Representations of Personhood from African Oral Traditions (Department of Psychology)

Western discourses on personhood conceptualize a person in Kantian terms as made up of metaphysical qualities by which personhood is granted (Ikuenobe, 2006; Menkiti, 1984; Lim, 2016). On the contrary, intense sociality and normative communal arrangements determine personhood within the African context (Menkiti, 1984; Mbiti, 2008; Opoku, 1978).
However, generally, studies about personhood in the African setting lack contextual data (Lassiter, 1999) This is the gap this study sought to fill. Implications for conceptualizing the personhood of a mentally ill patient, fighting social stigma, developing a context-based personality measure, resilience and emotional regulation, was addressed by 2 PhD students.