Becoming an Ovambo Adult: Growing Into Agentic Communalism in Sub-Saharan Africa
Selma N Uugwanga1, Luzelle Naudé2, Amber Gayle Thalmayer1,2
1Department of Psychology, University of Zurich.
Psychological Science
|February 10, 2025
Summary
Becoming an adult in Africa involves education and community provision, reflecting a blend of traditional African communalism and modern demands. Gender and birth order also shape adult roles in this transition.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- African Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Limited research exists on the transition to adulthood in African contexts compared to Western countries.
- Understanding African youth development is crucial in a globalizing society.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the locally relevant factors defining adulthood among Ovambo Namibians.
- To identify contemporary rites of passage and adult roles in an understudied African setting.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative approach utilizing reflexive thematic analysis.
- Interviews conducted with 50 Ovambo Namibians aged 18-25 from rural and urban areas.
Main Results:
- Education completion emerges as a significant new rite of passage.
- Gender and birth order influence the definition of adult roles.
- Full adult personhood entails providing for extended family and community, highlighting African communalism.
Conclusions:
- Namibian youth navigate a balance between traditional communal values and contemporary, agentic demands.
- The study underscores the centrality of community in the African transition to adulthood.
- Findings likely apply to sub-Saharan Africa, offering insights into youth development in post-colonial, globalizing societies.
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