On Botho, a Binding Social Force Amongst the Batswana People

By: Liana Mehring

May 31, 2012

Understanding the concept of botho is the single most profound understanding I have gained from my study abroad experience in Botswana. Botho incompletely translates from Setswana into English as "respect." The concept is commonly expressed in the phrase Motho ke motho ka batho meaning "I am because you are."

As a visual introduction and explanation of this idea my friend sent me a picture. The image was of children sitting in a circle with their feet stretched out before them and touching in the center. The picture captures the essence of botho as a deep interconnectedness amongst all people. I asked my Batswana friends what botho means to them, and they described it is a value promoting harmony and respect amongst people living together. The concept defies simple explanation, but one friend distilled botho to “having a deep sense of another person’s humanity. How to demonstrate being a human being to another human being.”

As a rapidly modernizing country I am concerned about the increasing influence of Western values upon Botswana’s traditional value system and how botho is affected. Members of past and present generations voice a common concern that Botswana is currently experiencing the rise of individualism and the decline of botho. Ironically, globalization and the increased interconnectedness of the world appears to be undermining the interconnectedness of the Batswana people. Individualism is a Western export that challenges botho by replacing the “we” with the “I.” My friend explained to me that in the past botho required that you acknowledge the humanity within everyone and greet even strangers upon the street. A friend described the past as a world in which "there used to be no nobodies."

Today however my friends describe a world in which people are more inwardly than outwardly focused as well as increasingly status-conscious and individualistic. Whereas before everyone was respected for their common humanity, today greater respect is accorded to one’s individual wealth and social standing. Circles of association are being drawn in and becoming more exclusive. For example, weddings and funerals that used to be completely open to the larger community are today increasingly private affairs. My friends explained how botho calls upon people to move towards one another and discourages them from drifting apart or being alone. As Botswana incorporates individualism into its social fabric, however, many worry that botho is weakening as a binding social force amongst the Batswana people.

In addition, botho today has become more of a civic or public virtue than a personally held and lived-by value. Increasingly, botho exerts less of an influence upon daily interactions and is invoked mainly in formal situations such as when working with strangers or professionals. In the past, botho demanded mutual respect shown to everyone regardless of who they were and the context of the interaction. This universal show of respect was expressed in both words and subtle mannerisms. For example, if sitting in a group one would never have their back turned to or be facing away from another member of the group.

Older generations observe today, however, that the mannerisms of the current generation and urban populations especially are ruder and less expressive of botho. Whereas botho used to dictate the respectful terms of interaction in all social settings, today botho has become more of a formality. In light of botho’s diminishing social power, however, it is still invoked in moments of disagreement as a means of personal defense. When professional negotiations or personal interactions break down due to a lack of respect, someone who feels attacked will invoke botho as a reminder to the other person that they deserve greater consideration. Botho means we are all human and therefore deserving of respect. Invoking botho in defense of your dignity asks of the other person to bring this shared ideal back to the forefront of his or her thoughts. Botho, however, is deserving of more than just temporary revival and should be brought back to the forefront of society’s collective consciousness as well.

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