Page 186 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

11 Developing a Sustainable Agricultural Curriculum in Malawi: Reconciling a Colonial Legacy 163

Reflections

As a citizen from an affluent western country, I have learned humility and gained
much respect for the culture and people of Malawi. From my first encounters with
Malawians, I found my students and friends to be incredibly resourceful and open
to learning about new ideas that are essential to the survival of their environment
and culture. Although widespread poverty still exists amongst the beautiful tea
plantations and throughout the country, revitalization of the commons is essential
for the Malawians to maintain their sense of place and cultural identity. It was very
gratifying to find strong examples of communities reconnecting with their tradi-
tional culture through our research and curriculum work related to ecojustice in
Malawi. I look with amazement and admiration at the strong sense of caring that
the citizens show for each other.
I have also learned that the empowerment of Malawian people requires that
they understand how their colonial legacy and continued globalization affects
their future livelihood, culture, and sense of identity. The students I worked with
were willing to discuss sustainability issues that have affected their families for
generations; however, it was only after working as equal partners over time that I
was able to gain the trust of Malawians to share these deep-rooted issues associ-
ated with colonialism. In my role as a researcher and professor, listening to the
voices and ideas of Malawians was essential for developing an understanding of
their indigenous knowledge that was essential for developing an ecojustice cur-
riculum. In the process, I realized that I had as much to learn about myself and
place in the world as I did about the continuing plight of Africans for a sustainable
future.
Although Malawian children are most familiar with their local village life, the
opportunity exists through ecojustice education to be connected to the larger global
society. Through a place-based and community-centered approach, the Malawians
are in the process of developing these connections by valuing their own culture and
traditional knowledge while at the same time expanding their understandings of
global socioscientific issues. By connecting indigenous agricultural practices to
western science concepts, teachers and children will learn to value knowledge and
practices that are part of their everyday lives. Although western science has pro-
duced many benefits for improving our standard of living, we have much to learn
from Africans and their legacy of living sustainably.

References

Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. London: Routledge.
Boahen, A. A. (1987). African perspectives on colonialism. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins
University Press.
Bowers, C. (2001). Educating for ecojustice and community. Athens: The University of Georgia
Press.