PRELUDE TO CHAPTER 5
PHASE 2 PHASE 2 - INDIVIDUAL ADMINISTRATION OF RAPT, FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS
9. What is the boy doing?
67 Capital city of Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa
68 Biltong is tried meat usually eaten as a snack
Expected response in RAPT Response by children in study Cry, shout, scream, dog, puppy, has, has got,
take, bite, nick, chew, snatch, won’t give, back, steal, take off, get, eat, play with slipper, shoe
Cry, dog, puppy, has, has got, take, bite, won’t give, shoe, eating, baby, boy
SUMMARY OF VOICE OF ALL CHILDREN
They could relate to the picture and had dogs at home. Dogs were however not perceived as pets in the Western sense. They were seen as animals to protect one and to play with. Most of the boys could not relate to the boy crying as they would just beat the dog.
ACADEMICS PARENTS & COMMUNITY
It is unclear if it is a dog or cat in the picture so children may not relate
If a Black child’s shoe is taken by the dog, they will not cry but beat the dog
Picture incident implies that the dog was in the house when the shoe was taken. In African culture, dogs do not go in the house so scenario in the picture would not arise
The children can relate to the picture as it reflects a common occurrence but picture unclear if cat/dog.
COMMENTARY
The responses of the academics were inconsistent with the responses of the children to the pictures. Aspects of the challenge of manhood (boys not crying) were raised by the children but it is questionable if this is an African view or a product of socialization of male children in both Western and African culture. The different perception of pets in African and Western culture raised by the academics also emerged in the responses of the children.
MOTIVATION FOR THE CHANGES MADE TO PICTURE 9 OF THE RAPT
PICTURE CHANGES
Insignificant changes were made to this picture as most of the children could relate to it.
VOCABULARY CHANGES
Vocabulary excluded was ‘nick’, ‘chew’, ‘snatch’ and ‘slipper’ as none of the children used it.
‘Puppy’ was not used by the children. Although it is a common word, it could be regarded as a part of the prototype of the general category ‘dog’. The term ‘dog’ may be regarded as the
general term, while ‘puppy’ might mean a more specific type of dog. It is however a term that the children may possibly use, so it was included. An EAL may only have the general part of the specific ( Paradis, 2007a). The word ’nick’ was not used by the children which may be a reflection of their lack of exposure to it in their current environment. The word ‘chew’ implies that the item is ‘being grinded between the teeth’ (Oxford dictionary) which is not depicted in the picture. The word ‘snatch’ is a higher level word describing the type of taking. A child learning English may not have it in their vocabulary yet. The word ‘slipper’ is usually associated with night wear or pyjamas. The boy in the picture is not wearing pyjamas so the children did not associate the shoe with slippers. All the words commented on above were thus omitted. A word that was commonly used by the children instead of ‘bite’ was ‘eat’.
Once again, the children’s response may be related to the general-specific use of terminology.
‘Eat’ may be perceived as a general term that includes ‘bite’, which would be more specific.
This word was thus included in the revision.
ANIMAL PERCEPTION IN AFRICAN CULTURE
Although there may be some similarities between the African and Western view of animals, there are also significant differences (Mutwa, 2003; Jacob Kehinde Olupona, 1993). The relationship between man and animals is intertwined with African culture, tradition and belief system(Onuoha, 2007; Tangwa, 2000). The attitudes, language and names used to refer to various animals reflect the nature of this relationship. Animals form part of the
interconnectedness between nature, spiritual beings and ancestors (Behrens, 2010). For example, different animals would be used in varying cultural events or ceremonies, depending on whether the event forms part of a family celebration or communication with the ancestors.
As cattle hold a highly esteemed place in the Zulu household, they would be mostly used for
important celebratory events, such as weddings and umemullo69. The importance of cattle(
Olupona, 1993) is reflected in the stature given to the cattle kraal. It can be equated with the temple of the home. Crucial decisions are usually made by men in the cattle kraal.
Even in communication with the ancestors, the choice of the kind of animal to be used would depend on the purpose, i.e. gratitude or request. African spirituality and perceptions about nature, such as land, river and sea, will influence the relationship with these animals. Some of these complex relationships are well illustrated in African folklore and stories(Mhlophe, 2006; Mutwa, 2003). In African culture, there may be differences from the Western treatment of animals, depending on perception. The next section on cats will demonstrate these
differences further.
Generally however, all animals are perceived as being part of nature rather than the human world but interconnected and harmonious with the human world (Ayisi, 1992). They are thus never treated as one would treat a human being. For example, it may be accepted in Western culture for an animal to share space that is regarded as human space, such as a home, whereas in African culture it is not acceptable. It is also unheard of in African society, in the township, to take an animal to the vet as only humans go to the doctor. Although in African culture there is a relationship between humans, animals/nature, it is important that a harmonious balance in this relationship is maintained by not crossing the boundaries(Ntuli, 2002).
The relationship between animals and society is reflected in the names given to them. These names are an extension of names in African society and differ significantly from the Euro- Western use of a name as a label or tag (Koopman, 2002). In traditional African culture, a name is not just a form of reference or direct address. Sometimes a name is avoided and
69 A ceremony celebrating the coming of age of a Zulu maiden
alternate forms of address are used, such as hlonipha70. Humans are given names for varying reasons, such as reflecting the family structure, for example, denoting the gender of a child or twin status e.g. Mfanofuthi (another boy). Further examples are names showing the perceived role of GodNomusa (grace of God); state of mind of parents such as feelings of love, happiness, pride Jabulani (be happy), indicating the circumstances at birth;
Nomthandazo (at prayer); Zwelinzima (the world is hard) referring to the difficulties in the world around them at the time of birth; from the wider clan , NomaHlwane (from the Hlwane clan) and other miscellaneous terms, such as denoting position in the family e.g. Ntombenkulu (oldest girl)(Koopman, 2002).
The names given to animals show their relationship with human society. A member of the society who feels that the society members are doing things behind his back may name his ox 'Bathangiboni'71. Dog names can be used for the same purpose or as disciplinary messages such as 'Qedumona'72. The name of the dog can also be used for social comment. A dog owner from Pietermaritzburg, who saw Blacks and Whites in harmony at a University Club meeting, went home and named his Dalmatian puppy 'Bahlangene'73(Koopman,2002). Names can also refer to the personality or characteristics of the dog e.g. Ndlayivalwa74 . The
characteristics of a dog are not only expressed in isiZulu. A word in another language, such as English or Afrikaans, depicting characteristics, e.g. Danger; an animal media character, e.g.
Rex; or features from a fictitious dog in a book, e.g. Jock75, may also be used. The link between culture and animals is also illustrated in the use of praise names that are usually reserved for people of important stature (Molefe, 1992, cited in Koopman, 2002) . Praise
70 Respect reflected in the language used.
71 Translation: They think I don’t see
72Translation: End your envy
73 Translation: They (the Blacks and whites) are together
74 Translation: The house is not closed up, implying he is such a dependable dog that there is no need to lock the house
75From Jock of the Bushveld book and film
names are, however, more common with horses after they have been broken in, e.g.
Gqakaza76 (indicating that it has shown bravery and strength in fighting).
Both Koopman (2002) and Joyce (2009) emphasize that it is an assumption that the link between the living and the spirit world is only characteristic of the beliefs of rural, elderly or illiterate Zulu people; it features significantly in the lives of modern Zulu people. The child who comes from a community that shares this belief system will thus reflect their beliefs in her language and interaction. The language and interpretation skills of the EAL child from an isiZulu language and cultural background who will be undergoing a language assessment will be influenced by the background described above.
5.3 WHAT ABOUT THE CAT?
The cat has been given a separate section in this discussion as its perception in African culture has particular significance and the intense reactions of people mentioned in the reflections illustrate this relationship. Although the cat is kept as a pet, it is perceived as a stray animal that has the characteristics of a wild animal and is thus to be feared. When it is black, it is associated with witchcraft and other negative practices. As a pet, it is to protect the home by killing unwanted pests, such as snakes and mice (Mutwa, 2003). Picture cards 5 and 8 from the RAPT shows the cat.
76 Roughly broken
PICTURE CARD 5 FROM THE RAPT (1997)(© Speechmark Ltd)