Author

  • David Hallberg

    • Stockholm University, Kista, Sweden
    • Sweden

Abstract

This study takes account of the everyday-life experience of a group of women in a resource-poor environment in Kenya. They are part of a group that the Kenyan Government wants to include in their investments in order to enhance social and economic equality. The overall purpose of the study is to learn about the potential impact of such investments on women in resource-poor environments in Kenya. In fulfilling its purpose the study takes into consideration (1) experiences of everyday-life among women in Lunga-Lunga and (2) maps strategies to recognise these experiences. The results of the study are expected to be fruitful as regards planning strategies that are of use for Vision 2030 and the development of Kenyan society. The study was carried out in two steps: the first consisted in participatory action research and the second was a follow-up study. To guide the study the notion of ‘experience’ is critical. During sessions and in letters to their pen-pals, the women express feelings regarding cultural, family, and health issues. For instance, some of the feelings experienced have arisen because the women are isolated from the larger world outside their own immediate environment and lack literacy skills. The study will be useful in planning governmental actions that strive to better recognise and educate citizens–especially women–in resource-poor environments.

Keywords

References

  • Basham, C. (1999). Marking one's place: expressions of identity in Athabaskan student writing. Language Sciences, 21 (3), 355-369.
  • Brady, A. A. (1999). Tinkering with Technological Skill: An Examination of the Gendered Uses of Technologies. Computers and Composition, 16 (1), 7-23.
  • Brammer, J. (2006). A phenomenographic study of registered nurses’ understanding of their role in student learning – An Australian perspective. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 43 (8), 963-973.
  • Byrd, D. (2010). Framing, reflecting on and attending to a rationale of teaching of writing in the second language classroom via journaling: A case study. System, 38 (2), 200-210.
  • Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). (L. Cohen, L. Manion, & K. Morrison, Eds.) London: Routledge.
  • Dlodlo, N. (2009). Access to ICT education for girls and women in rural South Africa: a case study. Technology in Society, 31 (2), 1-12.
  • Field, J. (2000). Lifelong learning and the new educational order . Trentham: Trentham Books Limited.
  • Fontelles, J. & Enestam, J. E. (2006). Recommendation of the european parliment and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning. Official Journal of the European Union, 394/10 (394), 10-18.
  • Green, P. & Hecht, K. (1985). Native and non-native evaluation of learners’s errors in written discourse. System, 13 (2), 77-97.
  • Hafkin, N. (2003). Gender Issues in ICT Policy in Developing Countries: An Overview. APWIN, 5 , 32-63.
  • Hallberg, D. (2011). The Kenyan Digital Villages Project from a Behavioural Perspective. International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions , 2011 (71-76). Colombo: University of Colombo School of Computing.
  • Hrastinski, S. (2009). A theory of online learning as online participation. Computers & Education, 52 (1), 75-82.
  • Kaipayil, J. (2002). Critical Ontology: An Introductory Essay. Bangalore: Jeevalaya Institute of Philosophy.
  • Kaipayil, J. (2003). Human as Relational: A Study in Critical Ontology. Bangalore: Jeevalaya Institute of Philosophy.
  • Kenya ICT Board. (2010). About Kenya ICT Board. (Kenya ICT Board,) Retrieved November 20, 2010, from http://www.ict.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160&Itemid=182.
  • Kenya ICT Board. (2011). The Digital Villages Project. Retrieved March 1, 2011, from Kenya ICT Board: www.ict.go.ke/index.php/sport/pasha/football
  • Kenyan Government, T. (2007). Kenya Vision 2030. The popular version . The Kenyan Government.
  • Levy, R. I. & Hollan, D. (2000). Person-Centered Interviewing and Observation. In B. Russell, Handbook of methods in cultural anthropology . Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.
  • Mahfouz, S. (2010). A Study of Jordanian University Students’ Perceptions of Using Email Exchanges with Native English Keypals for Improving Their Writing Competency. CALICO Journal, 27 (2), 393-408.
  • Marcelle, G. (2004). Thinking BIG to Accelerate Gender Equality and Transformation in the ICTs Arena Gender. Technology and Development, 8 (1), 31-52.
  • McIntyre, A. (2000). Constructing meaning about violence, school, and community: Participatory Action Research with urban youth. The Urban Review, 32 (2), 123-154.
  • Poplack, S. (1980). Sometimes I'll start a sentence in Spanish y termino en Español: toward a typology of code-switching. Linguistics, 18 (7/8), 581-618.
  • Project Africa. (n.d.). Our vision . Retrieved 1, 1, 2011, from Project Africa: Empowering women & girls in Africa: http://174.122.19.250/projectf/index.phpoption=com_content&view=article&id=Itemid=2.
  • Raju, P. (1957). Being, Existence, Reality, and Truth. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. A Quartely Journal, 17 (3), 291-315.
  • Seo, B. M. (1999). Keypal Project in an English Writing Course. Linguistics, 7 (1), 325-393.
  • Säljö, R. (2000). Lärande i praktiken: Ett sociokulturellt perspektiv.Stockholm: Prisma.
  • Terry, A. & Gomez, R. (2010). Gender and public access computing: An international perspective. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 43 (5), 1-17.
  • UNESCO. (2001). Literacy – A key to empowering women farmers . Paris: UNESCO, Decision of Basic Education, Education.
  • UNICEF. (2011). The State of the World's Children . New York: UNICEF.
  • Upitis, R. (1990). Real and contrived uses of electronic mail in elementary schools. Computers & Education, 15 (1-3), 233-243.
  • World Bank, T. (2003). Lifelong learning in the global knowledge economy. Challenges for developing countries . Washington, DC: World Bank.
  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
  • Yoo, Y. (2010). Computing in Everyday Life: A Call for Research on Experiential Computing. MIS Quarterly, 34 (2), 213-231.

Downloads

No downloads have been recorded for this article yet. Figures appear here once readers begin downloading the full text.

How to Cite

Hallberg, D. (2011). Recognising Local Experiences for the Success of Vision 2030 in Kenya: Using Pen-Pals in Education as a Case. Journal of Education and Vocational Research, 2(3), 99-115. https://doi.org/10.22610/jevr.v2i3.30

Share this article

Section

Research Paper

Published

2011-09-15

Submissions

Have research to publish? Journal of Education and Vocational Research welcomes submissions.

Make a Submission