Elitism and Alienation: The ‘Socialization’ Process in a Place May Lead to Alienation
by
Kwaku Kusi-Appiah
Sunday 29 September 2024
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“Our education, the one we inherited from our colonial masters has created
a class system in the motherland, and it is what it was supposed to do.”
Meiz Mohamed Majdoub
“Our education was not meant to emancipate and decolonize Africans.
It was meant to preserve the status quo.”
Kwaku Kusi-Appiah
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Abstract
In this article, we argue that the African socialization landscape breeds *alienation*. There aren’t many places in Africa where the education process is intertwined with ‘paid vocation’. In other words, the African educational environment doesn’t encourage the learner to use their skills in the public domain, at work, while in school. In such an environment, when one goes to school, you go to school, and then when one finishes schooling, you then look for work! And with a degree or two, the aspirant is looking for a top post where s/he can be the boss and tell people what to do. In other jurisdictions, this is not the case: students are always working during their spare time. This creates a form of harmony between ‘educated’ and the ‘non-educated’ employee. The boss is therefore empathetic and treats their subordinates as human beings, and not an object to be ordered about! It is our conviction that the African educational system is problematic in the sense that it alienates the graduate from the ‘common person’. Moving forward, our educated elite must reflect on this and keep that in mind. In addition, students in the African education system must be encouraged to participate in the job market while in school, so that they do not get alienated from the masses.
Introduction
Broadly defined, socialization is the process of educating a people in a place based on cultural practices, ideas, and ideals in specific places. We contend that socialization takes two forms:
a) open air acquisition of skills and ideals of a people for the benefit of society for a specific time and place, and,
b) classroom acquisition of skills and ideas of a people for the benefit of the people in time and space.
Alienation occurs when a) and b) are not aligned with each other.
Alienation, on the other hand, is a concept used to describe a sense of isolation, disconnection, or estrangement, from something or someone. It can manifest in various contexts, but it generally refers to a feeling of being separated from one’s community, environment, vocation (i.e., the ‘work’ environment), or even oneself. Alienation can have significant consequences, including mental health struggles, disengagement from society, and a general decline in well-being.
The Colonial School System in Time and Space:
In places where colonization was rife, and neocolonialism is the order of the day, the Western system of education was imposed with the sole aim of creating a new group of people in a place who may continue to do the bidding of the colonizer, long after the latter has left the colonized space (Masemola, 2020; Okumu & Ikelegbe, 2010; Mahmood, 1996; Ngugi wa Thiongo, 1986; Fanon, 1961). The curricula in these schools are often based on Western models, which often emphasize European cultural knowledge over local traditions, languages, and values. This educational system often prioritizes Western standards and qualifications, reinforcing a disconnect from local issues and the lived experiences of most Africans, current and deceased.
The above scenario can create a sense of cultural alienation, where most students from elite backgrounds (read: Western education) are more aligned with global elites and less connected to the realities of life in formerly-colonized-spaces. Ngũgĩ’s work explores how colonial education alienates African elites by disconnecting them from their languages, cultures, and communities. Ngũgĩ and other scholars argue that language and education are central to the colonization of the African mind (Aderibigbe et al., 2021; Hickey, & Hossain, 2019; Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, 1986).
Focusing on political consequences, Chinua Achebe (1983) also discusses how Nigerian elites (mostly Western educated) contribute to a leadership crisis and a sense of alienation from most of the population. Achebe notes that while Western education equips individuals with technical skills, it often does not instill a sense of responsibility and connection to the cultural and social realities of African societies (Achebe, 1983).
What makes it worse is that during the process of getting an education, the African (most of them) do not engage in any employment that brings them closer to the general population. The result is a graduate who has no clue about how the rest of the population live and work (Mahmood, 1996).
Vocation Deficit Disorder:
This is what I have termed Vocation Deficit Disorder or VDD. VDD occurs when the learner goes through the education system without gaining any employment or work experience until after s/he has received a degree or diploma. Mazrui (1980) discusses how African elites educated in Western philosophies often become alienated from the masses. He critiques the ways in which Western education creates a divide between elites and the broader African population, contributing to governance challenges and a lack of connection with Indigenous values (Mazrui, 1980).
And so what?
Education that alienates students from the general population often reflects deeper structural issues rooted in curriculum, pedagogy, and power dynamics. Colonial education systems are a prime example of this, where the imposed curriculum and cultural values often serve to disconnect students from their own histories, cultures, and communities. In his book: “Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for Decolonization, Nkrumah (1964) critiqued the effects of colonial education on African elites, arguing that it fosters alienation by promoting individualism and Western ideals over African communal values. Nkrumah proposed a synthesis of African, Islamic, and European elements to form a cohesive post-colonial ideology that can bridge the gap between elites and the general population.
Conclusion:
While it is possible to make colonial education less alienating by decolonizing the curricula, fostering community connections, and employing culturally responsive pedagogy, such changes face significant challenges if it is not linked to public accessibility. An education that isolates the student from the wider population cannot be healthy for nation building. One cannot look down upon the people who are supposed to gain from education.
Works Cited:
Achebe, C. (1983). The Trouble with Nigeria. Heinemann, 1984 – Fiction – 68 pages.
Arigbge, S. Mobolanle, S, et al., [Eds.] (2021). Decolonizing the University: The African Experience.
Fanon, F. (1961). The Wretched of the Earth. Publisher, Francois Maspero.
Hickey, S. & Hossain, N. [Eds.]. (2019). The Politics of Education in Developing Countries: From Schooling to Learning. Oxford University Press.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1986). Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. East African Publishers, 114 pages.
Nkrumah, K. (1964). Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for Decolonization. Publisher. Panaf. 132 pages.
Mahmood, M. (1996). Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. Princeton University Press.
Masemola, K. (2020). Knowledge and Decolonial Politics: Postcolonial Logics and Social Change.
Mazrui, A. (1980). The African Condition: A Political Diagnosis. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1980. xviii + 142 pp.
Okumu, W. & Ikelegbe, A. [Eds.] (2010). Militias, Rebels, and Islamist Militants: Human Insecurity and State Crises in Africa. Institute of Security Studies, 291 pages.
Ogachi, I. (2021). Global Citizenship Education in Post-Secondary Institutions: Theoretical and Practical Approaches in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Kwaku Kusi-Appiah,a demographer and environmentalist is an adjunct professor at Ottawa’s Carleton University. His research seeks to provide a clearer understanding of non-market strategies that determine access to community resources, and how the resulting inequities shape livelihoods in marginalized spaces of Canada and the developing world. Kwaku Kusi-Appiah was president of the Ghana Association of Ottawa (1995-2003) and senior advisor on Diversity to the Mayor of Ottawa (2004- 2006) where he led many multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex diversity issues in a timely & sensitive manner. In September 2018, Kusi-Appiah was appointed by the Lt. Governor of Ontario as a public member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario College of Social Work and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).
Great piece and thoughts.
Really practical and currently going on in our country
My brother, you have given most of the answers to our perennial problems, stifling economic growth and stalled development of our country. Our elitist approach to everything has resulted in marginalized interest from the less educated or less tested sections of the communities.
Dr, u are making as great as Africans
Good work Dr,director one
Thank you.
A fantastic write. I don’t want to call it an exposé but it brings to the forefront the fact that Schooled elites are unprepared to accommodate, admit or live with or even conjecture the reality that persons socialized through forms other than schooling equally belong to the class of elites. Could their alienation be as a result of their methods of delivering value or how they proffer solution into the community? Lopsided Elitism is a real Problem.
This is indeed a write-up to open up, we Africans. Lopsided elitism is common, where educated individuals often perceive themselves as superior to their peers, which leads to a sense of self-alienation. A feeling which creates a division within society. As a result, many new graduates develop the mindset that they are entitled to occupy top positions, leading to dependence on employment rather than encouraging innovation.
Good work Andy, we really need to rethink how education should serve the broader population and not perpetuate isolation, and the call for decolonizing curricula Well articulated and impactful!