The Study of the Tumbuka People of Zambia)
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University of Huddersfield Repository Mushibwe, Christine P. What are the Effects of Cultural Traditions on the Education of women? (The Study of the Tumbuka People of Zambia) Original Citation Mushibwe, Christine P. (2009) What are the Effects of Cultural Traditions on the Education of women? (The Study of the Tumbuka People of Zambia). Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9090/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ What are the Effects of Cultural Traditions on the Education of women? (The Study of the Tumbuka People of Zambia) CHRISTINE P. MUSHIBWE The University of Huddersfield School of Education and Professional Development A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD IN PART FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY June 2009 Dedication To my husband and my friend I owe it all to you To my lovely children Mwelwa, Kangwa, Muyeko and Sankhuleni This far my effort has come to inspire you to greater heights in your academic endeavours. Soar higher my children and never allow anyone to bring you down. The power to achieve greater heights lies in you! You can do it! To my daddy You have been my inspiration To God Be The Glory! Psalm 28:7….. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song! Abstract This study is an investigation of how cultural traditions can militate against the education of women in Zambia with a focus on the Tumbuka tribe. Ethnographic methods were employed over a period of three months in a village in the Eastern Province of the country. Data were collected through participant observation, focus group and in-depth interviews, narratives, and documents. A total of 47 participants comprised the sample. This research cuts through multidisciplinary fields such as social sciences, education and anthropology. Through thematic analysis data were analysed. Evidence in this research demonstrates that patrilineal groupings are strongholds of the patriarchal predisposition and that patriarchal attitudes and cultural traditions do not recognize women as equal partners with men. The Tumbuka women‟s experiences and beliefs reflect socio-cultural traditional norms that tend to limit gender equality, and compel women to accept and justify male domination at the expense of their own status and to regard consequent inequalities as normal. Evidence demonstrates that the initiation rites, an active institution for girls of pubescent age, interfere more with the school-based education of girls. The women are active social agents as well as passive learners who will not allow the girls they are coaching to question the reason or purpose for some traditional practices that are oppressive and directly cause them to fail to complete their schooling successfully. The strong hold that the cultural traditions has on the locals has further resulted in conflicts with modern schooling, which is viewed as disseminating „white‟ man‟s culture and values. Established in this research is the fear and suspicion that the locals have on the outcome of their children learning these values that they see as alien to their own. The modern education provided in school is perceived as a force that undermines cultural values. It is viewed as presenting an inherent challenge to the cultural traditional control measures that are in place. Arguably, while ethnic traditions should be respected and sustained because they define one‟s identity, aspects of culture which are discriminatory, restrictive and tend to devalue women‟s physical, emotional and psychological development should be eliminated because they are retrogressive. Therefore the argument that deep seated socio-cultural traditions play a significant role in encumbering female education is proven. 1 Contents Abstract ................................................................................................ 1 Acronyms ............................................................................................. 5 List of Appendices ............................................................................... 7 Acknowledgement ............................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 1 ........................................................................................ 10 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 10 1. 0 Introduction ....................................................................................... 10 1. 1 Inspiration for the Research ............................................................... 10 1. 2 The Tumbuka Tribe ........................................................................... 14 1. 3 Defining the Concepts ....................................................................... 21 1. 4 The Structure of this Study ................................................................ 24 CHAPTER 2 ........................................................................................ 27 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................. 27 2. 0 Introduction ....................................................................................... 27 2. 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................... 29 2. 2 Research Objectives and Methodology .............................................. 52 2. 3. The Global Context of Educating a Woman ....................................... 54 2. 4. Conclusion ........................................................................................ 60 CHAPTER 3 ........................................................................................ 62 THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE AND SOME RELEVANT FEMINIST CONCEPTS ...................................................................................................... 62 3. 0. Introduction ....................................................................................... 62 3. 1. The Concept of Feminism .................................................................. 63 3. 2. Western Feminisms vs. African Feminisms ....................................... 65 3. 3. Choice of Theory ............................................................................... 71 3. 4. Theories of Gender Inequalities ......................................................... 73 3. 5. Human Capital Theory (HCT) ........................................................... 92 3. 6. Women‟s Movements ........................................................................ 95 3. 7. Conclusion ........................................................................................ 97 CHAPTER 4 ...................................................................................... 101 THE ZAMBIAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS .................................................. 101 4. 0. Introduction ..................................................................................... 101 4. 1. Review Of Previous Research Publications ...................................... 104 4. 2. The Origins Of Traditional Teachings In Zambia ............................. 112 4. 3. Implications Of The Cultural Traditions .......................................... 115 4. 4. The Tumbuka Initiation Rite (The Uzamba Ceremony).................... 138 4. 5. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 145 CHAPTER 5 ...................................................................................... 148 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 148 5. 0. Introduction ..................................................................................... 148 5. 1. Working With The Research Assistant............................................. 150 5. 2. Researcher Positionality as a Field Worker ...................................... 151 5. 3. Ethnography .................................................................................... 154 5. 4. The Pilot Stage ................................................................................ 158 5. 5. Procedures ....................................................................................... 159 5. 6. The Research Population ................................................................. 176 5. 7. The Ethical Obligation ..................................................................... 177 2 5. 8. Reliability and Validity .................................................................... 180 5. 9. Analysis of Collected Data .............................................................