integrated strategy Of Christian and traditional parenting in Gusii community, Kenya

Abstract

The nature of parenting globally is not only the cause of many society‟s ills but also a key to positive change that determines the quality of the community. This is the case within traditional Gusii community, where parenting was systematically structured life cycle process as compared to the Christian church where empowerment of parents is minimal and without a systematically structured programme. This study presents strategy that combines both Christian teaching and practices with traditional Gusii teaching and practices on parenting, aimed at addressing increased anti-social ills in the present Gusii community. The paper examines the perceptions of the Christian church and traditional Gusii approach of equipping parents with quality parenting skills. The major role of the traditional Gusii community which was equipping parents with quality parenting skills should be carried out by the Christian church. The Christian church is viewed in this study as the alternative social institution that has the potential to create an enabling environment of equipping parents with quality parenting skills that will help reduce increased anti-social ills. This role that the church can play not only reduces anti-social ills but encourage support, care and protection of the disadvantaged children in the community. The church can serve as a conduit for the empowerment of parents and subsequently improve the quality of the community. The fundamental question addressed in this study is what the Christian church can do to address the challenge of increased antisocial behaviour among children in Gusii community. When children are well raised, parents are assured of peace and unity in families and the community. People will respect each other in the community. Parenting contributes greatly on addressing antisocial behaviour in the community. Thus this paper discuses and analyses how the church can make a significant contribution to equipping parents with quality parenting skills aimed at reducing anti-social ills in Gusii community and beyond. The emphasis of the paper is the importance of and the need for the Christian church to equip parents with quality parenting skills with a goal of reducing anti-social ills in Gusii community. Unless the Christian church addresses this important task, the community is headed to a social decay and disintegration. Empowering parents to competently guide children on moral values and provide them with basic needs will go a long way of reducing anti-social ills in Gusii Community. This paper is informed by data from Kisii and Nyamira county, which is home of the abagusii. Data was collected through interviews with informants of both Christian and traditional parenting who were selected purposefully.