An exploration of the use of social media as a vehicle to enculturate Vhavenda youth in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province of South Africa

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the use of social media as a vehicle to enculturate Vhavenḓa youth in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study examined the possibility of using social media platforms to enculturate youth with the indigenous knowledge system (IKS). IKS mainly relies on information being passed on by word-of-mouth from adults; hence, it requires direct interactions between the older and younger generations. Social media have taken over the socialisation role played by older adults; however, how social media can be used to enculturate the youth is unclear due to the nature and beliefs associated with IKS. The major issues at the heart of this study are how people perceive the function of social media in enculturating youth with indigenous knowledge system content and what strategies can be employed to integrate IKS with social media. In-depth unstructured interviews and focus-group discussions were used to collect data from 25 youth and 25 elderly indigenous knowledge holders from 11 local communities from the Vhembe District Municipality. Using a Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) to examine the collected qualitative data, the study concluded that to present to the present generation what speaks to their identity and way of being, various social media platforms need to be fed with content that discusses cultural programs, practices, values, and standards. The study’s key conclusions were that social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp and many more could be utilized to ingrain IKS. This process can be facilitated if the government provides financial resources to familiarise communities with IK. The study advised that various media outlets should develop programs that broadcast IKS content using indigenous languages to enculturate the current and upcoming generations. This was made possible by adopting the theory of socialisation as the study sought to find ways in which social media could be utilised to enculturate Vhavenda youth. The study found that social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Internet, and YouTube are the main vehicles for enculturating youth.