The meaning of ukuthwasa: urban youth perspectives on social change And the persistence of tradition in the Eastern Cape.

Abstract

This study looks at the continued persistence of precolonial cultural practices that thrive despite social, political and economic changes. It looks specifically at the process of “ukuthwasa” (the calling to be traditional healer or diviner) of urban youth in post-apartheid South Africa and how “ukuthwasa” impacts their psychosocial identity formation. The investigation is done through semi-structured interviews that focus on the life experiences of the initiate and the transformative nature of the practice that is able to redirect the psychosocial identity formation of the urban youth and invariably reorder a social systems. This invariably ensures the continuity of the practice even though it exhibits signs of integration with other influences such as Christianity. It shows that cultural changes that stem from economic development are extensive but are path dependent and have an imprint of the cultural heritage of the society, hence persistence. This is contrary to the prediction of a homogenised modernity by early modernization theorists. This highlights the relevance of persistent practices in modern society which can be used to deal with issues of youth identity.