This thesis investigates socialisation in architectural education in East Africa. It was hypothesised that socialisation formed an integral part of professional education,through which students acquired undocumented, but nonetheless important aspects of the profession, building both values, and a cultural ethos in the process. Socialisation in the context of architectural education, thus takes on added significance, given the longevity of the educational process, as well as the close association between faculty and students. The outcomes of the educational process thus evoked questions of the transformative nature of the process, and how this was effected. Undertaken as an ethnographic study, the research investigated elements of socialisation within five established architecture schools across East Africa. Framed in the context of a learnscape of architectural education, the study examined influences on architectural education in three key areas: Pre-socialisation; Institutional socialisation; and, educational socialisation. A mixed method approach was used, addressing the contextual diversity presented by the setting of East Africa. The mixed method approach made use of document analysis, a questionnaire study, focus group discussions, and participant observations, as data gathering instruments. The variety of methods, along with the multitude of study sites, ensured data triangulation as a key element in validation of the findings. The study revealed socialisation as being an important and integral component of architectural education, existing at all stages of the educational process. Prior to entry into architectural education, pre-socialisation served to inform student ideas and values related to the profession, often based on uninformed perspectives. Institutional influence, presented a traditional educational approach, creating culture shock for incoming students through a misalignment of values between students and architectural education. The contrasting expectations of student and faculty,and the attendant influence on socialisation, were overtly evident in the educational realm. This was highlighted by approaches to contemporary issues in architectural education, and the nature of educational activities within the schools. Through this research, socialisation was found to be an integral part of architectural education. Far from being a mere puzzling phenomenon, ignored and taken for granted,socialisation forms a fundamental part of architectural education, which forms a critical part of the education of architects.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:667900 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Olweny, Mark Raphael |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/77037/ |
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