Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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Item Forum Theatre as Theatre for Development in East Africa(2017) Warheit, Emily Jane; Frederik, Laurie; Theatre; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Theatre for development (TfD) includes a variety of performance practices that aim to communicate or foster dialogue in a development context. Forum Theatre, developed by Brazilian Director Augusto Boal as part of his Theatre of the Oppressed movement has become one of the most widely used forms in TfD. This dissertation looks at the use of Forum Theatre specifically in public health-focused programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uganda and Kenya. The appeal of Forum Theatre for addressing development issues stems from its participatory nature, particularly as it aligns with current trends towards community involvement in development. However, power imbalances inherent in foreign-funded projects, public health communication theories modeled after advertising, and the realities of life- and livelihood-threatening conditions on the ground all work against the liberatory potential of the form. The focus of Forum Theatre is on identifying and combatting oppression; in developing communities, what oppressions can theatre projects initiated from the top down by USAID actually address in practice? This study is a multi-sited exploration of the organizations and individuals involved in the funding, planning, and executing of two forum theatre projects promoting global public health goals. Through interviews of stakeholders and organization publications including training manuals and project reports, I examine how the organizations involved implement, evaluate, and justify the effectiveness of the use of theatre in their work. Despite the popularity of theatre for development in Sub-Saharan Africa, many development professionals, particularly in the US, have limited knowledge of how to use theatre in their programs. This study has the potential to improve the understanding of the use of Forum Theatre for both development professionals and theatre artists, allowing for more effective application. It will also place theatre for development in its context in the complicated web of the development industry, illuminating how TfD projects are planned and funded for an audience of theatre scholars and practitioners.Item Government Support for 'Private Schools for the Poor': a case study in Mathare informal settlement, Kenya(2011) Wildish, Janet; Klees, Steve; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This case study provides an exploration of the Ministry of Education's strategy of engagement with non-formal schools in Kenya, and the responses made by these schools. Non-formal schools in the informal settlements of Nairobi represent a form of low-cost private schooling, which is found in other urban centers in less developed countries. The ministry's program includes: school verification and validation, changes in school management and the provision of instructional materials' grants. The ministry began supporting NFS through an investment program included in the first Kenya Education Sector Support Program 2005-2010. The study findings have been directed towards the question of whether this government support to NFS influences the educational experience of the poor to their advantage. Some of the advantages identified include: greater financial stability in supported schools, which can be used to provide more concessionary places; eligibility of validated NFS for a national school feeding program through greater school legitimization; stronger support for school survival from parents and among pupils themselves because of the expectation of better academic results; higher teacher morale and greater teacher confidence; increased access to national exams through more NFS being granted exam center status and a reduction in exam fees and greater potential access to secondary school through an improvement in exam results. Disadvantages that are described include: the continuation of fees at the same levels as before the MoE support program; no substantive improvements in school conditions other than in teaching and learning materials; high rates of pupil transfer and an associated selection process, which is based on academic ability; tolerance of high rates of class repetition; increased academic pressure, translating into long school hours, class repetition and potential dropping out; modes of punishment that are not acceptable in public schools; deterioration of teacher: pupil ratio and the diversion of funds and support from other forms of non-formal education. The findings suggest that the MoE support program has resulted in some improvements in equality between pupils in NFS and those attending public primary schools, but has done little to address issues of equity amongst children growing up in these disadvantaged circumstances.Item UNIVERSITY GOING IN CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY OF GUSII STUDENTS OF SOUTHWESTERN KENYA(2009) Choti, Truphena Moraa; Lin, Jing; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)ABSTRACT Dissertation Title: UNIVERSITY GOING IN CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY OF GUSII STUDENTS OF SOUTHWESTERN KENYA Truphena Moraa Choti, Doctor of Philosophy, 2009 Directed By: Prof. Jing Lin, Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education, and International Education University of Maryland, College Park The main objective of this qualitative ethnographic case study is to ascertain the level of awareness and preparedness among high school students in Gusiiland, Southwestern Kenya, for university education opportunities and possibilities. Through an in-depth interviewing process, a purposive sample of twelve students and four focus groups were conducted in four Gusii high schools to capture students' perceptions and conceptions of the university going process. In addition, twelve parents and eight teachers participated in the study. The data were analyzed to identify a set of ideas, issues and themes from all the participants. Also, data from each target student were analyzed as case study, and later a cross-case analysis was undertaken to refine data across participants and schools. Utilizing the theories of social capital, cultural capital and human capital, this study explores the role of the family, school and community in the preparation of students' university going within their socio-cultural environment. Structural inequality in the distribution of educational resources, rigidness of the curriculum and overemphasis on examinations, extreme poverty and local politics emerged as some the barriers to university pathway for Gusii high school students. To overcome these impediments, students adopted unique strategies characterized by strict study schedule, group networks and holiday tuition to gain entry into university. This research contributes original material on the university going process in Kenya and hopes to shed light for future research in this hitherto unexplored academic area. Finding out what students know about higher education including their plans on how to pay for their university costs is worthwhile in helping Kenyan policy makers and scholars in understanding the needs of prospective undergraduate students entering Kenyan universities.