Banyankore indigenous methods of managing family conflict: A case study of Kamukuzi division, Mbarara municipality, South-Western uganda

Abstract

The Dissertation is about the Banyankore indigenous methods of family conflict management in Kamukuzi Division, Mbarara Municipality. The researcher examined the context, nature and causes of family conflict and the Banyankore indigenous methods of conflict management. The main objective that guided this research was to examine the Banyankore indigenous methods of managing family conflict in Kamukuzi Division, Mbarara Municipality. There were three specific objectives and these include: 1) to examine the context of family conflict among the Banyankore in Kamukuzi Division; 2) to examine the nature and causes of family conflict among the Banyankore in Kamukuzi Division; and 3) to identify the Banyankore indigenous methods of family conflict management. This dissertation is constituted of six chapters. In Chapter One, the researcher laid the ground for understanding the dissertation, offering the contextual background of the study, spelling out the objectives, research questions and the statement of the problem that this dissertation addresses. In addition, the researcher also discussed the limitations and ethical considerations of the research. It was noted that one of the limitations is that a number of elders with classified information regarding the Banyankore indigenous methods of family conflict management have passed on and therefore, there is an urgent need to document these methods. The theoretical framework is also included in this Chapter. Because of the nature of the data that was collected, there was a need for triangulation of theories to explain the context, nature, causes and Banyankore indigenous methods of family conflict management in Kamukuzi Division. The following theories informed this study: 1) Ubuntu ideology; 2) optimal psychology theory; 3) Marxist theory; and 5) the social capital theory. Chapter Two presents the literature review related to the study. The researcher noted that there is inadequate research on the Banyankore indigenous methods of managing family conflict. As such the review extended beyond the Banyankore to include Africa and beyond. The researcher reviewed most related literature that was available to him. Chapter Three spells out the methodology, which was used to collect data for this Dissertation. A qualitative research study design and a case study approach were used. A number of sample techniques were used in the collection of this data and these included: purposive, snowball, simple random and census sampling techniques. The respondents were drawn from the following categories: family conflict victims, key informants from civil society organizations, the officers of Uganda police force, church, community development officers, probation officers, cultural leaders, community elders and local leaders. Using open-ended, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and the library data was obtained. Contextual and textual analysis informed the approach to analysing data for this study. In Chapter Four, the researcher discusses the nature and context of family conflict among the Banyankore. Specifically, the researcher examined the contexts in which family conflict thrives and these contexts include: family and the different types of marriages that establish families; local community; and religious institutions with a focus on the church. The researcher then discussed the nature of family conflict which is physical, economic, marital or sexual and emotional or psychological. In Chapter Five, the researcher examines the Banyankore indigenous methods of managing family conflict. The following Banyankore indigenous methods of conflicts management are discussed: 1) okukaraba (a cleansing ritual performed when a person kills another accidentally); 2) ebyeshongoro n’ebyevugo (songs and poems); 3) emigane (story telling) enfumu (proverbs); 4) emigunjo (parables); 5) emigyenzo (rituals), and obuturagye (good neighbourhood). Finally, in Chapter Six, the researcher gave conclusions and recommendations on further research. He recommends that there is a need for an in-depth study on the church’s involvement in managing family conflict in Uganda. With the introduction of Christianity and indeed, having become part of life of many Ugandans, it would add value to study its role in addressing family conflict among the Banyankore. The churches in Uganda play a bigger role in managing family conflict but unfortunately there is no literature on how best it can be done.