JNK Mugambi - Africa Information Ethics Portal

INFORMATION ETHICS AND
CHARACTER FORMATION OF CHILDREN IN
TROPICAL AFRICA
Prof. J.N.K. Mugambi, Ph.D., MKNAS,
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies,
University of Nairobi.
Outline of the Lecture delivered at the Conference on
Africa Information Ethics,
University of Botswana, 6-7 September, 2010
1

PROBLEMS OF MEANING IN ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL DISCOURSES
• Language is a cultural product, which is designed as the
primary carrier of a community’s world-view. Meaning is
embedded in language.
• As a result of our history we in Africa have been preconditioned
into five linguistic commonwealths – English, French,
Portuguese, Arabic and Spanish.
• For the majority of Africans the language of nurture is not the
language of schooling and governance.
• The language in which a child learns to be a human being is
not the one in which he or she learns to become a citizen.
• We need therefore to ask ourselves how the concepts we
deliberate about in this conference can be understood and
appreciated in the various cultural and linguistic contexts.
2

SETTING THE CONTEXT
• Early in September 2010 BBC reported that the Government of Sweden has
prohibited the screening of the Hollywood-produced 3D cartoon film Cats
and Dogs on Swedish Television to children below seven years of age, on
the ground that such children will be adversely affected by the cartoon film.
Freedom of the media, and freedom of information must not adversely
affect any segment of a national population. In this case of Sweden, the
Government has decided. Will UNESCO, or any of the other UN agencies
challenge the decision? Will the producers and promoters of the cartoon
challenge it? If not, does it set a precedent for African governments to
prohibit the screening of any movies which are detriment to the moral
formation of their children and youth?
• Each of you will remember messages from your teachers, parents, peers
and broadcasters which had a memorable impact on your lives. At the end
of my address I invite each of you to share with us the specifics of these
incidents. Personally I have many such incidents, which could fill a whole
book. Those incidents and messages have partly made me the person I am
today, through example or by default! Children and youth in Africa today are
profoundly affected by the messages they receive at home, in school, at the
church and mosque, or on radio and television. Whatever messages are
passed on to children and youth should be a matter of serious ethical
concern.
3

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS:
KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION
• The word “information” refers to a collection of “data”
about a specific topic.
• The compiler of “information” decides what data to put
together.
• Criteria for compilation of “data” into “information” are
arbitrary.
• A piece of “Information” becomes “knowledge” when it
is incorporated and related with other pieces of
information leading someone to an opinion or a
perspective.
• “Information” does not become “knowledge” until it is
processed in within a person’s consciousness.
4

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS:
KNOWLEDGE AS PROCESSED INFORMATION
• “Knowing” means interpreting the “information” which someone has
received through the senses or through other channels.
• Deriving “knowledge” from “information” is a cultural process.
• Knowledge accumulation is a cultural process, consisting of
cognitive, affective and practical functions.
• The ability to accumulate knowledge has to be cultivated in the
process of upbringing of children.
• The nurture of children determines how they process information
into knowledge.
• The information to which children are exposed determines the kind
of knowledge they begin to accumulate, and the attitudes they
develop as they grow up.
• Parenthood includes the responsibility to provide an environment for
the offspring to develop conceptual tools for the processing of
information into knowledge.
• The State has interest in the way parents bring up their children.
Hence the interest of states in the character formation of youth.
5

WHO SHAPES A CHILD’S VALUES?
PARENTS?
ADVERTS?
AYAHS?
MEDIA?
THE
CHILD
SIBLINGS?
PEERS?
PREACHERS?
TEACHERS?
6

VARIABLES IN CHARACTER FORMATION
HOME
SOCIETY
SCHOOL
COLLEGE
PEER
GROUPS
CHARACTER
CHURCH
TEMPLE
MOSQUE
SHRINE
INTERNET
MOBILE PHONE
ADVERTISING
RADIO
TELEVISION
VIDEO
7

TELEVISION CHANNELS
JEZ
KBC
KTN
BBC
NTV
CNN
TV
CTV
EATV
K24
CLASS
KAM
STV
8

TELEVISION CONTENT
• Daily After School: Cartoons: Popeye; Tom
& Jerry; Stanley and Alley; Scooby; Walt
Disney; Muppet Show; Cats and Dogs;. . .
• Weekend Afternoons: Old Cowboy movies;
Old Wild West Movies.
• Weekend Evenings: Pop Music; Soap
operas.
• Monday Evenings: Wrestling.
9

SHAPERS OF CHILDREN’S VALUES:
AFRICA AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC
TROPICAL AFRICA
• Age 1-3: Most time spent with
Ayah.
• Age 3-6: Most with
Kindergarten teachers.
• Age 7-14: Most time with
primary school teachers
• Age 15-18: Most time with
teachers and peers.
• Age 19-25 Most time with
peers & Media.
• 90% of Radio & TV content is
foreign.
• 99.9% of Internet is foreign
NORTH ATLANTIC
• Age 1-3: Most time with
Mother.
• Age 3-6: Most time with
Mother.
• Age 7-14: Most time with
professionals.
• Age 15-18: Most time with
professionals.
• Age 19-25 Most time with
professionals.
• 100% of Radio & TV content is
local
• 99.9% of Internet is local.
10

VALUES AND VIRTUES IN THE
BROADCAST MEDIA CHANNELS
COMPETITION
INADEQUACY
INDIVIDUALISM
MEDIA BASED
VIRTUES
IMPORTS
VIOLENCE
CONSUMERISM
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THE CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS OF
APPLIED ETHICS
P
OUR DAILY PRACTICES
NORM
ATTITUDE
PRINCIPLE
VALUES
ETHIC
ETHOS
OUR NORMS
OUR ATTITUDES
OUR PRINCIPLES
OUR VALUES
OUR ETHIC
OUR ETHOS
WORLD VIEW
OUR WORLDVIEW
12

WORLD-VIEWS AND PERSONAL DISPOSITIONS
• Our Word-view determines our self-understanding.
• What is our worldview? Where did we get it from?
• Our World-View informs our Ethos. So, what is our Ethos? Where did it
come from?
• Our Ethos informs our Ethic. So, what is our Ethic? On what is it based?
• Our Ethic informs our values. So what are our values? Where did we get
them from?
• Our Values inform our Virtues and our Vices. So what is Virtue and Vice?
• Our Virtues and Vices shape our Principles. So What are our principles?
• Our Principles determine our Norms. So what Norms do we cherish?
• Our Norms determine our Attitudes. So what Attitudes do we encourage?
• Our Attitudes condition our Daily Practices.
• So how do we rationalize our daily practices? What influences our daily
choices?
• If we wish to reform our Daily Practices,
• We must review our World-view
• And go the full circle back to our Virtues and Vices
• Back to our Norms and Attitudes,
• Back to me and you,
• Back to God who makes all things new.
13

THE TEN AGES OF A PERSON
Escort to the
Next Life
OLD AGE
DEATH
BIRTH
BABY
Welcome to
the World
Welcome to
Elderhood
Community
Service
MID-AGE
HUMAN
LIFE CYCLE
INFANT
Welcome to
Mobility
Welcome to
Parenthood
Initiation to
Peer Groups
ADULT
YOUTH
PUBERTY
CHILD
Welcome to
Adulthood
14

MAIN ASPECTS OF
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
RELIGION:
Sense of Belonging
and Self-Definition
POLITICS
POLITICS: Distribution of
Social Influence,
Opportunities & Prerogatives
RELIGION
CULTURE
ECONOMY
ECONOMICS:
Distribution of
Resources and
Facilities
KINSHIP
ETHICS
ETHICS:
Sense of Values,
Virtues & Vices
KINSHIP:
Proper Relationship
in Primary Groups
AESTHETICS
AESTHETICS:
Sense of Proportion in Shapes,
Sizes, Colours & Sounds
15

RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP
PAY TAXES?
HELP OTHERS?
OBEY LAWS?
POLITICS
KEEP PEACE?
WORK HARD?
CONSUME
WHAT YOU PRODUCE?
PRODUCE
WHAT YOU CONSUME?
16

EXTENDED FAMILY (UJAMAA-UBUNTU)
AFRICAN SENSE OF COMMUNITY
PARENTS
GUESTS
BROTHERS &
SISTERS
COMMUNITY
IN-LAWS
UNCLES &
NEPHEWS
SPONSORS
17

ROLE ASSIGNMENT
ACCORDING TO PAUL OF TARSUS
• Emperor and Aristocrats: Rule with justice,
wisdom, and mercy.
• Nobles: Treat inferiors kindly and with compassion.
• Citizens: Consider fellow citizens, subjects, aliens and
slaves as equals. (Ephesians 6: 1-9).
• Aliens: Obey the laws and respect the values and
norms of the Empire.
• Subjects: Obey and respect the imperial laws.
• Slaves: Perform your duties with self-confidence but
do not subvert the status quo.
18

DISTINCTION BETWEEN
EQUALITY AND EQUITY (PAUL OF TARSUS)
• Paul of Tarsus made a very clear conceptual
distinction between Equality and Equity. In his
teaching Equality is impossible in human society.
• Equity is not only possible, but it is a moral necessity.
• Those who are advantaged ought to relate with the
disadvantaged as if they had no advantage.
• The disadvantaged ought to affirm their dignity
irrespective of any odds against them.
19

IMPLICATIONS
• Human beings are not only social beings; they
are cultural beings.
• Culture is made possible by communal
traditions through which nature is modified for
the comfort of particular communities.
• These traditions include Politics, Economics,
Ethics, Aesthetics, Kinship and Religion.
• It is the responsibility of religious leaders to
remind the community
20

CONCLUDING REMARKS
Two thousand years ago Paul of Tarsus wrote the
following challenge in Applied Ethics, which is still
valid as if uttered here today:
• Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there
is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things. What you have learned and
received and heard and seen in me, do, and the God
of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 8)
21

CELEBRITY AND MEDIOCRITY:
WHO CHOOSES? WHO DECIDES?
• Whatever is honorable: What is honor?
• Whatever is just: What is justice?
• Whatever is pure: What is purity?
• Whatever is lovely: What is loveliness?
• Whatever is gracious: What is graciousness?
• Whatever is excellent: What is excellence?
• Whatever is praiseworthy: What is praiseworthy?
• In this era of Globalization, WHO DECIDES?
• Is Information Sovereignty possible today?
• What is the role of state and private media channels in shaping
the values of the children and the youth in African nations?
22

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE
• There are no easy answers to these questions.
• When I travel to various countries I am interested in
watching the content of TV channels.
• Clearly there are subtle principles guiding those who
procure the content. Profit is the greatest consideration.
Sensationalism attracts viewers, and viewers attract
advertisements, and advertisements attract revenue, and
revenue increases profits. The bottom-line is profit.
• Can there be another bottom-line other than Profit? Is
another world possible?
• What strategies in policy and pedagogy will make
another world possible? That is your challenge and mine.
23

THANK YOU
FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
AND FOR
SILENSING
YOUR MOBILE PHONES
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