Schooling at the edge of the world : an ethnographic study of educational ambivalence within coastal habitus in northern Mozambique
Coastal fishing communities in northern Mozambique have distinctive history, politics and livelihoods that make them physically and socially peripheral. This is evident in relation to lack of the access and ownership of natural resources, social opportunities such as education, access to information and decision making means and the influence of cultural-hereditary characteristics of coastal society. The thesis examines learning in Lunga, the key institutions, their roles and importance. Drawing on Mamdaniâs concept of bifurcated state, it outlines the historical background of the formal education system that is a necessary frame for understanding many specific problems of education in contemporary Mozambique. In this setting, the thesis reflects on formal, traditional and Islamic education and their different forms of valorisation in the past and present. The study examines the coastal habitus â the problems of life on the periphery, and the social, political and physical distance. From there, it probes deeper into the relations between competing institutions promoting certain distinctive aspects of coastal life, describing production of the local and the global (national). The main focus of the thesis
Wojcik, P. A.
Schooling at the edge of the world : an ethnographic study of educational ambivalence within coastal habitus in northern Mozambique. Coastal fishing communities in northern Mozambique have distinctive history, politics and livelihoods that make them physically and socially peripheral. This is evident in relation to lack of the access and ownership of natural resources, social opportunities such as education, access to information and decision making means and the influence of cultural-hereditary characteristics of coastal society. The thesis examines learning in Lunga, the key institutions, their roles and importance. Drawing on Mamdaniâs concept of bifurcated state, it outlines the historical background of the formal education system that is a necessary frame for understanding many specific problems of education in contemporary Mozambique. In this setting, the thesis reflects on formal, traditional and Islamic education and their different forms of valorisation in the past and present. The study examines the coastal habitus â the problems of life on the periphery, and the social, political and physical distance. From there, it probes deeper into the relations between competing institutions promoting certain distinctive aspects of coastal life, describing production of the local and the global (national). The main focus of the thesis
schooling edge world ethnographic_study educational ambivalence within coastal habitus northern mozambique coastal fishing community_northern mozambique distinctive history politics make physically socially peripheral evident relation lack access ownership natural_resource social opportunity education access information decision_making mean influence cultural hereditary characteristic coastal society examines learn key institution role importance drawing concept state outline historical_background formal education_system necessary frame many specific problem education contemporary mozambique setting reflect formal traditional islamic education different_form past_present study_examines coastal habitus problem life periphery social_political physical distance probe deep relation compete institution promote certain distinctive aspect coastal life describe production local_global national main_focus