Ethnicity, Language, and Identity in Kenya

Ogechi, Nathan Oyori

doi:10.26806/modafr.v7i1.265

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Kiswahili functions as a lingua franca both nationally and regionally in parts of East and Central Africa. Ogechi (2003) says that Kiswahili is the endoglossic national language that is also used for casual inter-ethnic conversation and government administration. It is important to note that Kiswahili is not popular among most of the rural folk, as is the situation with English since only a small proportion of Kenyans in the rural areas are fluent enough in it even though many will claim to speak it.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenising Facebook language: Use of local languages in Facebook communication among a selected group of Kenyan internet users

Mwithi

2023

Editon Cons. J. Lit. Linguist. Stud.

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This paper interrogates how Facebook use in Kenya is being localised to serve everyone: Local people and the elite. With approximately three billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2023, Facebook is the most used online social network globally. In the second quarter of 2017, the platform surpassed two billion active users, a feat accomplished in just over 13 years. Facebook (FB) has permeated the lives of millions of people and the way they relate to one another and share information. This article examines how selected Kenyans are indigenising Facebook by using other local languages. The article recognises the utility of FB as a novel tool to examine and interpret linguistic features for a selected group of Kenyan FB users. The article uses Herring’s Computer-Mediated Discourse Analysis (CMDA) theoretical framework. The research design used was both qualitative and quantitative. A purposive sampling procedure was used to arrive at eight FB friends in the 22-35 age bracket. This is the age that was found to use FB most in Kenya. The findings showed that Kenyans localised Facebook use in Kiswahili, vernacular, and Sheng.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenising Facebook language: Use of local languages in Facebook communication among a selected group of Kenyan internet users

Mwithi

2023

Editon Cons. J. Lit. Linguist. Stud.

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“…Onyibor (2016) shares the view that enforcing a national identity and integration can be a tall order in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria. Ogechi (2019) unravels the manipulation of language and nonlinguistic communication strategies in political and sports discourses to negotiate various identities in Kenya. He argues that negative identity and language create ethnic cleavages and thus advances the case for a positive use of language and identity.…”

Section: Language Identity and (Under)developmental Crises In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Destroy their Tongue and Identity so that they will Never build the House: Language, Identity and (Under)development of Africa

Thompson,

Adeosun,

Chinaguh

et al. 2024

JPDS

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This paper examines two main themes in Africa’s culture--- Language and Identity and how the disarticulations of both have led to the underdevelopment of the continent. The study adopts a qualitative methodology, using the historical approach and post- colonial state thesis as the basis of analysis. It argued that the underdevelopment of Africa is hinged on bastardisation done to the twin of language and identity being two germane parts of its culture through the early contact between Africa and Europeans in the form of slave trade and colonialism which continued in the post-colonial state through neocolonialism. The paper found that in spite of the interventions from stakeholders from the global, regional levels down to individual level in responding to these crises, these interventions are dictated by western powers, lack proper framework and atomistic as well as lack the political will. The paper recommends among other things that there is need for an Africa reinvention on what works for us, recalibration of our identity, cultural values and moors through conscientious education.

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“…Meetings between citizens of various ethnic groups at transmigration settlement sites often create clashes that lead to dissociative social processes. Factors that create these conflicts include the struggle for economic resources especially access to agricultural land, the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudices stemming from ethnic stereotypes, as well as differences in cultural value systems manifested in patterns of action (Nguyen & Riegle-Crumb, 2021;Ogechi, 2019;Yang & Charles, 2021). At the beginning of transmigration placement around the late 1980s and early 1990s, the intense escalation of conflict is mainly caused by land ownership issues forcing some participants to return to their hometowns in Java Island.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict Management in Multiethnic Communities: a Case Study in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Hos

Kusujiarti

Jumintono

et al. 2021

Int. Migration & Integration

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This study aims to identify physical conflict management and avoidance between ethnic groups in transmigration settlements. Using a qualitative approach with data collection techniques comprised of observation and in-depth interviews, this research uses interpretive understanding for analyzing the data. Both macro-level and micro-level theories are applied in this research to analyze the interconnections of structure and agency. The fundamental question to be answered in this study is what causes conflicts between ethnic groups in transmigration settlement sites and how ethnic group citizens manage conflicts so that they do not become open conflicts and remain coexistent. Results show that the sources of conflict include the legal uncertainty of land ownership and the lack of social platforms for different ethnic groups to interact and discuss the problems. Social disparities between ethnic groups and differences in values and norms also contribute to the conflict. However, there was a potential for cooperation between ethnic groups. The different ethnic groups tend to restrain themselves and prevent violent conflict. The ethnic communities managed the conflict by ignoring disputes and making compromises to avoid open disagreements. These compromises involved lowering the demands and expectations of the object of conflict; the strategy manages the disputes and helps to reduce open disagreements and support multiethnic communities. In order for the ethnic groups involved in the conflict to negotiate and compromise, the availability of social space plays a pivotal role.

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Ethnicity, Language, and Identity in Kenya

Cited by 3 publications

References 23 publications

Indigenising Facebook language: Use of local languages in Facebook communication among a selected group of Kenyan internet users

Indigenising Facebook language: Use of local languages in Facebook communication among a selected group of Kenyan internet users

Destroy their Tongue and Identity so that they will Never build the House: Language, Identity and (Under)development of Africa

Conflict Management in Multiethnic Communities: a Case Study in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

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