0.15 African perspective on personality  (Page 9/9)

A Final Thought

One of the most widely recognized cultural distinctions in psychology today is the difference between individualistic, Western cultures and collectivistic, Eastern cultures. In Western societies, such as the United States of America, the individual not only has the freedom to seek purely personal advancement, it is expected of them. In contrast, the individual in countries such as China is expected to subordinate their own desires and ambitions for the good of the family and their community. With regard to a broad view of the African personality, we find a middle ground. There is significant individual freedom, but individuals are expected to serve their family and community. As a result, the individual also benefits from the overall success of the family and community. Thus, there is an ongoing interplay between the value of the individual and the values of family and community.

When this system works to its best potential, the results are people who flourish and can be proud of themselves. In the words of Dr. J. A. Sofola:

…the philosophy, the world-view, values and thought-patterns that form the ingredients or the building-blocks of the African Personality are live-and-let-live; the emphasis on wholesome human relations; the belief of the universality of man and communality of the people in the community; the historic sense of the unity of the human society as consisting of the ancestors, the living and the future generations yet unborn; spiritual attitude to life and attachment to communal life with communal responsibilities; a keen sense of rhythm; the conception of man as one roaming spirit in the chain of spirits in the universe…This is the personality which in its expression of an inward peace and stillness maintains an external composure and gait, head and chin raised high, and with deliberate, calculated dignified steps proclaims to the world: “Black is beautiful” and “I am black and proud of being so.” (pp. 143-144; Sofola, 1973)

Review of Key Points

• Roughly speaking, African can be divided into two distinct regions: North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Black Africans are the people of sub-Saharan Africa.
• The African worldview focuses on interdependence, rhythm, harmony, and spirit.
• Religion and spirituality are very important to Africans, and humans hold a privileged position at the junction of spirit and nature.
• Time is part of the cyclical rhythm of life, set by God, who knows what is right.
• The tribe is the basic unit of life, not the individual. The family includes a broad range of relatives, and caring for one’s family, especially the aged, is an important obligation.
• Marriage is an important institution, providing a rhythmic link between past, present, and future. A marriage is only complete when the couple has children.
• Hospitality to all people, including strangers, is expected, and a sign of good character.
• Ubuntu encompasses the social harmony that is valued in African life.
• Among the people of the African diaspora, ubuntu may be seen in action as the soul referred to in soul food, soul music, and soul brothers.
• Negritude represents the active claiming of those best elements of a common African personality by the people of Africa.
• Nigrescence is the process of converting from Negro to Black among the people of the African diaspora. It appears to follow four stages: pre-encounter, encounter, immersion-emersion, and internalization.
• In post-colonial African countries, educational systems were developed based on the ideals of the new nations. Teachers were trained to embody those ideals.
• There is some evidence for the usefulness of traditional approaches to studying personality in Africa with formalized testing. However, significantly more work needs to be done.
• Common elements of personality across Africa seem to represent a middle ground between the individualistic personalities seen in the West, and the collectivistic personalities seen in the East.