Zajda / Biraimah / Gaudelli Education and Social Inequality in the Global Culture

1. Auflage 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4020-6927-7
Verlag: Springer Netherland
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 1, 233 Seiten, eBook

Reihe: Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research

A major aim of Education and Social Inequality in the Global Culture, which is the first volume in the 12-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, edited by Joseph Zajda and his team, is to present a global overview of the relationship of education, socio-economic status, and globalization. By examining some of the major education policy issues, particularly in the light of recent shifts in education and policy research, the editors aim to provide a comprehensive picture of the intersecting and diverse discourses of globalization, education, and policy-driven reforms. The spirit of dialogical encounter has very soundly directed editors’ efforts in organizing this volume. The editors’ task is to deepen, and in some cases open widely, diverse and significant discourses related to globalization, social stratification, and education. The impact of globalization on education policy and reforms is a strategically important issue for us all. More than ever before, there is a need to understand and analzse both the intended and the unintended effects of globalization on e- nomic competitiveness, educational systems, the state, and relevant policy changes—all as they affect individuals, educational bodies (such as universities), policy-makers, and powerful corporate organizations across the globe. The evo- ing and constantly changing notions of national identity, language, border politics and citizenship which are relevant to education policy need to be critiqued by appeal to context-specific factors such as local–regional–national areas, which sit uncomfortably at times with the international imperatives of globalization.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Zajda, Joseph

Biraimah, Karen

Gaudelli, William

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Global Convergence and Divergence in Childhood Ideologies and the Marginalization of Children.- Measuring Inequities in Secondary School Attendance: The Probability of Attending Secondary School for Primary School Graduates in Nicaragua.- Religion, International Aid, and Used Clothing: Globalization and Mayan Literacy Revival in Guatemala.- A New Understanding of Globalization: The Case of the Romà.- Equity Considerations in the Access to Higher Education in Central and Eastern Europe.- The Process of Inclusion/Exclusion in Brazilian Schools: Data from Reality.- Private Resources in Educational Finance and Equality Implications: Evidence from Peru.- Defying the Odds: A Study of Grade 11 Female Students in Eritrea.- Voices of Teachers in Academic and Vocational Secondary Schools in Egypt: Perceived Consequences of Educational Reform for Quality and Equality.- Cultural Capital: What Does It Offer Students? A Cross-National Analysis.- The Institutionalization of Mass Schooling as Marginalization or Opportunity in Islamic Nation-States.

Leseproben

"Chapter 3

Religion, International Aid, and Used Clothing: Globalization and Mayan Literacy Revival in Guatemala (p. 41-42)

Mary Holbrock

1 Introduction

The indigenous languages and cultures of Guatemala are currently experiencing revitalization efforts as is the case with many of the indigenous languages of the Americas and other parts of the world. This study examines Mayan literacy revival in Guatemala, broadly defined to include a range of cultural literacy practices, and the involvement of globalization in that phenomenon. Globalization is most commonly thought of as the imposition of so-called ""Northern"" or ""First World"" culture and economics at the expense of the ""South"" or ""Third World"".

But in the case of Mayan literacy revival, the direction of the movement of global forces is more complex. This chapter suggests that there are three ways in which globalization is involved in Mayan literacy revival. Two effects are related to forces coming in to affect literacy. Some of these, such as religion, mass media, and used consumer goods, take on culture-suppressing forms, while others, such as the women’s movement and the work of international aid organizations, take on culture-sustaining forms. Yet Mayan literacy in the form of alphabetic print, glyphs, and traditional clothing and folklore is also moving from inside Guatemala to the outside world by way of migration, the Internet, and tourism.

Globalization is commonly thought of as the export of Western culture to the rest of the world. A definition given in a 1995 lecture by Martin Khor states this concept nicely: ""Globalisation is what we in the Third World have for several centuries called colonization or imperialism"" (as cited in Baylis &, Smith, 1995, p. 15). Although there is certainly truth to this definition, globalization is more complex. A definition by Giddens (1990) which defines globalization as ""the intensification of world wide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa"" (p. 64, emphasis added) captures the true complexity of this phenomenon.

It is the ""vice versa"" part of this definition which challenges the traditional point of view. What is interesting about the Mayan literacy revival situation is that both ""import"" and ""export"" aspects of globalization are present. The Mayan language literacy revival movement is shaped by events occurring far away, but, in turn, it is shaping, or at least its products are appearing, in distant locales. Outsider influence is present in the movement, but Mayan literacy is also appearing abroad.

This chapter discusses aspects of globalization involved in a Mayan literacy revival movement which is taking place in Guatemala. It is based on qualitative research conducted mainly during 2001. Research methods followed an instrumental case study model in which Mayan literacy revival was investigated by focusing largely on two research sites, Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango, and San Pedro la Laguna, Sololá. The Mayan languages spoken in these two villages are Q’anjob’al and Tz’utujiil, respectively. Data-gathering methods included qualitative interviews with 60 participants, observations of primary school and adult literacy classes, and homestays with Mayan families."