Introduction
Ethnography refers to a designed research that explores the cultural phenomena of a group of people residing in a certain geographical location. The discipline reflects on the history, way of life and all social characteristics of the targeted people. An analysis of the organization, relationships between ethnic groups, settlements, and climatic terrain are substantial factors towards understanding the way of living and the reality of the habitat group. Furthermore, ethnographical research gives a clear view of how people and the society deal with sociological problems as they encounter in everyday life. Racism, drug addiction and illiteracy are among the common social problems facing the community in a social context. This paper presents an ethnographical research of Mombasa, a coastal city found in Kenya, east Africa. The research will explore the social problems of the city based on a reflection to my vocational tour visit of the region for a period of three months.
Question 1
Mombasa is among the oldest towns in the East African region and the second largest Kenyan city. Recent statistics show that the city has a population of about 1.2 million residents. The existence of an international airport and a large port makes the city both an economic hub and a tourist destination center. The main town is an island. It borders the Indian Ocean several creeks. The main connections to the mainland are the Tudor creak, a causeway, ‘Likoni’ ferry, the ‘Nyali’ bridge and the Port Reitz. The city is known to be a popular commercial center due to its strategic location. Majority of inhabitants are the ‘Mijikenda’ ethnic groups and the Swahili people. However, the Arabs, Hindus, Europeans -both tourists and residents have also occupied the place over centauries. Islam and Christianity are the most practiced religions in the area. The city has a wet and dry tropical climate. Many touristic landmarks such as the Fort Jesus, beautiful sand beaches and luxury hotels make the city a center of all tourist activities in Kenya. Buses, motorbikes, taxies and train are the local means of transport within the city.
Question 2
As earlier discussed, Mombasa has a variety of ethnical residents and races from different parts of the world. They include the white, Asians and the local black people. The white are known to have settled on the region as a result of tourist activities. Majority of those are the British, Italians, and Germans among others. The Asians are the oldest race to visit and settle in the area. They are mainly business people with craft and entrepreneurial skills. The native black people are the original inhabitants of the town. However, they are less economical empowered due to their high levels of illiteracy. Therefore, majority of the Mijikenda live under extreme poverty in the outskirts of the main town.
The Asian ethnic group enjoys power over the other races within the city. This is because, as the most skilled business people, they economically control the area. They invested and hold most major businesses such as tourism, industrial, transport and the commercial sectors. Evidently, this is due to their levels of education attainment. Majority of them hold university degrees and necessary academic qualifications to manage and run business hence highly competitive in the economical context. Therefore, the Asians not only enjoy economical power but also political and social influence. They are the owners of capital and have employed many native residents. Racism is a common practice in Mombasa. The fact is, the Asians - having the power, enjoy more opportunities. The natives are left behind working as security guards, service men and office assistants. It is this power that enables the Asians to influence the region politically for their commercial and economical gain. Although most elective posts are occupied by the natives, they are only supported by the Asians with a reverse priority of service. The natives have no choice but to bear with wishes of the rich Asians and holders of power.
Question 3
During my daily routine on my vocational tour of Mombasa, I interacted with males and females regardless of their classical and religious affiliations. I visited several residential and commercial areas within the city where both males and females are connected by business and other kinds of relationships. However, majority of females are strongly tied with Islam values and code of conduct. Therefore, it became difficult for me in some scenarios to interact freely with the females. On the other hand, the males are highly interactive. More so, drug abuse seemed to affect the males more compared to the females. This presents an irony since the males enjoy high levels of academic and professional qualifications. This is because the culture of the region gives a boy child a priority over the girl child in matters of education.
About power, I noticed that the exact gender having the privilege is the male. This is again due to the fact that males get the much environmental support in whatever they do. For example, about ninety percent of the local elective posts are occupied by males. Seventy percent of holders of big businesses are actually males. I also noted an interesting trend that the larger part of this percentage comprises of males from the Asian community. On average, seventy percent of males aged forty years and above control all commercial sectors. This is aggregately higher compared to the figure of the females in this bracket. Since wealthy, political and economical chest is the measure of power, it is evident that the males exercise power of the females in Mombasa.
Question 4
Under the Kenyan system of education, children attend school for about sixteen years. This includes eight years of basic/primary education, four years of secondary education and finally four years of the university level of education. Thereafter, a person is ready for the job market. I noticed that, in Mombasa, the male figures fair highly compared to their female colleagues in terms of successfully accomplishment of the education system. Apparently, the same scenario tells much about how successful older males economically control the city of Mombasa. Equipped with all credentials of power, teenage males enter the economic set up with confidence. Thus they are highly involved in taking over and occupying the scare opportunities compared to the females. This explains why males gain power over females. However, this happens at later ages of life. For example, eighty percent of the rich and powerful people in the area are males aged fifty years and above. This reflects a poor trend of economical breakthrough for females residing in Mombasa.
It is difficult for the young people to prosper and maneuver in terms of power during their youth ages. Age is very essential in that the older. However, it is the same story that aged Asian males hold power over the other races and ethnic groups. Since they hold power, they even control the illegal businesses in the region. This includes drug trafficking among others. Ranging from teenage to the old age, the poor native groups remain powerless. It is due to this reason that such individuals remain oppressed by the large group of powerful Asians and holders of power.
Question 5
Interestingly, the few Mijikendas who are rich and educated oppress their fellow Mijikendas. This hatred is rife to the extent that, the rich Mijikendas prefer employing people from other parts of the country instead of their community members. Besides economic oppression, there exists some form of gender oppression. Although the community’s culture requires men to provide for the basic necessities. Most men use this responsibility to oppress their women by assigning them heavy house chores and even marrying other women without their consent. In most Mijikenda families, women do have the right to make key family decisions in the family such as purchase of family land, or the education of their children. Their roles are only centered in the upbringing of the children.
Question 6
As stated earlier, I had visited this town for the summer vacation. I was staying in one of the beach hotels located in Mombasa. During my stay at the hotel, I made friendship with one of the room attendant. He was an old man called Hamisi. Having brought up in this coastal town of Kenya, Hamisi was deeply informed with the way of life of this region. Hamisi furnished me with economical, social and political information of this area. This information greatly helped me understand the cultural background of the coastal people of Kenya.
Although there are cases of racism, most Mombasa people are accommodative and social. Since the Arab people wield so much influence in this area, the only religion which is dominant is Muslim. There are many Muslims in the area and this explains why there are many mosques in the area. Besides that, it is common to spot people wearing the Muslim attires such as Kanzus and Hijabs. Hamisi said that Muslim dominance was also due to the presence of Arab traders who have stayed for in the region for many years. Hamisi specifically pointed the arrival of Sultan Arabs in 1593 cemented the Muslim religion in the region. There are also other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism and some locals practice traditional religion.
According to Hamisi, the Arabs still control the political leadership of the area. He said even the few Locals who are in political power are connected to the affluent Arabs and rich people of the community. Therefore, the local indigenous community does have influence in key political decisions in the area. Hamisi further stated that, employment and promotion of workers in most sectors was based on political connections and not competence. For instance, most Arabs are given the top priority when it comes to employment. This situation further marginalizes the local community who are mostly poor.
Question 7
I was excited and happy to visit this place. This is because; I wanted to see the beautiful sandy beaches pictures that I was seeing in the internet. Besides that, I was eager to understand the cultural formation of this area. I have read a lot through the internet that, the Swahili language originated from this place due to the integration of the Local indigenous community, Arabs and Portuguese. Therefore, this trip provided an opportunity to fully explore the economic, social, political formation of this area.
However, I was shocked to discover that, the Mombasa people were oppressing each other in some ways. Initially, I thought since the people are accommodative, they also respected each other, but it is clear, some people racially abuse others.
Question 8
My participation in the intensive interviewing process helped me appreciate the way of life of the Mombasa people. In fact, my conversation with Hamisi boosted my understanding of the different cultural frameworks of different people. More specifically, the trip helped me understand the origin of the Swahili people and their culture. I discovered that the Swahili people trace their roots to the integration of the Arabs and local Africans culture in the 16th century.
It is rational to say that, the observation of the cultural formation of this area is comparable to the following sociological perspective of sociology; structural functionalism, conflict theory, critical realism (co-presence) and symbolic interactionism. The conflict theory highlights the social, political inequality in the society and criticizes the socio-political framework. On the other hand, structural functionism encourages stability and equity in the society. Critical realism describes the relation between natural and social formation of the society. Finally, symbolic interactions explain why people behave in unique ways based on the attachments of the things surrounding them. The attachments are derived from social integrations and described by interpretations. All the four perspective explain a unique element of sociological formation. However, the most effective perspective which explains my observation and adventure is the symbolic interactionism theory. This is because it provides a detailed background of why some people behave in unique ways in different surroundings. For instance, it relates my observation of why Arabs abuse the local indigenous community who in turn abuse fellow community members and their women.
Works Cited
Brewer, John D. Ethnography. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2000. Print.
Lowry, Ritchie P. Social Problems: A Critical Analysis of Theories and Public Policy. Lexington, Mass: Heath, 1973. Print.
Parrillo, Vincent N. Encyclopedia of Social Problems. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2008. Internet resource.
