LBST 2102 Globalization Essay

7/30/2019 LBST 2102 Globalization Essay

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Brian Barrows

LBST 2102

Mr. Robert Arnold

9 May 2013

Globalization Essay

The topic that I chose for my globalization essay is one which seems simple on the

surface but in reality its quite complex. My topic is the effects of western style education on

children in Africa. In the beginning before I read the texts we have discussed in class I would

have said that obviously that better education would bring about a positive increase in

knowledge to people who were at one point unable to gain it. And this is in fact true but what

we dont think of that the texts go into great detail about is the cultural implications of this new

system that was completely alien to most African tradition and the conflict that it can bring up

personally for children and adults alike who still follow those traditional customs. The specific

works from that I will mention in my essay are, The Dark Child, by Camara Laye and

Boyhood, by J.M Coetzee. Both of these books follow the story of two children one black and

one white and give great detail to the growth and mindset which growing up in Africa combined

with western education can have on a child. Because these books are more autobiographies

than novels you are really able to experience the truth and emotions behind what you read

which makes them perfect testimonials for my topic.

My first point that I want to show is from The Dark Child, specifically the scene that

Camara Laye is playing with his friends from another village. In that scene while playing Laye is

constantly being careful and holding back on having a really good time because he is scared


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that he might potentially damage his school clothes which he is wearing because that uniform is

his only set. It is hear that we already see a disconnection from his traditional life due to

western style education. The policy of having untarnished uniforms prevented him from having

the active experiences that most children of his culture have when at his age. Although it may

seem like it is only a minor setback to his culture it is when things like these begin to add up we

see a snowball effect of Camara Laye effectively being forced into being different than the

people around him.

Another scene from The Dark Child which we see an incredibly emotional conflict in

Layes life brought on by his education is when he is going off to France to continue his

education. In this scene Laye and his mother get into a huge argument over him potentially

accepting a scholarship which would force him to go to France to study. As you read you see

his mother downright forbid him from going even though he knows that it would allow him a

better opportunity for a good life. His mother reveals in a heart wrenching display how she

feels that his schooling has torn her son away from her and how she thinks that if he leaves she

will never see her son again. It is here that Camara Laye is faced with his ultimate decision.

Stay in his village following tradition effectively making his entire schooling a waste or leave for

France to pursue a different possibly better life but at the cost of alienating himself from

everyone he once knew. This was a choice he did not make lightly. Although he was schooled

and viewed himself as different he did still went through all of his cultures traditions and rites

of passage. He had friends and family whom he loved very much so. In the end he did end up

getting on that plane to France not because he chose to throw those he loved away, rather he

needed to build himself and he knew in his heart that it was what he had to do.


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This choice made by Camara Laye is very uncommon to people in Africa. Ive found in

my research that the people of Africa did not have the ability to receive higher education and

this is not because of a lack of intelligence. It was only until recently that the drive for higher

education was growing in the continent and you can see this reflected in Layes fathers

reasoning behind sending him to school and his siding with Camara when it came down to the

decision to leave for France. They both saw this as an opportunity that could not lightly be

passed up and after reading through the studies made about this topic this story perfectly

depicts what the research had found.

In Boyhood the protagonist is a young white male growing up in Africa with a very

serious identity crisis. In the story you we are told of his lack of real religion as well as his fear

of failure in regards to school. We see through many examples how him going through western

schooling goes against his natural mentality and because of this he feels that he is driven to

thoughts of suicide. Although western style education is meant to allow give us opportunities

by expanding our knowledge it also brings about more stresses and standards to which people

must hold themselves, and this story is an example of how sometimes you can be consumed by

all of it. Although Coetzee is white I pulled this example because everything that he felt in

regards to the pressures of academic achievement and the fear of not making your family

proud can be applied to Camara Laye maybe even more so due to the fact that in Layes culture

family and pride are two of the most important things a person can have.

The reason I chose this topic was to see if I could state on whether or not western style

education was positive for African children or not. Through my research as well as the books


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weve read in class I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I dont know. As you can see in

my essay there are truths on both sides of the argument but to determine what is truly right or

good for Africa in regards to education and the cultural implications of it is a matter of

opinion. What I can say though is that western style education and the culture produced by it is

overtaking African traditions slowly but surely. We can see this specifically in language. What I

mean by this is with the introduction of western education the necessity to learn western

language goes hand in hand, and that is why in all the works weve read as well as the movies

weve seen western languages such as French are a great presence in modern African culture.

In both works we see the decision to pursue higher education as the choice made by

both protagonists but what we dont see are the countless others making the same decision.

With the growth in pursuit of western education higher or not we are seeing a great change in

the mentalities of the youth in Africa. Questions are starting to be raised about tradition and

testimonials such as Boyhood or The Dark Child are bringing to light the conflict between

the two cultures but proving educations victory over tradition. The cultural climate is shifting in

Africa even more so than in the days these novels were based. I may not be able to make a

clear decision on whether or not the effects western education has on the children of Africa is

positive but it is clear that the effect is great. With this we see that through this globalization

times have changed and are continuing to do so and the only thing that can reveal the truth

behind education are the children affected by it and the actions we see them take in the

coming years.


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Sources

The Dark Child- Camara Laye

Boyhood: Scenes of a Provincial Life- J.M Coetzee

Listen to the Urgent Sound of Drums: Major Challenges in African Higher Education

Herman Visser

http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=

8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125

Tradition, globalisation and language dilemma in education: African options for the 21st

century

Hermenegilde Rwantabagu

http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=

8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125
http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125http://web.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8b3651e9-4d63-49d3-9716-b2ac580f05fe%40sessionmgr198&hid=125

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LBST 2102 Globalization Essay