Bame

UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
CEF 794
LEARNING STRATEGIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
TOPIC: BAME NSAMENANG PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY
STUDENTS NAME: DAISI TAIWO PETER
MATRIC NO: 239595
LECTURER-IN-CHARGE: PROF ESTHER ODULOWU

INTRODUCTION
Born on 23 August, 1951 in Kitiwum, an Nso area of Cameroon, he initially worked as a

nurse before going on to study at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria where he received a degree
in nursing (1979), Master’s in Guidance and Counselling Education (1980) and was awarded a
PhD in Clinical Child Psychology in 1984.
He wrote later that it was during his clinical psychology studies that he realised that: “The social
reality and goals of human development and education presented in standard textbooks in
education and psychology were somehow different from my perception and experience of them
in African societies . . .”
After a three year fellowship in the USA and the NICH, Bethesda University of Maryland, Bame
returned to the Cameroon and took up a lecturing post at the University of Yaounde.
It was in 1992 that Bame published his first ground breaking book Human development in
cultural context in which he advanced an interpretation of human development from an African
perspective.
Similarly to Mamie Clark, working in the USA in the 1950s Bame felt that local provisions were
not meeting existing needs. So, in 1995, while continuing to lecture at the University, Bame
founded and became director of the Human Development Resource Centre. HDRC’s aim was to:
“Generate evidence-based data… mount advocacy and interventions to advance the wellbeing
and social competencies of Africa’s youngsters in their families, schools, communities, peer
cultures, etc, and to add value to Africa’s social capital.”
The previous year he had, with Michael Lamb1, published the results of research into how Nso
children from his home region acquired what he called “cultural competence”.
“Knowledge is not separated into discrete disciplines, but all strands of it are interwoven into a
common tapestry, which is learned by children at different developmental stages, who participate
in the cultural and economic life of the family and society.”
Bame believed that socialization was acquired via a localized and traditional family culture
which led to an idea of selfhood which emphasized obedience and built in social responsibility as
a primary value.
He argued that socialization should not be measured using Western psychology’s developmental
targets.
"[Socialization] is not organized to train children for academic pursuits or to become individuals
outside the ancestral culture.
Rather, it is organized to teach social competence and shared responsibility within the family
system and the ethnic community."
He identified seven stages of selfhood: new-born, social priming, social apprenticing, social
entrée, social internment, adulthood, and old age and death.
Bame grouped these into three phases: a spiritual selfhood (from conception to naming); a social
or experiential selfhood within the community and finally an ancestral selfhood which follows
biological death.
Bame Nsamenang, a Cameroonian psychologist, proposed a theory of selfhood development

with seven stages that occur within three phases:
Spiritual Selfhood (Prenatal)
This phase begins at conception and lasts until the naming ceremony.
The newborn is seen as a spiritual being with a connection to the ancestral world.
Social Selfhood (Birth to Death)
This phase consists of seven stages that represent the development of a social identity.
Newborn: This stage focuses on the infant's basic needs and biological functions.
Social Priming: This stage involves building social bonds and attachments with caregivers.
Social Apprenticing: Children begin to learn social roles and behaviors through observation and
imitation.
Social Entrée: This stage involves participation in social activities and learning community
values.
Social Internship: Teenagers are given more responsibility and begin to prepare for adulthood.
Adulthood: This stage is characterized by marriage, parenthood, and fulfilling social obligations.
Old Age and Death: Elders are revered for their wisdom and seen as bridges between the living
and the ancestral world.
Ancestral Selfhood (After Death)
This phase represents the continuation of life in the spiritual realm after death. The individual
becomes part of the ancestral community and watches over the living.
Bame developed a theory of “human ontogenesis” which suggested that children in many
different cultures learnt through their integration into everyday social life, rather than through
explicit learning activities like those of traditional schooling. It is a theory that focuses on the
development of human beings from birth to adulthood. Nsamenang emphasizes the importance
of considering cultural, social, and environmental factors in understanding human development.
According to the theory, human development is a dynamic process that is influenced by
both individual and contextual factors. Nsamenang argues that development is not fixed or
predetermined, but rather a complex and multifaceted process that is shaped by interactions with
one's environment.
Nsamenang also emphasizes the importance of considering the cultural and social context
in which individuals develop. He argues that culture plays a significant role in shaping
individuals' beliefs, values, and behaviors, and that cultural factors should be taken into account
when studying human development.
References
1 Nsamenange and Lamb. Socialization of Nso Children in the Bamende Grassfields of

Northwest Cameroon. In Cross-Cultural Roots of Minority Child Development. Patricia M.
Greenfield and Rodney R. Cocking, eds. p. 133–146
2 Nsamenange. Cultural and Human Development in International Journal of Psychology, 2008,

43 (2), 73-77

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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

LEARNING STRATEGIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

TOPIC: BAME NSAMENANG PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY

STUDENTS NAME: DAISI TAIWO PETER

MATRIC NO: 239595

LECTURER-IN-CHARGE: PROF ESTHER ODULOWU

Born on 23 August, 1951 in Kitiwum, an Nso area of Cameroon, he initially worked as a

Bame Nsamenang, a Cameroonian psychologist, proposed a theory of selfhood development

Spiritual Selfhood (Prenatal)

Social Selfhood (Birth to Death)

Ancestral Selfhood (After Death)

1 Nsamenange and Lamb. Socialization of Nso Children in the Bamende Grassfields of

2 Nsamenange. Cultural and Human Development in International Journal of Psychology, 2008,

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