The 'We Did It In Ethiopia' problem
During the years I frequented Afghanistan (2003-06), many an evening was spent under early curfew, unable to step out of our guesthouses/hotels after 4.30 pm. This naturally led to whoever was so confined coming together for +
During the years I frequented Afghanistan (2003-06), many an evening was spent under early curfew, unable to step out of our guesthouses/hotels after 4.30 pm. This naturally led to whoever was so confined coming together for +
long conversations over unending dinners. Consultants who had worked in several other countries exchanged notes and one of the most commonly heard statements to wind up some long narration was: 'So there you have it - this is how we did it in Ethiopia (or wherever else). And +
that's exactly how we need to do it here as well.'
Yes, I know. I wondered too - how on earth did these people end up becoming consultants? Just because something worked in Ethiopia did not mean it would work in Afghanistan - a very different context even if +
Yes, I know. I wondered too - how on earth did these people end up becoming consultants? Just because something worked in Ethiopia did not mean it would work in Afghanistan - a very different context even if +
there were overlaps. Arguments to counter these suggestions brought out how people were emotionally attached to their experience and 'evidence', to the extent that they would fail to see its inapplicability in unlike circumstances.
Something akin to this is happening in India +
Something akin to this is happening in India +
today, in #FLN. A great deal of 'research' is being bandied about - much of it conducted in Africa. Having worked in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania on TPD, especially for the early years, I would say that there is no easy correspondence with the Indian environment. +
The extent to which (caste, class and language) discrimination plays a role in preventing learning is not matched by whatever we find typically in the African context. The nature of languages, their multiplicity and interactions with each other too is not similar. So +
to bring over 'inferences' from Africa (and also South America) for direct application in the Indian context runs the same dangers as the 'We Did It In Ethiopia' problem!
What I hope to see, therefore, is a nuanced approach that is open to insights from elsewhere but +
What I hope to see, therefore, is a nuanced approach that is open to insights from elsewhere but +
incorporates these with a deep understanding of our context as well as much that has already been (successfully) done/is being done in India.
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