By using two Kenyan films, Saikati (1992) by Anne Mungai and Battle of the Sacred Tree (1994) by Wanjiru Kinyanjui, this thesis explores the representation of identity in contemporary Kenyan society. Through a theoretical focus on African feminist thought which stems out of literary criticism, this study posits that in order for an understanding of identity to take place, then the discussion must extend beyond the binary divisions of tradition and modernity. This study offers a history of cinema in Kenya from the colonial administration era till present day to illustrate that the legacy of colonialism has been very influential in contemporary Kenya. I have used film as a tool to expose the non-static nature of identity, contrary to colonial discourse present in films about Africans during colonialism. Although both films examine different social topics, this study highlights that the processes of determination and formation of identity, as represented in both films, are situational, circumstantial, and dependent on personal choice.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--International Faith Theological Seminary University College, London, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

The aim of this heuristic research is to develop a framework that is relevant and applicable for use in the description and explication of the semiology of Kenyan architectural artefacts from the paradigmatic perspectives of Phenomenology and Critical Regionalism, which are conjointly proposed for entrenchment into architectural pedagogy and praxis within the Kenyan context. The research study is initially situated within the global body of existing research in architectural theory through acknowledging the achievements of selected works of past researchers while identifying pertinent lacunae with regard to the semiology of artefacts1 - including the linkages between Kenyan architecture and its evolution, based on both tangible and intangible multivalent aspects of Kenyan culture, derived from politics, tradition, religion, economics and issues of identity as well as a context-specific history as anchor and an epistemology that favours Afrocentricity without entirely disparaging Eurocentricity and is therefore useful for architectural analysis and evaluation - within the architectural heritage of the Kenyan region. The study then addresses some of these lacunae by adopting an ecosystemic approach, where the historical milestones and key developments of the Kenyan nation are highlighted and structured using a historical timeline in which the various significant epochs are isolated and selected architectural artefacts therein are analysed within the cultural ecology of each epoch. The issues engaged include colonisation of the country, struggle and attainment of independence from British Imperialism, post-independence governance of the country as well as aspects of totalitarianism and pluralism, African Nationalism, culture, statecraft, zeitgeist, socio-politico-economic dynamics and geography which are extensively elucidated and elaborated as appropriate, outlining their roles in the genesis and evolution of Kenyan architectural forms and artefacts. The issues pertaining to the semiology of Kenyan architectural artefacts are then explored from a theoretical position in order to ground the perspectives of the research study within a datum of a broad and integrative architectural theory. The relevance of historicism, typology, language and poetry to the paradigms of Phenomenology and Critical Regionalism is corroborated. The case is presented for the justification of the adoption and inclusion of these two paradigms into the Kenyan context. Existing criticisms and prejudices directed against the epistemological bases of the two paradigms are presented in outline, discussed and evaluated in order to address the extent to which they would invalidate the use of the two pardigms in anchoring the framework that is developed and established herein. The manifestations of the two paradigms within the case study artefact, Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), are exposed and articulated. After a brief evaluation of the present architectural curricula in Kenya, exemplified by the programme at the University of Nairobi’s department of architecture, the methods by which a broader Phenomenology and a more inclusive Critical Regionalism could be co-opted into the existing Kenyan architectural curricula are proposed as a means of introducing rigour in the description and explication of the semiology of Kenyan architectural artefacts and to architectural practice within the Kenyan context. To achieve this objective, it was necessary for this study to consider other aspects of phenomenological philosophy that could be integrated into the proposed (new) curriculum beyond the Existential and embryonic Heideggerian based Phenomenology that was initially proposed and co-opted by Christian Norberg-Schulz. Phenomenology is then presented as a first order theory as well as a second order unitary and integrative theory that can anchor, complement and sustain the practice of Critical Regionalism in Kenya. The new curriculum is presented and motivated. Thus, the semiological explicative and interpretive framework for analysis of Kenyan architectural artefacts is established and substantiated. Further areas of research, emanating from the considerations in this study, are then proposed as a means of continuing and maintaining the dialogue that is initiated herein, through employing the developed framework to build a corpus of the semiology of key architectural artefacts in the Kenyan context. Such a corpus will be indispensable in the training of the next generation of Kenyan architects. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Architecture / Unrestricted

This thesis explores the lives of Maasai women today in general, and in particular as seen through the lens of one woman, and her social network in Kajiado County, southern Kenya. By using a storytelling approach, I let the women’s own vivid stories, thoughts and priorities stay in focus. While the women’s stories reveal personal details in their lives, I argue that their stories also broaden the perspective of what it is to be a Maasai woman today. Inspired by a framework of multispecies relations, especially the concept of relatedness, I look at the relationships – to both humans and non-humans – which shapes the women's lives, possibilities, decisions, and concerns. As I explore the women's more-than-human worlds, the agency of cows, goats, sheep, and even flies are acknowledged. In combination with inspiration from the framework of feminist political ecology – especially the concepts of resource access and displacement – I bridge understandings about how multispecies relations affect the women, with reflections on education and working situations, and matters of land. With this thesis, I wish to contribute to and broaden the literature and often stereotyped image of what it is to be a Maasai, especially a Maasai woman.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of History, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-89).

To understand attitudes about voting in Kenya, this study examines Kenyan voters’ feelings of freedom to vote according to their own will and without pressure. More specifically it seeks to determine the extent to which these feelings are affected by 1) perception of corruption, 2) levels of trust in the government, 3) fear of political violence and intimidation, and 4) ethnic identity. Rational choice theory and an insideroutsider perspective are applied to examine the issue from a theoretical framework. Previous research conducted in relation to voting behavior and perception of corruption, trust in government, and ethnicity, among other things, are considered. This study uses secondary data collected by the Afrobarometer in 2008, and bivaraite and multivariatea nalysis are employed. Logistic regression models are used to examine the extent to which certain variables explain feelings of freedom to vote according to personal preference. The results from the logistic regression analyses show that both trust in government and fear of being subject to political violence and intimidation affect Kenyan voters’ feelings of freedom to vote according to their personal preference. These results support two hypotheses. First, Kenyan voters will feel freer to vote according to their own preference as their levels of trust in the government increase. Second, Kenyan voters’ feelings of freedom to vote will be negatively associated with fear of being subject to political violence and intimidation.

<p>This corpus study discusses the subjunctive construction in mandative sentences in East</p><p>African and Indian English. Data taken from the East African ICE-EA corpus and the Indian</p><p>Kolhapur corpus are compared to previous studies about American English and British</p><p>English, mainly by Hundt (1998) and Johansson & Norheim (1988). Subjunctive, indicative</p><p>and modal periphrastic constructions are identified and examined.</p><p>The conclusion of this study is that the subjunctive construction in mandative sentences is</p><p>more common in Indian and East African English than in British English.</p>

This dissertation, based on pilot research in the U.S. and Kenya in 2002 and fieldwork in two secondary schools in Kenya in 2004, has a twofold focus. First, it examines language ideologies of English, Kiswahili, and Kenya's 53 indigenous languages, in particular Gikuyu [Kikuyu], in the context of Kenyan discourses of nationalism, education, and development. Second, it shows how these language ideologies are contributing to the language endangerment of Kenya's indigenous languages.The stable trilingualism enjoyed by the parents of today's young Kenyans is not shared by their children. The research question that drove this dissertation was, Why are trilingual parents raising bilingual children? This dissertation seeks to answer that question by drawing on ethnographic observations, consultant interviews, and newspaper data from Kenya's largest newspapers, the Nation and the Standard. Rapid language shift, occurring in just the past 20 years in Kenya, has put even large languages like Gikuyu into an endangered status. A historically contextualized understanding of the reasons behind the shift is necessary in order for the trend to be reversed.