The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects 2014 Participatory Perspectives: A Photovoice Narrative Study of Zambian Vulnerable Youth Lori K. Imasiku University of San Francisco, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, and the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons Recommended Citation Imasiku, Lori K., "Participatory Perspectives: A Photovoice Narrative Study of Zambian Vulnerable Youth" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations. 92. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/92 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of San Francisco PARTICIPATORY PERSPECTIVES: A PHOTOVOICE NARRATIVE STUDY OF ZAMBIAN VULNERABLE YOUTH A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education International and Multicultural Education Department In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Lori Imasiku San Francisco, California May 2014 THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Dissertation Abstract Participatory Perspectives: A Photovoice Narrative Study of Zambian Vulnerable Youth Educating a child is the responsibility of the whole village. -African Proverb The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals aim to meet the needs of the world’s poorest people by 2015 through universally agreed upon targets. Goal number two aims to provide universal primary education and states that “by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling” (United Nations, 2010). Zambia, located in Sub-Saharan Africa, in an effort to increase school access and attendance, developed the Free Basic Education Plan which eliminated school tuition up to grade 7 and allowed for a large number of children to enroll in school. While this effort did result in large increases in school enrollment, free tuition did not automatically mean that every child would be given the opportunity to attain an education. This study examined the youth’s access to and quality of education in the impoverished compound of Kalingalinga, located in the heart of Zambia’s capital city of Lusaka. Seven youth were selected from the compound, all of whom were either facing extreme poverty or were orphans. Through a participatory research model, the youth were given an opportunity to share their educational journeys, accounting both for the hardships and the successes, through their oral narratives and Photovoice. The impact of various social and economic condition has had on youth and their education was also ii examined as well as issues that the youth themselves found important to the success of the educational system in Zambia. With little research available about this population, the goal of this research was not only to add to the body of research available, but to allow the youth’s voices to be heard, as they are the only ones who truly know what it is like to pursue an education amidst the current socio-economic struggles in this region. iii This dissertation written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. _____ Lori Imasiku __________ 04/24/14___ Candidate Date Dissertation Committee ____Dr. Betty Taylor _____________ __04/24/14 ___ Chairperson ____Dr. Shabnam Koriala-Azad_____ __04/24/14___ ____Dr. Patricia Mitchell __________ __04/24/14 ___ iv DEDICATION To Mr. Nkhoma and Mrs. Chikwanda for your sacrifices to ensure a better future for Zambia’s youth To the youth at Grace School. May you continue to follow your dreams. Thank you for opening up your lives to me. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS God has truly blessed me with amazing people who have supported me through this journey. First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Nkhoma and Mrs. Chikwanda for opening up their school to this research. I have truly been inspired by all that you do for the children at your school. Your role goes far above that of a teacher. You have shown so much dedication and perseverance and I felt blessed to see how you were changing the lives of so many young people. I also want to thank the youth at Grace School for being so willing to share their stories. The string desire for education that I found in each and every one of you was incredible. Dzikomo kwa mbili. Muzankala mu mutima wanga lyonse (Thank you. You will forever be in my heart). Thank you to all the dedicated faculty and staff in the School of Education at USF. My life was greatly enriched by the classes and all the knowledge that each faculty so beautifully shared. Thank you to Dr. Fuentes who advised me for the first part of my doctoral journey and taught me to critically examine everything around me. Thank you to Dr. Koirala-Azad for being on my dissertation committee and for providing me with an immeasurable amount of support and knowledge over the past four years. Thank you to Dr. Mitchell who agreed to be on my dissertation committee and has helped me become a better writer. Most of all, thank you to my amazing chair, Dr. Taylor. I have been blessed by your classes with such varying content, you opening meditations at the start of each class, and you constant personal support. vi I want to thank my mentor Dr. Aptekar who first introduced me to Zambia. Thank you for “taking me under you wing” and opening the world up to me. Without your passion for street children and counseling I would not be where I am today. Thank you for encouraging me to continue my education and for your sincere friendship. To my parents, sister, extended family and friends: Thank you! How one person could ever be so blessed to have such a great support system I will never know. Mom, Dad, and Azul, you have been my biggest cheerleaders in life. Thank you for supporting my dreams. Thank you for supporting me when I said I wanted to go to Zambia every summer for months at a time. Thank you for your continued support as I move forward. To the B’s, thank you for your support too! I appreciate the celebrations and I treasure the memories of our travels. To Rajul and Lorezo…the three amigos forever! Above all, I want to thank my wonderful husband Danny. What a treasure God gave me when he brought you into my life. Thank you for moving from your home in Zambia so that I could pursue my dream of a doctorate. Thank you for taking me back to Zambia and helping me immensely with this research project. Thank you for being my motivator and for having patience with me when I was so consumed in school. Thank you for helping me to grow in my faith even when I felt I could not move forward. I have been in school throughout our entire relationship…I am happy to say I am out, and I am all yours! I love you always vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ………………………………………………...…………... ii SIGNATURE PAGE ………………………………………………………. iv DEDICATION …………………………………………………..………... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………...…….. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………..… viii LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………..…. xi LIST OF FIGURES ………………………………….……………..……... xii CHAPTER I: THE RESEARCH PROBLEM Introduction to the Problem ……………………………………….……..... 1 Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………….. 4 Background and Need for the Study……………………...………………… 11 Purpose of the Study ………………………….………………..………….. 16 Research Questions ……………………………………………………….. 17 Theoretical Rationale ………………………………………………...……. 18 Educational Significance …………………………………………………... 21 Positioning of the Researcher ………………………………...…………… 22 Limitations and Delimitations ……………………………………………... 26 Definition of Terms ………………………………………………………... 28 Summary …………………………………………………………………… 29 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction ………………………………………………………………... 31 Historical Background of Education in Zambia …………...……………… 31 Pre-Independence Education ……………...…...…………………… 32 Post-Independence Education ……………...……………………….. 36 Current Issues in Education …………...……………………………. 42 Socio-Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS ………...………………………….. 51 Social Stigmas and Orphan Identity ………...……………………… 56 Impact of Stigma on Education ……………………………………... 59 The Link between HIV/AIDS and Poverty ...……………………….. 60 viii United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals ………………...………. 67 Sub-Saharan Africa’s Challenge …………...……………………….. 71 Zambia’s Response to UN’s Millennium Goals ………...………….. 73 Critical Development Theory …...………………………………………… 75 Critical Education Theory …………………………………………………. 77 Documentary Photography and Photovoice …………………….…………. 80 Narrative Research ………...………………………………………………. 83 Conclusion ……………...…………………………………………………. 87 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY Introduction ……………………………..……...………………………… 91 Description of Methodologies ……………...…………………..………... 92 Photovoice ……………………………..………………………….. 93 Narrative Research ………………………….……..……………… 95 Research Setting ………………….…...……….…………………………