Gratitude in childhood: ethnotheories from the Turkana of Kenya and Amhara of Ethiopia

Gratitude, one virtue that reflects a person's high moral standards, is a culturally sensitive construct expressed differently across cultural contexts. Definitions and perceptions of gratitude among children may differ from one community to another and from one region of the world to another. This study used a phenomenological design, coupled with the Indigenous standpoint theoretical framework and related participatory methodologies, to understand the virtue of gratitude among children. Conducting a qualitative survey, the authors utilized focus group discussions and key informant interviews to investigate how adolescents and adults from the pastoralist Turkana of northern Kenya and the Amhara of central Ethiopia defined and perceived gratitude in children aged 4–8 years. The authors analyzed the data thematically. The findings indicate that gratitude is defined variously as an innate capacity, an action, an expression of other virtues, and a feeling used to commune with both humans and the spirit world. Thus, gratitude reflects appreciation, thankfulness, and a positive response to acts of generosity or opportunities provided. Participants noted that gratitude manifested in children through their emotional dispositions, social interactions and relationships with others; their moral values; their actions and behaviors; and other positive character virtues. The most frequent recurring theme was defining gratitude as a relational skill used with both people and the spiritual world. These findings have implications for programs that support children developing positive virtues: they should be rooted in local cultural traditions and stress values prioritized by local communities.