Joyce N. Mutsoli (University of Pittsburgh)
Incorporating Utamaduni in Curriculum of InstructionCritical folklore studies can foster a robust consciousness of oneself, others, and the world. My Kenya is a multi-ethnic country that is fundamentally redesigning a post-colonial national curriculum to instill pride through non-Anglocentric content and pedagogies. Against this backdrop of reclaiming Kenyan cultures and revitalizing Indigenous languages, I address how folklife programs can foster social justice via multicultural education that honors varied traditions of competency (knowledge, skills and attitudes). Further, as a Kenyan Fulbrighter in America, I relate these aims to my involvement with Imani Christian Academy, an Afro-centric and Swahili-promoting US school where critical folklore studies instill pride in Diaspora students’ heritage, achievements, and potential.
Part of 06-07 Re-Centering Peripheral Ways of Knowing via Global Folklife Education Initiatives, Friday, October 14, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm