Girls and basic education - A cultural enquiry - Education Research Paper No. 23, 1998, 160 p.

Table of Contents

EDUCATION RESEARCH

David Stephens
University of Sussex
Centre for International Education

January 1998

Serial No. 23
ISBN: 1 86192 036 9

Department For International Development

Table of Contents

Department for international development education papers

List of other DFID education papers available in this series

Other DFID education studies also available

Executive summary

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction

2. Theoretical issues: Culture in education and development

2.1 Introducing a conceptual framework
2.2 The concept of culture
2.3 The culture concept in development
2.4 Culture and economics in development
2.5 Culture and education: The chalkface of development
2.6 Culture in education and development: A new language of debate

3. Methodological issues

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Methodology: Towards a more culturally appropriate approach
3.3 Methods: Using life histories to tell us more about real life in developing countries

3.3.1 Introduction
3.3.2 Nature of life history
3.3.3 Life history and the study of teachers' lives
3.3.4 Life history and issues of culture
3.3.5 Life history and educational research in developing countries: Problems and prospects

3.4 The research project

3.4.1 Introduction
3.4.2 Research purpose
3.4.3. Background and context

3.4.3.1. The International context
3.4.3.2. The national context - Ghana
3.4.3.3. Preliminary research conducted locally
3.4.3.4 Case study contexts and research process
3.4.3.5 Analysis and presentation of the data

4 The culture of the home: Society, community and gender relations

4.1 Background and context
4.2 The Culture of the home: Voices of experience

4.2.1 Life within the family: Growing up in Ghana
4.2.2 Experiences of gender relations within the family
4.2.3 Traditional views of the value of schooling and support given to children
4.2.4 Religious and 'cultural' issues in relation to family life
4.2.5 The changing family: Domestic break up and the impact of western-style schooling

5. Culture and the economy: The impact of poverty on community, schooling and gender relations

5.1 Background and context

5.1.1 The making of poverty
5.1.2 Poverty and schooling

5.2 Culture and the economy: Voices of experience

5.2.1 The culture of power: Experiencing poverty

5.2.1.1 Poverty and schooling
5.2.1.2 Ill health and pregnancy
5.2.1.3 Experiences of 'drop-outs'
5.2.1.4 Times past, times present
5.2.1.5 Urban-rural life

5.3 The Power of culture: Experiencing possibilities

5.3.1 Coping strategies of girls and young women females
5.3.2 Private schooling

6. The culture of schooling: Life experiences of schools, teachers and pupils

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Background and context
6.3 The life of the school
6.4 The life of the teacher
6.5 The life of the child
6.6 The culture of the school: Voices of experience

6.6.1. Experiences of school life
6.6.2. Experiences of being a teacher
6.6.3 Experiences of being a schoolchild

7. Concluding reflections and policy implications

Appendix 1 - Transcripts of three life history interviews with girl drop outs

Appendix 2 - Research instruments

References