Title: What Influence Does Artistic Works Really Make on Secondary School Students’ Morality? A Reflection on the New Generation Music, Films and Theatrics in Tanzania

Authors: Noel Julius Ntawigaya¹ and Maulana Ayoub Ali²

 1. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Teofilo Kisanji University, P.O. Box 1104, Mbeya, United Republic of Tanzania.

 2. Faculty of Law, The Open University of Tanzania, P. O. Box 2803, Mbeya, United Republic of Tanzania.

Correspondence: noeljulius9@gmail.com and maulana.ayoub@out.ac.tz

Abstract

This article aims at examining the issue of moral decay among secondary school students in contemporary Tanzanian society with a reflection on the resurgence of new generation music popularly known as Bongo flava alongside the new films and theatrics popularly known as movies. The article discusses the historical background of music and video/films show (movies) in Tanzania in order to reveal the former aim of music and other artistic works and how they have wrongly been interpreted basing on domestic legal and societal interpretations. Moreover, the article examines the extent to which the new generation music and video (movies) have affected the young generation in Tanzania. Through reviewing the related literature as desktop study method, the article argues that this kind of entertainment, though important, has greatly affected the discipline of the youth-students leading them to engaging into various unethical behaviours. The article suggests for the need to curb the devastating situation through reinforcing the existing arts’ regulations/policies and perhaps formulating new policies and regulations to guide the music, films and theatrical works in the observance of ethics.

Keywords: Bongo flava; Ethics, Film/Video (Movies); Morality; Moral decay; Music; Theatrics Graduates; Labour market; Educational curricular; Soft skills