"The Pen is the Spear of Today": (Re)producing Gender in the Maasai Schooling Setting

Autor/in	Archambault, Caroline S.
Titel	"The Pen is the Spear of Today": (Re)producing Gender in the Maasai Schooling Setting
Quelle	In: Gender and Education, 29 (2017) 6, S.731-747 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0954-0253
DOI	10.1080/09540253.2016.1156061
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Ethnography; Mixed Methods Research; Ideology; Gender Issues; Parent Aspiration; Teacher Expectations of Students; Academic Aspiration; Masculinity; Femininity; School Culture; Cultural Maintenance; Social Life; Sex Role; Educational Benefits; Educational Practices; Cultural Literacy; Cultural Influences; Elementary Secondary Education; Interviews; Kenya + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Ethnografie; Ideologie; Geschlechterfrage; Elternwille; Männlichkeit; Femaleness; Weiblichkeit; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Soziales Leben; Geschlechterrolle; Bildungsertrag; Bildungspraxis; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Kenia
Abstract	An essentialist, "traditional", Maasai gender ideology that poorly reflects the day-to-day gender realities of residents is being reproduced and dominating in the modern schooling setting of a Maasai community in Southern Kenya. Through an ethnographic analysis based on long-term fieldwork and mixed-method approaches, this paper explores the construction of this gender ideology as reflected in schooling aspirations of parents, teachers, and students, in students' own constructions of masculinity and femininity, and in school culture. This ideology functions to promote education as a means of cultural preservation and livelihood protection by drawing schooling into the Maasai's unique age-set system and warrior tradition, which is heavily imbued with particular gender constructions. While, arguably, maintaining this traditional ideology may conflict with broader goals of empowerment and social equity for Maasai women, it may serve to facilitate schooling for young girls, off-set increasing and burdensome responsibilities, and provide them with an attainable femininity. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01