A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Project Planning In Maasai Community In Mvomero District, Tanzania

EXTENDED ABSTRACT 

This study employed a Fairclough framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to uncover the way socio-cultural practices within Maasai community are constructed by the used discourses in project planning. Three sets of research questions guided the study: (i) What are the leading discourses used in the documents related to project implemented in the Maasai community?; (ii) How ideas and discourses related to pastoralists are produced, by whom and under who interest and in what context?; and (iii) what are the effects of discursive representation of pastoralists in a wider socio-cultural context? The study used qualitative research approach that employed CDA as an underlying methodology in an analysis of the eight project documents for the projects implemented in Maasai community in Mvomero District. In this study, CDA provided a sociological explanation of language used in the project documents with particular interest in “ideology, social relations and the relationship between text and context”. This study found that leading discourses within the analyzed documents were grounded within three broad themes: pastoralism as a problematic livelihood; nomadic lifestyle and culture; and pastoralist’s relationship with other social groups. In all of these themes, the study revealed an overwhelmed negative representation of the Maasai community. This study revealed further that the discourses used in interventions developed as a means to respond to Maasai community challenges are produced, distributed and consumed in the way that responds more to the interests of project staff and funding agencies rather than Maasai community. Further analysis found three categories of constructive effects that are attributable to the discourses used in project planning in Maasai community: identity constructive effects; social relation construction effects; and ideational function effects. The identified constructive effects were also dominated by misconceptions and negative perceptions of pastoralists that continue to marginalize them and their livelihood. The study concludes that this kind of representation iii can be regarded as misleading on Maasai community socio-cultural context which further may undermine efforts aimed at addressing different challenges associated with Maasai peoples’ welfare. Therefore, this study suggests a critical review of any development model on its relevancy on the particular environment before its adoption in development actions in the Maasai community. In addition, there should be an effective public information campaigns to help people understand and changing people’s mindset on the past longstanding drawn misconceptions in the Maasai community. Furthermore, this study suggests a full analysis on cultural, socio-economic benefits as well as political implications of the designed plans in Maasai community instead of relying only on economic aspects. Also the Maasai should be centered in local and national discourses that relate to their economic and socio-cultural contexts.