Ethnic Difference & Conflict in Burundian Schools
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ETHNIC DIFFERENCE & CONFLICT IN BURUNDIAN SCHOOLS: EXPERIENCES OF DIFFERENT STUDENT GENERATIONS by Emily Alexandra Dunlop A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright By Emily Alexandra Dunlop 2015 ETHNIC DIFFERENCE & CONFLICT IN BURUNDIAN SCHOOLS: EXPERIENCES OF DIFFERENT STUDENT GENERATIONS Master of Arts, 2015 Emily Alexandra Dunlop Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning University of Toronto Abstract Interethnic conflict in schools may be destructive, passive, and/or constructive. This case study examined how the Burundian formal education system incorporated ethnic difference and conflict into schools, throughout three time periods: the three pre-civil war Independent Republics, civil war (1993-2005), and post-civil war. It looked at education policy and planning documents from each time period and compared these documents to the remembered, lived experiences in schools, obtained from semi-structured interviews with ten Burundian immigrants currently living in Canada. Results showed that destructive conflict and passive conflict, in particular conflict avoidance, were often present in Burundian schools during the Independent Republics. The interviews suggested that the avoidance interethnic conflict in schools may have contributed to the direct violence in the 1990s. Thus, constructively engaging with interethnic difference and conflict in schools, through critical dialogue and incorporating multiple experiences, may help to build sustainable peace in the country in the future. Keywords: Burundi, conflict, peacebuilding, censorship, omission, dialogue, discussion, constructive conflict education, ethnic difference, primary schools. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis project was a truly eye-opening experience to the world of research, formal education, ethnic difference and conflict in Burundi. It was an honour to work with Dr. Kathy Bickmore as my Master’s supervisor. I am grateful for her thorough readings of every draft at every stage and constant questioning throughout the entire project. She challenged me to think beyond surface analyses, to delve deeper into the world of conflict (in) education, and to think analytically and critically about the material in ways I would never have were it not for her constant feedback and willingness to meet to discuss the material whenever possible. Dr. Bickmore’s guidance allowed me to learn and grow as a researcher, an academic, and as a person, and for that I am truly grateful. I am also grateful to my second reader, Dr. Peter Trifonas. His contributions to my understanding of curriculum development, methodological frameworks, researcher bias and hermeneutics in education were particularly important throughout this project. I thank my mother and father, Valerie and Ted Dunlop, and my sister, Maggie Dunlop, for their never-ending support and faith in my abilities. Your continued love and strength throughout my life, and in particular through this project, helped me to persevere when it felt like there was too much to write about and not enough time, and allowed me to keep writing and working when I needed inspiration. Thank you for always believing in me. Throughout this project I also had the privilege to talk with many Burundians about their experiences in schools. While interviews focused on primary schools, we often talked for significantly longer time periods, with many sharing their life stories with me. I thank each and every one of them for allowing me to share those remarkable experiences here. In informal discussions, many participants or other Burundian leaders from the Canadian- or American- Burundian communities also helped with Kirundi translations or clarified aspects of Burundian culture and history as I came across them in my research. I thank them for helping me to understand Burundian life and letting me into their world. I would also like to thank the many Burundians I met when I visited in 2010. You opened my eyes to a world that I had never experienced and allowed me into your communities, schools, and homes. You were the inspiration for this project. You will always be in my heart. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey for the past two years. I am grateful to all of you. Urakoze cyane. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... iii Maps of Burundi ........................................................................................................................... vii Map 1: Provinces of Burundi and Relative Education Resource Distribution .......................... vii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... viiviii List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... viiiviii List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... iix Notes ............................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: ETHNIC DIFFERENCE AND CONFLICT IN BURUNDI ................................... 1 Researcher Background and Purpose of the Study ..................................................................... 1 Introduction to Burundi: .............................................................................................................. 4 Ethnic Difference and Conflict in the Heart of Africa ................................................................ 4 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 6 Justification ................................................................................................................................. 7 Overview of the Thesis ............................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW - ETHNIC DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOLING – A TYPOLOGY OF APPROACHES TO INTERGROUP CONFLICT ........................................... 14 Defining Conflict and Peace in Formal Education.................................................................... 20 Defining Interethnic Conflict ................................................................................................. 20 Approaches to Peace in Education ........................................................................................ 23 Moving from Destructive Conflict to Constructive Conflict and Peace Building .................... 25 Destructive Conflict in Schools: Exacerbating Intergroup Tensions and Increasing the Likelihood of Violence between Groups ............................................................................... 26 Passive Approaches to Conflict: Omission, Tolerance and Conflict Avoidance in Education ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Constructive Conflict in Education: Building Peace through Conflict and Dialogue ........... 32 Towards a Conceptual Framework for Approaches to Conflict in Schools .......................... 37 Conclusion: Working with and through Conflict in Burundian Schools .................................. 39 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY – THE INTERSECTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES AND EDUCATIONAL POLICIES .................................................................. 42 My Role as a Researcher: Considerations, Assumptions and Biases ........................................ 43 Justification of Methodology .................................................................................................... 46 Burundi as a Case: Initial Considerations in Selecting Burundi Education and Research Design ................................................................................................................................................... 47 Data Collection .......................................................................................................................... 48 Education Policy and Curriculum Documents ...................................................................... 48 Participant Interviews ............................................................................................................ 50 Overview of Recruitment Procedures, Selection Criteria and Participants ........................... 53 iv Research Journal .................................................................................................................... 62 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 63 Validation .................................................................................................................................. 66 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 67 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................