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Empowering Women as Mothers? Stories of resistance, reaction and hope for a better life

González De Peñarrieta, María Sandra LU (2010) SIMT26 20101
Master of Science in Development Studies
Graduate School
Education
Abstract
This thesis deals with the vital issue of empowerment in development work and development projects, a multimillion dollar enterprise which engages donors,governmental agencies and governments. More specifically the thesis deals with a development intervention in education as social policy in Uruguay, investigated as a case study. The methodological intention is to present the voices of the subjects of development, in this case the mothers of the children who are the primary targets of the development intervention. Using Critical Pedagogy,Postructuralism, and Post-colonial studies, the results of interviews and observations are analyzed to disclose identity construction in the framework of
development discourse. The results show that... (More)
This thesis deals with the vital issue of empowerment in development work and development projects, a multimillion dollar enterprise which engages donors,governmental agencies and governments. More specifically the thesis deals with a development intervention in education as social policy in Uruguay, investigated as a case study. The methodological intention is to present the voices of the subjects of development, in this case the mothers of the children who are the primary targets of the development intervention. Using Critical Pedagogy,Postructuralism, and Post-colonial studies, the results of interviews and observations are analyzed to disclose identity construction in the framework of
development discourse. The results show that women's opportunities for
empowerment within the framework of the intervention are limited to individual empowerment, rather than group mobilization that could affect the broader context that has positioned them, and keeps them in this subjugated position. The development discourse disclosed through the analysis, maintains a conceptualization of empowerment and participation that functions to reproduce colonial ways of categorizing and objectifying people. The possibility of counteract this with women´s development of critical consciousness, that would allow them to become aware of their embeddedness in power relations that subjugate them, is discussed. The results clearly indicate the need for dialogue and the necessity to make power relations explicit while at the same time clarifying the significance of historical and social relations in the context for development. (Less)
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author
González De Peñarrieta, María Sandra LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMT26 20101
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
empowerment, participation, critical consciousness, development discourse, post-colonial
language
English
id
1613400
date added to LUP
2010-06-29 11:20:26
date last changed
2014-09-04 08:37:03
@misc{1613400,
  abstract     = {{This thesis deals with the vital issue of empowerment in development work and development projects, a multimillion dollar enterprise which engages donors,governmental agencies and governments. More specifically the thesis deals with a development intervention in education as social policy in Uruguay, investigated as a case study. The methodological intention is to present the voices of the subjects of development, in this case the mothers of the children who are the primary targets of the development intervention. Using Critical Pedagogy,Postructuralism, and Post-colonial studies, the results of interviews and observations are analyzed to disclose identity construction in the framework of
development discourse. The results show that women's opportunities for
empowerment within the framework of the intervention are limited to individual empowerment, rather than group mobilization that could affect the broader context that has positioned them, and keeps them in this subjugated position. The development discourse disclosed through the analysis, maintains a conceptualization of empowerment and participation that functions to reproduce colonial ways of categorizing and objectifying people. The possibility of counteract this with women´s development of critical consciousness, that would allow them to become aware of their embeddedness in power relations that subjugate them, is discussed. The results clearly indicate the need for dialogue and the necessity to make power relations explicit while at the same time clarifying the significance of historical and social relations in the context for development.}},
  author       = {{González De Peñarrieta, María Sandra}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Empowering Women as Mothers? Stories of resistance, reaction and hope for a better life}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}