Abstract
Flocking is dependent on relationships (social opportunities in kinship systems) and therefore require relational adeptness (socio-emotional competence). In this chapter I describe salient Afrocentric socio-emotional competence indicated for flocking. I argue that the presence of such socio-emotional competence enables flocking, and equally, the absence thereof constrains flocking. These culturally salient values frame Afrocentric social conventions for ‘what’ constitutes socio-emotional competence, ‘how’ emotional regulation processes unfold, and the goal of these (‘why’: normative pro-social interaction). The flocking-endpoint of emotion regulation is social harmony which serves as an end to the means of attaining social usefulness. In this regard, I suggest that emotion regulation during flocking aims at socially engaging emotions with a prevention focus in order not to transgress social norms, nor violate social rules. I posit that the interdependent relationships in flocking indicates salient interdependent values and practices that mirror other-focused and outside-in perspectives that are self-distancing. I put forward that collective consultation and consensus spaces are indicative of both adult relational co-regulation of emotions, as well as socio-emotional learning spaces. I indicate that flocking implies considering tenets of social connectedness for social inclusion and exclusion that could enable or constrain resilience opportunities. I claim that the emotion regulation endpoint of social inclusion is especially significant in a highly unequally structured environment to access life-sustaining social support. I suggest that, given that structural opportunities afford or suppress emotional experiences, the potential for culturally acceptable emotional experiences change in accordance with beliefs about the (un-)predictable or (un-)controllable nature of the world. I conclude by suggesting that social welfare and development initiatives that leverage cultural resources and mirror familiar social conventions may hold promise in interdependent-dominant societies.
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Notes
- 1.
This is a pseudonym.
- 2.
Funke Omidire, whom I referenced in an earlier chapter, often uses this phrase when we face multiple tasks and short time lines, or when there is difficulty with service-delivery, or political questions regarding corruption: ‘power through colleagues’, she would say, ‘power through’.
- 3.
They only studied those countries where population health is no longer linked to average levels of income levels. Their sampled data set included countries for which a comparable income distribution measure was available in the United Nations Human Development Reports and, in the end, comprised the 50 richest countries (as indicated by the World Development Indicators Database, World Bank, April 2004). They excluded countries with populations of fewer than 3 million.
- 4.
Grant Study: a 75-year longitudinal study of 268 healthy (physically and mentally) Harvard college sophomores (classes of 1939–1944).
Glueck Study: a second cohort of 456 disadvantaged, non-delinquent inner-city youths who grew up in Boston neighbourhoods between 1940 and 1945.
- 5.
As jy lewe, jy lewe saam met die ander. Jy kan nie alleen lewe nie [While one is alive, one lives with others. One cannot live alone.].
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Ebersöhn, L. (2019). When You Live, You Live with Others: The Culturally Salient Relational Dimensions of Flocking. In: Flocking Together: An Indigenous Psychology Theory of Resilience in Southern Africa. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16435-5_5
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