Examining the Ways and Extent to Which Counselors in Botswana Are Utilizing Indigenous Cultural Practices and Structures Dan-Bush Bhusumane
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Duquesne University: Digital Commons Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Summer 2007 Examining the ways and extent to which counselors in Botswana are utilizing indigenous cultural practices and structures Dan-Bush Bhusumane Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Bhusumane, D. (2007). Examining the ways and extent to which counselors in Botswana are utilizing indigenous cultural practices and structures (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/311 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXAMINING THE WAYS AND EXTENT TO WHICH COUNSELORS IN BOTSWANA ARE UTILIZING INDIGENOUS CULTURAL PRACTICES AND STRUCTURES by Dan-Bush Bhusumane, M.Ed. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Counselor Education and Supervision Program Department of Counseling, Psychology, and Special Education School of Education Duquesne University August 2007 Copyright by ©Dan-Bush Bhusumane 2007 ii DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Department of Counseling, Psychology, and Special Education Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Executive Counselor Education and Supervision Program Presented by: Dan-Bush Bhusumane B.A. Humanities, University of Botswana, 1985 PGDE, University of Botswana, 1986 Diploma of the Faculty of Education, University of Alberta (Canada), 1992 M.Ed., Adult Career and Higher Education, University of Alberta (Canada), 1994 June 21, 2007 EXAMINING THE WAYS AND EXTENT TO WHICH COUNSELORS IN BOTSWANA ARE UTILIZING INDIGENOUS CULTURAL PRACTICES AND STRUCTURES Approved by: _____________________________________________, Chair Lisa Lopez Levers, Ph.D. Associate Professor ___________________________________________, Member William Casile, Ph.D. Associate Professor ___________________________________________, Member Emma C. Mosley, Ph.D. Assistant Professor iii Abstract The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and examine the ways in which and the extent to which counselors in Botswana incorporate and utilize indigenous cultural practices and structures in counseling. This applied research involved interviewing 30 counselors from different parts of Botswana. Data collection was through a semi-structured interview guide while audiotaping was the main method of recording the interviews. The study showed that while counselors in Botswana appreciate the need to utilize indigenous cultural practices and structures, they rarely incorporate cultural practices into counseling. In addition, the study revealed that most counselors have limited knowledge and skills on how to how to handle indigenous cultural beliefs of clients. The data showed that the deficiencies in counselor education curriculum and the negative attitudes towards indigenous cultural practices and healing systems contribute significantly to their limited utilization by counselors. Furthermore, counselor training inadequately prepares counselors on how to respond in a culturally appropriate manner. Most importantly, the colonial legacy, postcolonial government’s apathy towards indigenous culture, and missionary and post-missionary teachings against indigenous cultural practices have resulted in negative attitudes towards indigenous cultural practices and methods. These influences contribute to Batswana’s introjections of Western values, and perceived superiority of Western interventions. Although counselors had positive views about the inherent power, influence, and superiority of indigenous healers in handling indigenous religious and cultural beliefs, they had misgivings concerning working with healers. It is clear from the findings of this study that most counselors generally involve the extended family network as a means of helping the client establish a support system, and as a way of facilitating reconnecting with other family members for security, compassion, and care. This study revealed the need for counselors’ cultural grounding, and to respond appropriately to the belief systems and psychosocial problems of clients in Botswana’s collectivistic cultural context. By embracing the indigenous cultural iv practices, counselors would be taking a positive step towards facilitating a more fruitful dialogue with indigenous practitioners, widely used by many Batswana. Collaboration between counselors and indigenous healers may reduce suspicion and improve communication between the two groups. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Heading Page Chapter I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………...1 Statement of the problem…………...…………………………………………………..8 Purpose of the study…………………...………………………………………………10 Research questions……...……………………………………………………………..11 Theoretical framework to the study……..…………………………………….……....12 Significance of the study………………………………...…………………………….14 Delimitations and scope of the study…………………………………………………..15 Definitions of terms……………………………………………………………………16 Organization of the dissertation………...………………………………….………….17 Chapter II. Literature review…………………………………………………………………20 Cultural practices and structures in Botswana……….………………………………...21 Extended family network.…..………….……….…………………………….21 The healing system and its role…....………...…………..……………………24 Causes of illness and misfortune………....……………………………………………35 Ancestral spirits and other transcendental forces.………..…………………..37 Disconnectedness with social and spiritual environments…………..….…….42 Transgressions and violation of taboos……....…...…………...………….…..47 Witchcraft and sorcery…………...….…………..……………………………48 Missionaries, indigenous cultural practices, and healing systems…………….…...57 The colonial legacy and the introjections of Western values……………….………... 61 Culture and counselor effectiveness…………………………………………………..65 Influences of cultural expectations…….………..……………………………72 Environment as a contributory and relief factor………...……………………75 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) Heading Page Worldview and belief systems…………….…………………………………………...80 Use of symbols, rituals, and tangibles……………....………..………………83 The mind-body connection and the holistic perspective……..………………84 Issues and assumptions about diagnosis….……………………………………………88 Interconnectedness and wellbeing………………..…………...……………………….94 Collaboration with indigenous practitioners………...……….……………………......98 Changing ideological perspectives……………………………….………………… 103 Summary………………………………………………...………..………………….107 Chapter III. The method and research design………………………………………..……...110 Qualitative inquiry and the systems perspective………….………………….………110 Assumptions of the qualitative inquiry…………………..…………………………..111 Design of the study……….………………………………………...………...………113 Bounding the study and selection procedures…………..……..……………113 Selecting participants to the study………..………………..………………..116 Ethical considerations and rights of subjects……..……..….……………….118 Data collection methods……………………...…………………....…………………119 Semi-structured face-to-face interviews…..……...……...………………….119 Description of instruments……………………..…….……………………...120 Data analyses procedures………………………….………………………………....123 Treatment of data…………………………..………………………………..124 Reporting the results……………….…………………………………………………127 Limitations of the study.……………………….……………………………………..127 Summary……..……………………………………………………….……………....128 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) Heading Page Chapter IV. The results……………………………………………………………………...129 Characteristics of the participants…..…………………..……………………………129 Demographic and vocational characteristics…………....…………………..129 Results of interview data……………..………………..…….……………………….131 Questions 1 and 2…..………………....……………………………………..131 Question 3……………………………..……………….……………………142 Question 4…………………………………...………………………………151 Question 5….…….……………..…………………...………………………159 Summary……………………………..………………………………………………167 Chapter V. Discussion and recommendations…………..…………………………………169 Overview of the study……………………….……………………………………….169 The problem and purpose of the study…....……...………………………….169 Methodology and data analysis….…..………...…….………………………170 Discussion of the results……..……………………….……………………………....171 Cultural practices and structures utilized by counselors……….....……..…..171 How to handle cultural beliefs of clients…….……………..………..…..….181 Perceptions of indigenous methods and practitioners………………………183 Barriers to utilizing indigenous cultural practices and structures……….......185 Recommendations and implications……………………………….………………...190 Policy formulation………………………..……………...……………….…190 Counselor education curriculum design….……..………....………………..191 Counseling practice and theory…………………...………………………....192 Recommendations for further research………………...........………………193 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) Heading Page Hypotheses generated……………………...…………………..……………194 References…………………………………………………………………………...196 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………..207 Appendix A. Request for permission to conduct research……..….………..208 Appendix B. Letter of transmittal….……….……..………………………..210 Appendix C. Re: Permission to conduct research……..……..…….…..…...212 Appendix D. Semi-structured interview guide……..…….……..……..……214 Appendix E. Consent to participate in a research study…………………….216