Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hodge-Podge Hybridity: Luo And Western Identities In The Kenyan Development Context, Hannah Tuttle

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Kinship ties in Africa form the basis of social organization. Far different from the Western conception of individual agency, individuals in Africa often define themselves in terms of their community or lineage. The tension between these two forms of identity-formation is visible in the field of international development. The aim of this research project is to understand the ways in which the social organization of the Luo people of Kisumu, Kenya has interacted with the various projects implemented by both governmental and non-governmental actors. Do those programs emphasize the agency of the individual in ways that complement the larger social …