Ohiou1103142410.Pdf (1.24
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE SCHOOLING EXPERIENCES OF FULANI MUSLIM GIRLS IN THE FOUTA DJALLON REGION OF GUINEA: FORCES INFLUENCING THEIR RETENTION IN A RURAL SECONDARY SCHOOL OF DALABA A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Aissatou MBambé Baldé August 2004 This dissertation entitled THE SCHOOLING EXPERIENCES OF FULANI MUSLIM GIRLS IN THE FOUTA DJALLON REGION OF GUINEA: FORCES INFLUENCING THEIR RETENTION IN A RURAL SECONDARY SCHOOL OF DALABA BY AISSATOU M. BALDÉ has been approved for the Department of Educational Studies and the College of Education by W. Stephen Howard Professor of Telecommunication James Heap Dean, College of Education Abstract BALDE, AISSATOU M. Ph.D. August 2004. Cultural Studies The Schooling Experiences Of Fulani Muslim Girls In The Fouta Djallon Region Of Guinea: Forces Influencing Their Retention In A Rural Secondary School Of Dalaba (240pp.) Director of Dissertation: W. Stephen Howard The evidence that people have access to education is that they take part in educational programs (Sutton, 1995). Equality of access to schooling is measured by participation rates for both men and women. In most of the sub-Saharan African countries schools are open to all, however, girls in their large majority, continue to be out of school (Commission on the Status of Women, 1995; UNESCO, 2002; World Bank 2000). Researchers have identified barriers to girls’ education in the sub-Saharan African region and categorized them into economic, socio-cultural, and school factors. The literature on the factors influencing Muslim girls’ education at the secondary level is however scarce. This study seeks to contribute ethnography of the forces behind the lack of retention of Fulani Muslim girls in a secondary school of Dalaba, Guinea. A qualitative method of inquiry was utilized to gather the data. The data was collected in Dalaba, Guinea, over three months period. Eight Fulani Muslim girls and women took part in this study as well as their parents and some educational leaders. The hirde, a Fulani socio-cultural context, was a central instrument in the data collection process. Other data collection strategies included open-ended interviews, observations and review of policy documents. The findings of the study suggest that dissemination and implementation of gender sensitive policies; the tradition, or finna tawaa; poverty; and school related factors were found impeding Muslim Fulani girls’ education in Dalaba. The ideology around curing and blessing helps the perpetuation of a social status quo that is oppressive to girls and women. The dichotomy between the informal socialization process and the formal education system and the practices of cultural norms in the school were central to informants abandoning their schooling. The language problem in school, administrators and teachers authoritarian attitudes, the lack of transparency and accountability in student grading system, and the disconnect between the school and the community are major issues that continue to hold back the potential of Muslim Fulani girl students. This study provided a context for informants’ voices to be heard in educational discourses that very often deny them a voice and take place in contexts where informants do not have access. Approved W. Stephen Howard Professor of Telecommunication This dissertation is dedicated to Nèene and Papa, my sisters, our children, the late Hadja Adama Hawa Diallo of Mali Yimbering, and to all my Karamokos. Acknowledgements I would like to thank many people for guiding me and assisting me to this point of my studies and life. I am indebted to Dr. Stephen Howard for not only providing me with financial support to undertake this research, but also offering me guidance and continual encouragement. I am also very grateful to the other members of my dissertation committee. Dr. Diane Ciekawy, thanks for listening to me and providing me with continuous feedback. Dr. Najee Muhammad, thank for being my brother. Dr. Rosalie Romano, thanks for believing in me. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to my employer the Guinean Ministry of pre-University Education and Ohio University College of Education Research Funds for their contribution in helping me earn this degree. I am also grateful to my parents and the families of the Baldé of Koin, Soumah, Diallo, Doumbouya, Ann, and Diop who offered much support and advice during my studies far at Ohio University. They sent many letters and said many prayers on behalf of their daughter, sister, cousin, mother, and aunt. I am forever thankful to the Lawrence family, especially Mrs. Leslie Lawrence. She has been an incredible source of inspiration and motivation. Her love, understanding, and emotional support have been an essential element in my accomplishments. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Youssouf Diallo and my other Ohio University friends, sisters, and brothers: Holly McCarthy, Denise Hughes, Patrick Miller, Gerard Akindes, and Dr. Ratana Daungkaew for their academic support and prayers. May God Bless you! 7 Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 11 List of Figures................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER ONE Introduction ......................................................................................... 12 Background of the Study .............................................................................................. 13 Significance of the Study.............................................................................................. 22 Statement of the Problem.............................................................................................. 23 Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………24 Delimitation and Limitations........................................................................................ 24 Definitions of Operational Terms................................................................................. 25 Organization of the Study............................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER TWO Review of the Literature...................................................................... 27 Introduction................................................................................................................... 27 Educational Policies...................................................................................................... 27 Girls’ Educational Policies during the Pre-Colonial Era .......................................... 28 Girls’ Educational Policies during the Colonial Era................................................. 34 Girls’ Educational Policies in the Post - Colonial Era.............................................. 41 The problematic of current educational policies....................................................... 42 Conclusions................................................................................................................... 76 Summary....................................................................................................................... 77 CHAPTER THREE Methodology................................................................................... 79 Introduction................................................................................................................... 79 8 Research Methods......................................................................................................... 80 Theoretical Framework................................................................................................. 82 The Human Capability Approach ............................................................................. 82 The Theory of the Sociology of Possibilities [Sociologie des Possibilities] ............ 83 Feminist Theory and Post-Colonial Feminism ......................................................... 84 Critical Theory Approach and Education ................................................................. 86 Humanist Theory ...................................................................................................... 88 Theories of Resistance .............................................................................................. 89 Research Site................................................................................................................. 90 Overview of the Context of Data Collection ............................................................ 91 Reasons for Choice ………………………………………………………………...94 The Research and the Researcher ................................................................................. 95 Strategies and Techniques for Data Collection............................................................. 96 Observations ............................................................................................................. 97 Review of Documents, Records and Artifacts.......................................................... 98 Interviews …………………………………………………………………………..99 Hirde as a Strategy for Data Collection .................................................................. 102 Data Analysis.............................................................................................................