The implications of Setswana hare folktales contemporary for South African children

Abstract

In previous research, it has been stated that folktales are primarily told to teach moral lessons to children. However, this study demonstrates that Setswana hare folktales potentially teach the opposite of the intended lessons based on the behaviour of hare characters, which generally contravenes the notion of morality. Behaviour such as violence, murder, theft and manipulation is prevalent in folktales and the hare is often the perpetrator who is seldom caught or punished for his immoral behaviour. Research claims that South Africa is currently experiencing a crisis of moral degeneration through which people employ inappropriate social behaviour. The main concern is that children are exposed to immoral behaviour, thereby posing a potential risk of them mimicking such behaviour displayed by society and in folktales. In this study, potential implications of Setswana hare folktales in terms of the moral degeneration crisis affecting children in contemporary South Africa are investigated. Furthermore, it is revealed that some folktales might perpetuate and justify issues of moral degeneration in society. In this qualitative study, 19 Setswana hare folktales were collected and thematically analysed emphasising the common behaviour portrayed by hare characters. Secondary data on the recent South African incidents depicting behaviour associated with moral degeneration was obtained through perusing popular local newspapers and digital media. This was to demonstrate the degree to which hare folktales mirror the crisis of moral degeneration in contemporary society. The study is based on the Theory of Moral Development, Behaviourist, as well as Functionalist theories. Moral development and behaviourist theories are used to study the behaviour of hare characters and children in society, while the Functionalist Theory is used to study the phenomenon of moral degeneration as social change and folktales as a social construct. A number of folktale studies have been conducted, which have had a positive impact on teaching moral lessons. However, in this study, the very few studies that exposed the potential implications of folktales in perpetuating societal issues are expanded on. The researcher discerns that Setswana hare folktales do not embody moral elements, consequently and potentially perpetuating and justifying the moral degeneration crisis in children as perpetrators, victims and observers of the crisis. It is concluded that Setswana hare folktales may not be effective in instilling morality in children without meaningful intervention.