Interrogating generational connections and conflicts on the utility of indigenous knowledge systems as a cultural dimension of development in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Africans all over the continent and Zimbabweans in particular, are claiming the cultural heritage of their ancestors. There is a wide spread conviction that the ancestors had a certain self-understanding, a view of the world and a lifestyle that was of their own making. This afforded them to positively interact with their environment. Indeed, there are beliefs and practices which reflect evidence of the existence of a complex epistemological framework characterised by physical and spiritual interconnectedness of humans with other species. Of late, there has been a notable difference between the awareness of possible cosmovisionary issues among youths and the elderly to such an extent that the diffusion of ideas has not only lost momentum but that it is gravitating into oblivion. The hallmark of this study is its deep interest in the traditional relationships between humans, the physical and spiritual worlds which youths are marginalising. African traditional beliefs which appear to be the linchpin of indigenous knowledge are being affected by the changing religiosity of youths. The study estimates the extent to which generational conflict is a serious threat to developmental efforts in developing societies.