The interplay between character and theme in folktales that concern parenting: a case study of selected Luganda folktales

Abstract

The focus of this study was to explore various folktales in Buganda and discuss the interplay between character and theme in these folktales that concern parenting. The Study reviewed past research on folktales and how they depict themes on parenting. The researcher carried out interviews and focus group discussions with various respondents in Buganda, central region. The object of the study was to collect Luganda folktales and analyze the role played by African Oral Tradition in Promoting Proper Child Upbringing in the Community through good parenting practices portrayed through characters in the folktales. The Study considers folktales as a tool for shaping moral values in the young generation. Each folktale has something to say about a society: its beliefs, its customs and accepted norms. The folktales depict certain characters and themes that seeks to safeguard a society's outlooks and interests thus establishing a secure identity which can be cherished for as long as possible, in the face of the vicissitudes of history.