Doctoral Degrees (Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies) by Subject "Indigenous peoples -- Social life and customs -- Eastern Cape (South Africa)"

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    Experiences of persons with disabilities of Xhosa rituals and traditions, which contribute to health and wellbeing
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Dwadwa-Henda, Nomvo; Mji, Gubela; Ohajunwa, Chioma; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Centre for Rehabilitation Studies.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: The disability scholarship has always been dominated by Western literature (1)(2)(3)(4) which locates disability on the person and presents it as a tragedy without considering contextual factors which contribute to the various understandings of disability by people of the South. With a paucity of literature on disability by African scholars, some literature on disability in Africa is most of the time presented by people from the North who leave out the situations and things that existed in the past and are part of the people’s history – this is a missed opportunity on important aspects of disability of Indigenous peoples. The study explored the Xhosa rituals and traditions of Bomvana people (an Indigenous community in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa) from birth to adulthood, and how persons with disabilities experienced these rituals. The study also explored the contribution of these rituals to the health and wellbeing of the person. Factors that contributed towards building a collective disability framework that is centred around the worldview of AmaBomvana for the health and wellbeing of the community were also explored. Data gathering methods included an exploratory case study with persons with disabilities, focus group discussions with knowledge holders, observations, one-on-one in-depth interviews, journaling, and informal conversations. Sampling of participants from the three Gusi village clusters comprised of 50 participants. Content analysis was used with the text divided into meaningful units – guided by the study aim and the research questions. The PhD study findings presented conceptualisation of disability by AmaBomvana, which demonstrated that their Indigenous worldview plays a role in how they interpret the world. Their understanding of disability is in contrast with Western approaches, and carries respect and dignity, which attests to their ancestral reverence – whereby spirituality takes precedence to the physical. Hence their disability ontology is quite unique and comforting. Ubuntu as the Bomvana guiding principle serves to examine and guide justification for their moral judgements in their community. The study concluded by proposing a disability framework that is modelled on collectivism which continues to express Ubuntu philosophy as principle.