The Ubiquity of the Character Strengths in African Traditional Religion: A Thematic Analysis

Selvam, S.G. & Collicutt, J. (2013), The ubiquity of the character strengths in African Traditional Religion: A thematic analysis. In Knoop, H.H. & Delle Fave, A. (Eds.), Well-Being and Cultures: A Positive Psychology Perspective (pp 83-102). Heidelberg: Springer.
Abstract

Positive psychology has relied on world philosophical and religious traditions for its understanding and classification of core virtues and character strengths and in demonstrating their ubiquity across cultures. However, in this endeavour, reference to African traditional religion (ATR) is minimal. The aim of the present qualitative study was to discern if the ubiquity of character strengths extends to ATR. The catalogue of Values in Action (VIA) was chosen as the coding template; some anthropological textual data on the life cycle of the individual, collected in Nairobi, Kenya, were used as the data set. Using a hybrid approach of deductive data analysis and inductive theme development, thematic equivalents were identified, and further validated with […]

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