How the Formal Education System in Kenya Is Changing the Culture of the Maasai Community
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Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 2008 How the Formal Education System in Kenya is Changing the Culture of the Maasai Community Jennifer Coles Wilfrid Laurier University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Human Geography Commons Recommended Citation Coles, Jennifer, "How the Formal Education System in Kenya is Changing the Culture of the Maasai Community" (2008). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 862. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/862 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. •*• Canada How the Formal Education System in Kenya is Changing the Culture of the Maasai Community By: Jennifer Coles Geography and History, Queen's University, 2005 Thesis Submitted to the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Wilfrid Laurier University 2008 © Jennifer Coles 2008 1 Abstract Colonialism brought Africa into the sphere of European dominance and laid the ground work for the adoption of neoliberal globalization. This has affected change for the Maasai of southern Kenya who had attempted to remain isolated for much of the 19* and 20th centuries. However, such cultural isolation has been disrupted by global tourism and the desire of western citizens to view and participate in 'authentic' experiences in unique Maasai environments; thus creating a global desire to visit the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR). The MMNR is part of Maasailand and has exposed many in the surrounding communities to new western ideas and ideals. This exposure, along side the increasing role of supranational organizations such as the United Nations, has created a desire and demand within the Maasai community to participate in education, which in turn has taught some of the Maasai how to become 'good western' citizens. Other supranational organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have created contradictions in the development process by limiting the amount spent on formal education. This means that students in rural schools, such as the Maasai, are forced to endure a lower quality of education, which does not provide the tools needed to engage in the modern economy. Maasai children are attending school at higher rates than ever before; forcing change in their community and culture. These include changes in appearance, housing materials, diet, attitudes and more. Since the Maasai culture is not compatible with the formal education system of Kenya, and the education system does not have any leniency to deal with this conflict; children are being forced at a young age to choose between formal and traditional learning. Using a conceptual framework of globalization, these ii changes are further understood by the use of Pierre Bourdieu's work on social capital. The main purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate how the Maasai community is adapting to these changes in an effort to give its youth a strong foundation of modern education supplemented by the strength of its cultural traditions. iii Acknowledgements There are three people who helped me through this process of researching and forming ideas that need to be acknowledged first and foremost. First, to my two supervisors Dr. Margaret Walton-Roberts and Dr. Judy Bates. These two women have showed patience and understanding as they guided me through the entire process from initial thought to the work that is before you. Margaret and Judy are indispensable assets, and without them many of the ideas in this thesis would have never surfaced. They had the ability to pose questions that challenged me to think more deeply and pushed me until I realized my goal. Thank you Judy and Margaret, your countless hours of reading and guiding me through this process have helped me beyond words. The third person that I would like to thank is Meitamei Ole Dapash. Meitamei organized my trip and introduced me to very influential, as well as interesting, people. His knowledge and understanding as a Maasai community member as well as a professor, helped me overcome many obstacles I encountered in the field. Meitamei's participation in this research process has provided me access to community members and government officials that I could not imagine possible. He introduced me to my field assistants and believed in my work. So thank you Meitamei, Margaret and Judy, without your help this would be a much inferior work. I must also thank my two field assistants. Your help and understanding is greatly appreciated. You were able to explain cultural differences and help me work through conflicting ideas. Your patience, humility and humour throughout our time together will always be fondly remembered. Thank you for making me feel welcome in a country that is not my own. IV To my family and friends, especially my parents, Jill and Richard, and my partner Luke, my heartfelt thanks. Your encouragement and support gave me the strength and courage to fulfill my dream of researching and travelling to Kenya again. This thesis is dedicated to my parents, for their continued support throughout my educational career, who showed me how to set goals and achieve them and who always believed in me. Thank you. And to Luke, for his unconditional support and patience; you have helped me more than you will ever know. You listened to me, you were a sounding board for ideas and calmed me down more times than I can remember. Thank you for being part of this journey, it meant the world to me. I would like to extend a special thank you to my mom and sister-in-law, Heidi, who volunteered to read my thesis when I could no longer find mistakes in the countless drafts I had written. Thank you for your help, I truly appreciate it. To my sister and brother who helped me in their own way and whose support, love and guidance helped me realize my goal. To all of my friends, you all were very supportive and excited for me every step of the way. You know who you are and your friendship is what keeps me going. Thank you to the Hunter family, your support and encouragement has meant everything to me. Finally I would like to extend a very warm thank you to all in the Maasai community who gave up their time to speak with me. Their welcoming spirit and patience and candour during interviews allowed me to understand the issues involved in education for the Maasai community. To Sekenya, Daniel and James, who helped me navigate Nairobi and begin to understand the complexity of my research. And to all of the other Maasai, thank you. I hope I have represented you well. V Table of Contents Abstract i Acknowledgements iii List of Tables vii List of Figures viii 1. Introduction 1 2. The History of Neoliberalism and related changes in the Field of Power 8 I. Introduction 8 II. The History of Neoliberalism 8 III. The Neoliberal State 10 i. Theoretical Approach 10 ii. The Practice of Neoliberalism 11 IV. Neoliberalism of Today 12 V. Change in the Field of Power: how neoliberalism relates to the Maasai Community 13 3. Background 19 I. Introduction 19 II. History 19 III. Culture, Lifestyle and the Political System 21 IV. Environmental Concerns and Land Privatization 29 V. Economic Overview 31 VI. Education in Kenya 32 4. Methodology 43 I. Introduction 43 II. The Researcher 43 III. Study Site: Narok District and the area surrounding the Maasai Mara National Reserve 44 IV. Participants 49 V. Interview Sessions and Focus Groups 53 VI. Procedure 54 VII. Data Analysis 58 5. Marginalization and School Enrolment for the Maasai Community 59 I.