Diaspora, Learning And Identity: A Crucial Assessment Of The Concept, Practice And Future Of Dare In Zimbabwean Migrant Experience

Diaspora, Learning and Identity: A Crucial Assessment of the Concept, Practice and Future of Dare in Zimbabwean Migrant ExperienceTarsisio

Published Online:1 Sep 2022

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AbstractThis paper explores the evolution of the role and function of the concept and practice of dare a social space and a practice across two uniquely varied contexts. At its core, dare is a multifaceted cultural institution, which can be defined as both a social and geo-physical spaces. In those contexts, the reflective narrative methodology draws from the author s own and the shared experiences of stakeholders from the place of origin as well as those within the diasporic spaces. This is a hybridised cluster of analyses of themes and issues that have emerged and are evolving around the concept and practice of dare in Zimbabwe and its disaporas in discursive ways.

Dare is therefore best understood as a moral and guiding framework that helps individuals and communities attain and maintain the socio- culturally acceptable values of life and living. While this paper extensively draws on the original understandings of dare in Zimbabwe as its place of origin, this article reflectively traces in narrative ways the complex social metamorphoses through which dare evolves. Key to these processes is the impact of ubuntu, migration, globalisation and its hybridisation both across the generations as well as in its new host locality. There is considerable evidence demonstrating that dare is still highly valued and utilised not only in Zimbabwe where it originates from but also by the Zimbabwean diaspora. It is on this basis that more research needs to be done in order to excavate broader analyses which clearly underpin its criticality, both for Zimbabwean audiences and beyond. This will lead to the recognition of dare s potential as a vital tool for learning and understanding non-western communities.