Ingrid Aspelund Recognition of indigenous knowledges and identity construction in public primary education in Wayanad Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Multicultural and International Education (MIE) Spring 2014 Master in Multicultural and International Education Faculty of Education Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences Abstract This thesis explores the recognition of indigenous knowledges in primary education in the Wayanad district in South India. India has made substantial progress in terms of providing free, compulsory education for all children, and in official rhetoric education is no longer a privilege for the wealthy minority, but should be accessible to everyone. Yet, inequality prevails. Even in the South Indian state of Kerala which is well-known for it's achievements in social development. As the nation has experiences rapid economic growth, the tribal population – adivasis – of India is still a politically, economic and socially marginalized minority. In Kerala they constitute the most marginalized part of the population, with low levels of educational attainment, employment and health. In 2007 the Kerala Curriculum Framwork 2007 was launched. The curriculum is based on critical pedagogy, rejecting the historically elitist education system inherited from colonial times, and explicitly encourages educational reforms in terms of addressing low educational attainment among girls, children from marginalized communities, and children with special needs. Based on an analysis of the objectives in the KCF 2007, compared with the statements of teachers and professionals in Wayanad, this thesis explores the recognition of knowledges, culture and languages of indigenous peoples in public primary education in Kerala. Moreover, it includes a discussion of the connections between education and identity construction in marginalized communities. Within the conceptual framework of modernity and tradition this thesis explores tensions between Western scientific knowledges and indigenous knowledges in India, and more specifically, how these tensions are played out within the educational sphere of public primary education in the Wayanad district. The discussion of the recognition of indigenous knowledges in education is further connected to the possibility of indigenous knowledges to represent an alternative to an unsustainable, exploitative approach to the world's natural resources. As India continue to grow as an economic superpower the possibility of a sustainable development seems to be quite pertinent. This is further connected to the broader subject of education as an arena for social change. I Acknowledgements Mahatma Gandhi said about education: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”1 Throughout the process of writing this thesis it has certainly been important to remind myself of the privilege it is to learn and have the opportunity to dig deep into an exciting field of interest. At the same time it has been equally necessary to remind myself that there is an end to everything. I would like to thank my friends and family for supporting me throughout this process. I would especially like to thank my friends and fellow students at the Oslo and Akershus University College. Thank you for your friendship and support, both within the walls of Pilestredet 52, but also in the «real» world. I already miss our coffee breaks and hangouts in the kitchen of the master room – sometimes complaining, but mostly laughing. I cannot imagine having done this without you. I want to give a special thanks to my supervisor Anders Breidlid, who throughout this process has given me invaluable feedback, insights and inspiration, both in seminars and supervisions. I also want to thank all the people that made my fieldwork in India possible. Berith Helene Vandsemb, who was my supervisor the first time I went to India with Development Studies and whose passion for India was quite infectious. Thank you for helping me getting in touch with people in Wayanad, in addition to essential practical information about traveling in South India during the monsoon season. Moreover, I want to thank my main informant and translator in Wayanad, who has such extensive knowledge about the area, in addition to be in the possession of a large social network, and was absolutely invaluable to my research. I also want to thank my friends in Kozhikode; the always helpful staff at CREST, the girls who took such good care of me at the hostel, and my friends from previous visits who make me come back to Kerala over and over again. Last, but not least, I want to thank my good friend and travel buddy, Ingeborg. I cannot imagine having done my fieldwork without your support, ever optimistic attitude and adventurousness. 1 Gandhi saying no. 2 in Alli, I. (2013): See references. II Table of Contents Abstract...........................................................................................................................I Acknowledgements....................................................................................................II Abbrivations................................................................................................................V Map of Wayanad ....................................................................................................VII 1. 0 Introduction .........................................................................................................1 1. 1 Rationale.................................................................................................................1 1. 1. 2 Research questions.........................................................................................3 1. 2 Overview of thesis..................................................................................................4 2. 0 Context...................................................................................................................6 2. 1 The adivasis in India...............................................................................................6 2. 1. 1 Position in society...........................................................................................7 2. 2 Adivasis as indigenous peoples..............................................................................9 2. 3 Kerala....................................................................................................................11 2. 3. 1 Wayanad........................................................................................................12 2. 3. 2 Adivasis and land..........................................................................................13 2. 3. 3 A shared identity...........................................................................................15 2. 5 Education in India.................................................................................................16 2. 5. 1 Education in Kerala and Wayanad................................................................18 2. 6 Development in adivasi communities in Wayanad...............................................19 3. 0 Methodology.......................................................................................................21 3. 1 Qualitative ethnographic research .......................................................................21 3. 2. 1 Critical Qualitative Research .......................................................................23 3. 2. 2 Research and social change..........................................................................25 3. 3 Qualitative interviews...........................................................................................26 3. 4 Sampling...............................................................................................................27 3. 4. 2 Research sites...............................................................................................29 3. 5 Cross-cultural challenges......................................................................................31 3. 5. 1 Losses and gains in translation.....................................................................32 3. 5. 2 Taking notes..................................................................................................35 3. 5. 3 Observation...................................................................................................36 III 3. 6 Analysis of data....................................................................................................37 3. 6. 1 Documentary analysis...................................................................................37 3. 7 Trustworthiness ....................................................................................................38 3. 8 Ethics....................................................................................................................40 3. 9 Final remarks on methodology.............................................................................42 4. 0 Theoretical and conceptual framework....................................................43 4. 1 Modernity and tradition........................................................................................43 4. 1. 1 Modernization and development..................................................................44 4. 1. 2 Science ........................................................................................................45 4. 2 Indigenous