Zwischen Pflicht und Selbstverwirklichung - Versuch einer afrikanischen Perspektive

Background The starting point is the consideration that the understanding of both duty and self-realization is shaped by society and culture. The social and cultural context also influences how the "self" is understood, where its limits are perceived to be and where the "other" begins in self-perception. Aim of the articleI would like to use some examples of my own observations in various African countries to show that what we would understand as "duty" in a German cultural context could possibly coincide with "self-realization" in an African culture. Secondly, I would like to develop that the understanding of both duty and self-realization, naturally also changes over time on the African continent. Material and methodsOwn observations, encounters and interviews. Results and discussion In many African traditions self-realization is not a goal in life; instead the individual feels obligated to the welfare of the community (the family nucleus, the extended family). Even when traditional lifestyles are exchanged for an urban existence, the traditional importance of obligations to the community remains. This has to do with cultural values and economic dependence on the group. The fact that we can largely realize ourselves in Germany is due to a functioning state system and despite all justified criticism, largely functioning social systems. We therefore owe the room for self-realization to the fact that we pay taxes and the state and other public institutions take on the tasks that elsewhere are still shouldered by families as a matter of course.