1 practice which is known as Ukuthwasa2, which is understood as a modality or expression of Isintu. Furthermore, Isintu is defined as Indigenous knowledge systems and ancestral wisdom traditions which include Indigenous expressions of African peoples’ interactions with the cosmos, nature, earth and knowledge systems. The study reveals how esoteric knowledge (knowledge from ancestors and divinities) is translated into attainable knowledge in the form of healing techniques. This study aims to dismantle a largely European pedagogy when it pertains to the understanding of religious practices. An ethnographic lens layered with a decolonial intent worked together as a counter-hegemonic practice in the recentralisation of marginal voices, in this case, the voices of Izangoma narrating their lived experiences. Izangoma refer to people who have graduated as healers from initiation school. The theoretical framework used to guide the study was the sociocultural theory and decolonial theory. The decolonial theory was useful in my study to re-examine imperial histories through the harmful lens of colonialism. Sociocultural theory is geared towards looking at how learners actually learn as opposed to the way learners are expected to learn. This Vygotskian school of thought believes that human development is not isolated from historical, cultural and social contexts. My methodology made use of the case study, narrative analysis and criticalethnographic approaches involving semi-structured interviews with approximately seven Izangoma. This included radical embodied participation and reflexive journalling. I also drew on emerging studies on Indigenous knowledge systems such as the “anthropology of dreaming” (Tedlock, 1987, p. 1) and the “institution of drumming and dreaming in Ngoma” (Janzen, 1991, p. 291) to reflect on my experience as an initiate (Gogo Ukukhanya KweMhlaba) and my observations of my Gobela and other oGobela learning processes. The study draws a sample pool of both Izangoma and oGobela, to provide a holistic view of the role of oGobela from a teacher and learner perspective. It is important to note that not everyone who is a Sangoma is a Gobela. Becoming a Gobela is an additional calling based on specific instructions from your ancestors.
- Description
- Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Format
- computer, online resource, application/pdf, 1 online resource (124 pages), pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Jacobs, Venetia Rose
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | JACOBS-MED-TR24-127.pdf | 934 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |