Ubuntu Ethics: A framework for rehumanising social research with young people

Abstract

Ubuntu is an African moral and philosophic worldview based on the values of shared and interconnected humanness. This contribution argues that Ubuntu can and should be extended to the realm of social science research by embracing Ubuntu ethics: an alternative ethical framework to the dominant Western-centric conventions. This presents social science researchers with a viable opportunity to open areas of inquiry that are often considered too sensitive, taboo, or risky to study. This is especially true for researchers working in oppressive, exploitative, exclusionary, and dehumanising contexts. This youth-centred qualitative study shows that research which embraces Ubuntu ethics has the potential to rehumanise research participants and researchers alike. By reflecting on research conducted with young people who work and live on the streets of Cape Town, I illustrate the transformative potential of research rooted in Ubuntu Ethics. This contribution offers a novel reformulation of research ethics in practice, specifically useful for the teaching and practice of Social Work Research in Africa.

Current and previous volumes are available at: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net  

HOW TO REFERENCE USING ASWDNET STYLE

Makhetha T (2024). Ubuntu Ethics: A framework for rehumanising social research with young people. African Journal of Social Work, 14(6), 382-391. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i6.9