Last night Mina asked me about my views on Kenya's level of "development" and what I see to be major issues of concern or otherwise. As much as this style of writing isn't my general blog tone, her question is one that I think of a lot and feel that some of you might find interesting to discuss.
I'll start with an overall view of development. First, the term development itself is problematic to me. It implies a hierarchy of "developed," and "developing," and sets a goal of an equal standard of living for all included in the equation (with Western industrialization as the goal, as far as I can tell). This means that the family I lived with in the hills of Taita is "developing" because in some "objective" view they are still to be working toward a higher standard of living. This is problematic because, again, a hierarchy is maintained and Western "civilization" is placed in a ruling position once again.
This has come to be an accepted way of viewing the world and, now, it seems that "developing country" is more politically correct than "third world" (which at least acknowledged the hierarchy being maintained).
What I find most disconcerting is the fact that this view of the world is now, through tourism and media, widely known and embraced by those living in "lesser developed" places like Kenya. I cannot ignore the widespread underemployment of a majority of the people I encountered there, but I must acknowledge that the majority of the depression I witnessed came not from the state of Kenya, but from the state of Kenya in comparison to the Western world.
I believe in the value of cultural sharing more than anything else, but the idea that Western standards of living are the ultimate goal goes beyond being a Western theory of development and becomes a mindset in which individuals in less industrialized societies undertake and recognize that they will likely never reach in their lifetime. The implications of an American couple sitting down to take photos with a group of young Swahili children may never have any long term effect on their view of themselves, but in my experience it does create an expectation, at least for a short time, that visiting peoples have a level of "gadget" that remains unaffordable and unattainable by themselves. It is hard to say that I am anti-tourism, since I have benefited so much from my experience as a visitor, but I believe there is a layer of awareness that all visitors are responsible to wear when they submerse themselves in environments unlike their own.
As I said to Mina last night, I don't think this idea doesn't necessarily results in all people longing to go to America, but in a recogntion of the glimmer of industrialization in nearby communities--and the potential for leaving one's homestead and tradition to experience it. Even Swahili, a language created through the coming together of Bantu African and Arab languages, now fades away as a result of standardized education and the emphasis of English as the language for success in business and technology. There are hints of "development" in all aspects of society, but what is the end goal and what does that mean for all of us?
super-interesting, Katia.
ReplyDeleteI talk about development alot (were in those nerdy global-studies friend circles) and something always rubs me the wrong way.
Maybe building off of your thoughts: when i was in Tabaka, (a society that is drastically underemployed and unemployed, seemingly institutionally- impoverished, among other things) locals would always ask me how things were like in America- wanted to compare their practices and possessions to those of America. Sometimes they would scoff at the ridiculousness of our materialism and excessiveness, but usually you could see them internalizing the comparison- almost as if they were instantly becoming ashamed of their own practices- as if they were realizing their presence on a lower ring of the development ladder. But most of the things they began to almost feel bad for, were the strangest of "development" standards that were contrary to the ways of life of the people of Tabaka. Yes, most are living on less than a dollar a day, BUT, the societal fabric is strong. The people are happy and loving and operating well without our standards of consumption that so often represent development.
It was frustrating, upsetting, saddening to see lovely people become ashamed about an invisible, irrational standard that fails to consider so many greater- more human- factors.
I'm so glad you added that!
ReplyDeleteI talked to a woman at my work this afternoon who has come to the US from Kenya/Somalia in the last two years. Without any prompt she said to me, "American life is wrong. Africa, we have no money, but we were happy."
When I was a child I used to wonder about things. One of my breakthroughs was a concept of progess that I now have the experience to verify as terribly true. Looking around on a drive to town, I was confronted with the strange idea, "how can all this stuff: these roads, buildings, power lines, etc. be here, if everything is give and take. Because nothing comes from nothing, I assumed that everything comes at a cost in a zero-sum game. The idea's fine for microeconomics, but for civilization as a whole? I concluded that progress comes at the expense of time, each generation building on the foundations of the previous, and was content. But because (as I see it now) the world's economic success is based almost entirely on unsustainable growth, it is apparent that our (western society's) progess has come to us on borrowed time, much like my student loans. It is a shame that other peoples should pay the spiritual price for our debt.
ReplyDeleteWell put, Evan.
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