Review of Jerome Thamsanqa Gumede's Doctoral Thesis, An Auto-Ethnographic Enquiry: Critical Reflection on the Influences in the Development of a Black African Male Educator

Jerome says that he hopes that his thesis will change mindsets for those unfamiliar with the life in South Africa during and after Apartheid and in the midst of the HIV&AIDS pandemic. To do this, he demonstrates the influences on the personality of a Black African Male Educator, himself, in a self-study using narrative enquiry, Living Theory methods and auto-ethnography. He describes the negative influence of the formal Apartheid education: "A type of education that had a skewed value system that was anti-personal development, but pro- development of the 'employee/servant/slave mentality.' " (p.11)

He shares his childhood experiences as a herd boy, learner, clerk, teacher-training student, teacher, High School principal and a Governance and Management coordinator in Ugu District. An extensive review of the Republic of South Africa's National Curriculum Statement in Life Orientation Grades 10-12 is included as well as ways in which the beliefs and values in the thesis can help learners to make their beliefs and values explicit in their learning. His personal beliefs and values, principally ubuntu (humanity) and ukuhlonipha (respect), and the Critical Cross Field Outcomes of the curriculum are used to demonstrate the relationship between these values and outcomes in the development of his personality.