Cultural values are often used to categorise groups, e.g. individualism versus collectivism. Often when cultural values are measured, etic scales are used without giving attention to cultural value nuances, e.g. different types of collectivism. An example of a nuanced cultural value is found in the interpretation of ubuntu as a context-specific presentation of collectivism in South Africa. In this article, which may be viewed as an instance of experimental philosophy, the concept of ubuntu will be introduced based on the work (...) of the philosopher Thaddeus Metz by focusing on the distinct aspects of harmonious relationships of identity and solidarity. The theoretical basis was used to develop and validate the Metzian Ubuntu Inventory (MUI) with a sample of 316 respondents. This scale consists of nine items, and has reliability and validity in the South African context. In the conclusion, possible applications of the MUI are suggested. (shrink)

Cross-cultural conflict is often rooted in variation between values from different cultures, for example, differences in time orientation. Usually, individuals are monochronic or polychronic regarding time orientation. In South Africa, the term African time represents a nuanced polychronic time orientation. As this term is often used pejoratively, it is cardinal to break down stigmatization and create cultural awareness regarding this unique time orientation. In this paper, we argue that people must be cognizant of particular time orientations to facilitate intercultural dialogue (...) better and lessen conflict. With this in mind, we employed empirically-engaged African philosophy and developed the African Time Inventory (ATI). We theoretically introduce African time as a unique time orientation during the scale development process. The psychometric properties of the ATI are presented and proved to be reliable and valid in South Africa. In praxis, utilizing the ATI can facilitate decolonization resulting from some needed cultural awareness for dialogue and conflict mitigation. (shrink)