Fostering Economic Sustainability within Rural Families in South Africa through Visual Arts and Crafts
Nonceba Cynthia Mbeshu-Mhlauli 
Issue: Vol.5 No.3 Issue Article 7 pp.236-246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024537 | Published online 8th March, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This paper investigated interventions that can restore the importance of visual arts and crafts in fostering economic sustainability within rural families, in particular, young rural community members. Prior to colonization, visual arts and crafts played a significant role in providing economic subsistence for many households in South Africa. During the inception of formal education, that practice was replaced by scholastic education, prioritizing theoretical knowledge over practical experiential learning, leading to a gradual decline in the subsistence lifestyle. Marxism Theory (1848), which underpins this study, posits that within a capitalist economic framework, workers are exploited whilst company owners amass additional money. Craft manufacturing has the potential to augment self-generated income, making a valuable contribution to economic growth whilst avoiding any form of exploitation. The qualitative convenient sample comprised fifteen school dropouts and graduates from both South Africans and foreign nationals and was studied through face-to-face and telephonically informal conversations. The findings revealed that insufficient application of traditional visual arts and crafts skills in elementary education; inadequate delivery of government services to promote visual arts and crafts entrepreneurship; and the divergent perspectives in defining the concept of “civilization and freedom” impede efforts to achieve economic sustainability. The study recommended that community members should not only rely on government support services but instead utilize government grants to acquire knowledge, develop skills, and adopt subsistence lifestyles that rely on natural resources for sustainable economic growth. The government should also support the establishment of training centres where skilled individuals can impart knowledge and skills to the younger generation and monitor the efficacy of non-governmental organizations. This study not only enhances the well-being of people and communities but also offers valuable material for academic research in several fields. It strengthens comprehension of cultural, economic, and social phenomena within the framework of sustainable development.
Keywords: Visual Arts and Crafts, Economic Development, Skills Development, Rural Families
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Nonceba Cynthia Mbeshu-Mhlauli is a researcher who aspires to indigenize the teaching and learning of arts subjects. Although the South African curriculum encourages the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into the arts curriculum, its implementation remains challenging due to a number of unknown and ongoing factors. Consequently, she seeks teaching strategies that can assist her in attaining her objective. Nonceba Cynthia Mbeshu-Mhlauli holds a Master of Music Education and teaches Music, Arts and Culture at Walter Sisulu University.
Mbeshu-Mhlauli, Nonceba Cynthia.“Fostering Economic Sustainability Within Rural Families Through Visual Arts and Crafts,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.3 (2024): 236-246. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024537
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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