Mwalimu Mwingine Aongelea Kitabu Changu

Ni jadi yangu kuwatambua wasomaji wanaosema neno kuhusu vitabu vyangu. Ni namna ya kuwashukuru kwa kutumia muda wao kukisoma kitabu na kutumia tena muda kuandika maoni yao. Ninatambua kwamba wanafanya hivyo kwa hiari, na wangeweza kutumia muda wao kwa namna nyingine. Ninawashukuru.

Wiki hii amejitokeza mwalimu Khalid Kitito, ambaye amekitumia kitabu cha Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences katika ufundishaji wake hapa Marekani, akaandka maoni kwenye mtandao wa PublicReputation:

Africans and Americans written by Joseph Mbele is an excellent book to read about cultural differences between Americans and Africans. He examined the deep culture and not surface culture. It brings out clearly the understanding as to why Americans and Africans have different perspective of time, relationships, work, family, love, respect among others. I used it to teach in my Culture and Identity Class and found it useful. The book provided a forum for insightful discussions and at the end of the course students were able to view other cultures as different and not weird. It is also easy to read and understand, thus suitable for general readers.

Napenda kugusia tathmini yake kuwa ninaibua "deep culture." Wanataaluma wa tamaduni wanasisitiza suala hili la "deep culture." Tunapokutana na utamaduni wowote, tunaona mambo mengi, lakini ili kuyaelewa yale tunayoyaona, tunatakiwa kuelewa msingi wake. Hii ndio "deep culture." Inachukua muda sana kuuelewa utamaduni kwa maana hiyo. Ndivyo ilivyokuwa kwangu, katika kutafakari utamaduni wa wa-Marekani. Ilinichukua miaka karibu ishirini ya kuishi na wa-Marekani kabla sijathubutu kuandika kitabu changu. Kwa upande mwingine, kwa kuwa mimi ni mtafiti na mwalimu wa fasihi na "folklore" na ni mw-Afrika, haikuwa shida kwangu kuelezea "deep culture" kwa upande wa wa-Afrika.

Pamoja na kumshukuru mwalimu Kitito, kwa kuandika maoni yake, ninatoa mwaliko kwa yeyote mwingine aliyesoma au kutumia kitabu changu chochote kuandika maoni yake katika ukurasa huu wa PublicReputation.