Page 393 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

368 C.D. Stonebanks

Serve’” was to create, in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s own analysis “of his headmaster’s
goal – ‘efficient machines for running a colonial system’” (p. 11). Among Ngũgĩ
wa Thiong’o’s prolific writing is Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language
in African Literature (1986), where the argument is made for African authors and
artists to reject imperialist languages and recreate in their own native tongue. This
call to action is a direct assault on the concerted efforts of the Europeanizing civi-
lization that was imposed upon him during his youth. Turning back to the young
preservice teacher, I wondered if the “civilization” he and his peers had received
really had made a positive difference in their lives. This brought to mind the
preservice teachers I worked with in Cree communities who would initially respond
in class to questions based on what they thought was expected of them as opposed
to what they knew (Stonebanks 2008b). I wanted to ask, in what way do you see
this endeavor of imparting “civilization” on the people of Malawi as beneficial?
Has it worked? One answer to these questions that could be inferred from the his-
tory of colonization in this area of Malawi was the source of the preservice teacher’s
influences:
David Livingstone has been both missionary icon and missionary villain in the past. For
many he was the epitome of mission pioneering and for others an imperialistic missionary
paternalist with few if any fruit. (Conradie 2007, p. 144)
One needs to only spend a short time in Malawi and possess a slight passing
interest in history to connect the historic figure of David Livingstone – missionary,
abolitionist and medical doctor – to the education system. Livingstone’s influential
“3-C’s,” namely, Christianity, Commerce and Civilization, are synonymous with
his name and with the development and current condition of Malawi. Despite that,
Nkomazana (1998) objects, noting that Livingstone has been unfairly “attacked” by
critics in recent times “for having led the way for European colonization of Africa”
(p. 45). Livingstone is a contentious and misunderstood figure. From a purely anec-
dotal observation, it can be noted that that Livingstone is also a cherished figure
among the people of Malawi and he is admired for good reason:
Livingstone saw the problems of slave trade and illiteracy to be among the greatest blocks
to Christian progress and economic progress in Africa. The introduction of education, he
thought, would prepare African people for development and would also provoke African
initiatives in the development of their natural resources. Livingstone believed that the
development of agriculture and industry would raise people’s standards of living and even-
tually overcome their greatest enemy, “slavery.” (Nkomazana 1998 p. 45)
Missionary villain or hero, Conardie (2007) recognizes that, although distorted in
Livingstone’s own opinion, “(h)is ideas and vision for the fusion of Christianity and
commerce was used to morally justify and glorify British Empire. (…) Civilization
had been used to impose the will of the Imperial powers to conform to the example
of ‘Civilized Europe’ in order to produce goods for the ‘Mother country’ …
Civilization therefore became synonymous with colonialism and oppression” (p.
145). The young preservice teacher’s response to my questions about schooling
suggested that there remains a residual of effect of Livingstone’s efforts in Malawi.
Twisted or misunderstood, as some may argue, the legacy of Livingstone remains