**12. Ubuntu parenting and immigrants of African dissent (visible minority)**

Acknowledging the language flux that arises when using certain phrases. "Minority" in this context means a visible minority, immigrants of African Dissent or people of color. Diverse value orientations, life experiences and worldviews are all implicit in the term multiculturalism [1]. The ethnic sense of "them versus us" becomes realistic when one relocates to different countries and continents. Immigration has configured

#### *The Ubuntu Parenting: Kairos Consideration for the 21st Century Dynamics and Globalization DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100101*

challenges on parenting norms and the subsequent changes in family structures, dynamics, and roles. Parents may feel that the socio-cultural context prior to and postmigration may conflict, and that the legal system undermines family dynamics and values or that the schooling system alienates them from their children [23]. The lack of immediate and close families around has been a challenge in parenting in the diaspora. This is catapulted by the economical demands on parents.

Acculturation is the process of change when two cultures come into contact has a significant effect on migrants. The degree to which adaptation to new cultural environments is problematic to some immigrants and it depends on factors such as migration motives, socioeconomic status, socio-psychological circumstances, similarities, and differences between the culture of origin and the place of settlement and also personal attitude [37]. Furthermore, the intercultural relationships in the world have had a rather checkered history of racism, colonialism, genocides, systemic discrimination, and oppression. Their parenting principles are rated, classified, and misunderstood in children's development. Mistakenly visible minority parenting is classified as authoritarian, where parents are taken to be too rigid and inflexible. No matter the historical past, people can rise above the prejudices and stereotyping characterization imposed on them.

Visible minorities have a powerful sense of kinship bonds, educational and work achievement orientation, a strong commitment to religious values and church participation which should be celebrated. The centrality of community, respect of tradition, harmony with nature and the sociality of self-hood ensures survival and successful parenthood among visible minorities [37]. There is a sense of resilience among the parents and children of a visible minority population. This attitude enables them to cope with the balance of life and demands in social life. The mutual cooperation between the parents and children enables them to support each other creatively. Furthermore, a sense of belonging enables the minority diverse communities to successfully get support when they most expect it. Schools and religious communities are the most available support institutions that offer guided parental support.

In Ubuntu rights are presented not as an external concept imposed upon communities, but rather the enhancement of existing good practice already embedded in families and communities [37]. This is important as children are rewarded out of a privilege not based on rights. Children receive gifts and value them based on privilege, going to school and be with your family is based not a right among the visible minority community but a privilege to be appreciated and reciprocated. Ubuntu encourages good and appreciative attitude reciprocity in a family. This means that parents appreciate their children and children appreciate their parents.

Immigrant families have a history and cultures to be honored. The family's past and present life cannot be devoid of history and present challenges of modernity. In this scenario families depend on social support from the context they are existing. They formulate relationships that last with those support systems in helping the child's development. Adjustments will be visible in parental involvement, parental expectations, and children's assimilation in the context of diaspora.

#### **13. Criticism of Ubuntu**

According to Metz, there are three reasons why Ubuntu is considered faulted: it is misunderstood as philosophical thought, its collective orientation is taken as a challenge to individual freedoms and finally that it is only applicable and useful in traditional contexts, but not in modern society [38]. These criticisms make Ubuntu relevant to a greater extent as it proposes significant insights that enhance human lives and functionality.

Manyonganise posits that Ubuntu is oppressive and liberating [10]. She analyzed that Ubuntu has been celebrated and glorified from a patriarchal noxious bias. Ubuntu needs to be seen as a creation of men who were determined to regard women as restricted, dominated, and marginalized [10]. The systems that used to oppress can be the systems that liberate. Therefore, Ubuntu is liberating. Women and children are not second citizens of any family. In an economical society, everyone has to play a significant role to achieve functionality in any given family and parenting. Furthermore, Ubuntu is not only liberating but empowering. It is empowering as it assigns roles mutually. Roles in a family are defined and classified among parents and children. When it comes to children, the eldest is expected to look out and defend the interests of the younger children. This is mutually, and not prescriptive. Through Ubuntu, chores are part of life not burdensome activities to be endured.

### **14. Conclusion**

Parenting as an art should be viewed from the visual beauty of nurturing children from birth to adulthood. The terrain of raising children continues to evolve. In the 21st century, as in the past, parents are faced with a myriad of challenges that affect the desired outcome of child development. This chapter has highlighted the challenges of globalization and the availability of different information technologies. In this one touch world, which shaped the globalized culture, the African approach has detailed the Ubuntu philosophy and way of life as a critical model of parenting. Ubuntu parenting put together with the different dimensions or styles of parenting influence the nurturing of children. No parenting or child development occur in a vacuum. This invites, family, individuals, community, and different institutions to be significant players in child development and parenting. Ubuntu parenting advocates for the communal parenting which is centered on mutuality, interdependence, and cooperation.
