Book Chapters

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Religion and Online Community in African Contexts
(Oxford University Press, 2022-10) Musa, Bala A.; Lando, Agnes Lucy
Spirituality and religion define the African worldview and lifeworld. From time immemorial, community and religion have been the driving forces that have shaped African culture. This chapter looks at how new media communications interface with religion and community. The chapter examines how cybermedia both strengthens and threatens these critical foundations of Africa’s communal religions and religious communalism. It critiques technological and cultural determinism and indeterminism in relation to religion and online community in Africa. The questions that emerge include who sets the agenda and ethos for the online faith community or communities, when interactions, leadership structures and focal points are diffused and decentered? Others include what elements of religion in the online environment are liberating, empowering, helpful, or detrimental to the mission of faith communities. The chapter proposes ways to balance enduring core values of community with the instrumentality and novelty of worshipping under the “glocal” electronic tent.
Research Methods for African Scholarship Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Socio-cultural Methods in African Countries
(Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2024) Langmia, Kehbuma; Onwumechili, Chuka; Ayiro, Laban Peter; Lando, Agnes Lucy
This book spotlights and demystifies under-researched elements of research design to support successful research initiatives undertaken by students in African universities. This volume marks a significant and important move way from research design books rooted in European and American socio-cultural context, and places emphasis on contextual realities in Africa. Attending to socio-cultural oral and written methods of eliciting data from participants; contextual sampling techniques; oral and third-party open ended survey instrumentation; and multi-prong data analysis schemes that emphasize ontological, epistemological, and axiological findings, these chapters constitute a novel and much-needed focus on realities and examples from the continent of Africa. Written by African scholars, the book will appeal to post-graduate students and early-career scholars and researchers with interests in research methods across the social sciences.
Journalists’ Frequent Movement from One Media House to Another Expose Emerging Challenges of Media Management in Africa in the Digital Age
(Springer, 2017) Lando, Agnes Lucy
Job hopping is not a new phenomenon. World over, people have, and continue to move from one employer to another, or from one job to another, based on a myriad reasons. The media industry, therefore, is not an exception. However, it seems that with technological advancement, and with a much more variety of media to work for, Media Practitioners’ (MPs) hopping is not only frequent but leaves an indomitable mark on the media house, employer, colleagues and the audiences. That MPs hop is not the essence of this study. But rather because hopping is more rampant in this digital age, due to the many media houses and opportunities available seems to be an indicator of emerging challenges of media management in the Continent. For instance, immediately after the 4th March 2013 General Elections in Kenya, a major media house lost 21 key MPs to a competitor. Such an abrupt occurrence definitely affects the station, colleagues and audiences. Therefore, knowing the reasons why MPs hop could enable media managers (employers) handle the challenge of media hopping and lessen the turnover in their respective media houses.
Modelling a Catholic University to Meet the 21st Century Challenges
(CUEA Press, 2011) Lando, Agnes Lucy; Gichure, Peter Ignatius; Kanakulya, Jim B.
Language and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace: critical approaches to theory and practice
(Routledge, 2017) Lando, Agnes Lucy; Muthuri, Linda; Odira, Paul R.
McLuhan (1964) foresaw a time where cultures would be united through technology in what he called the global village. This would be the new form of social organization that would inevitably unite the entire world into one great social, political, and cultural system (Baran & Davis, 2009). It is argued in much of the literature on the intercultural workplace that with an increasingly globalized community comes an increasingly globalized and diverse workforce. As Blommaert (2010) correctly puts it, the world has increasingly become interconnected and is marked by more and more mobility of both people and commodities, including language and faith (italics added). Thus, one’s faith – like one’s culture and language – accompanies the individual wherever the person goes. Consequently, faith, in this sense, should also be part of the globalization debate as much as other sociocultural and economic topics.
The Handbook of Global Communication and Media Ethics
(Wiley Blackwell, 2011) Fortner, Robert S. (Ed); Fackler, P. Mark
Despite having 60 stellar authors, there are topics that even they could not cover. There are simply too many problems that, unless you sit down and try to imagine creatively what they could be, would probably never be considered. There were also topics that we could not get an author to address and others that, because of pregnancies, new responsibilities or preexisting commitments, appropriate authors could not commit to write about. We could easily have filled a third volume in this handbook if everyone we contacted had been able to write. Instead of 49 essays, we might have been able to tackle as many as 100. However, this is academe in the age of publish or perish. What these two volumes did do – and we trust will do for a reader – is expand our collective understanding of ethics in the new global environment. Globalism does not merely make problems more complicated than they were in the days of isolated political ideologies, more restricted technologies, or independent media practices, it also introduces entirely new issues. The nations of the world have been committed for several decades now to the idea of communication as a human right. It is clear that these same nations do not necessarily practice what they preach. Sovereignty interferes with the ability of collectivities of nations to demand adherence to international agreements. What, then, is the most ethical position to take in this matter? Is it more ethical to demand that a right to communicate be practiced despite changes in political climates, the rise of hate parties, and the development of indigenous frameworks for ethics? Or must the principles developed during the Enlightenment and beyond within Western political traditions grounded in a Judeo-Christian ethic be applied universally? Does ethics trump faith, or is the other way around? Within a given nation, even when demographics change, there are usually ethical, political, or legal traditions that survive. But not always. The demand of Muslims for the application of Sharia in their communities, for instance, has upset traditions within nonreligious regimes. Does Sharia put non-Muslims at risk when their ethical practices may not accord with it? What happens, too, when globalization makes multinational corporations more significant in many people’s lives than their own domestic governments? What are the ethics that should be applied in a situation where financial institutions in one country have made commitments in another that they suffer a monetary meltdown? Does the recipient nation “owe” protection to institutions outside its own borders? Is it ethical that the citizens of one rich nation live lifestyles that are dependent on the underpaid labor of another – even if the labor now has work and more income than it ever had before? What are the ethics that should apply to the public discourse about global warming when it is clearly a few nations that are the primary culprits in the phenomenon? What are the ethics that should apply in the information distribution arena where some intelligence is provided by news organizations exercising editorial discretion (or even bias) and some provided by entrepreneurial bloggers or “citizen journalists?” Do the ethics of a profession prevail, must different ethical standards be accepted due to the differential status of these new competitors, or is ethics out the window entirely? Do both types of news gathering and dissemination “owe” the public that access their material the same standards? Where does the so-called “public’s right to know” begin and end in such an environment? We could go on for pages with sets of these questions. Rather than do that, however, we took on the task of recruiting the best minds that we could find – and we are sure there are many others out there that we did not locate – to tackle many of the significant issues raised by the new international context within which ethics must be practiced – insofar as it applies to the activities that collectively make up communication work. Our hope is that each reader will find the essays we have collected here to be enlightening and challenging.
Using Media to Resolve Media Engendered Ethnic Conflicts in Multiracial Societies: The Case of Somalis of Kenyan Origin
(IGI Global., 2016) Lando, Agnes Lucy
Due to varied reasons, all nations host people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Kenya, a nation of 40 million people with over 40 tribes, is not exempt. Further, Kenya, like any other nation, suffers ethnic conflicts. The most pronounced ethnic conflicts have been the 2007-2008 Post Election Violence and the 1990s land clashes. These clashes were visible to the local and international community because people were killed, displaced and properties destroyed. However, there is a covert ethnic conflict in Kenya. This is the subtle plight of the Somalis of Kenya origin who find themselves in constant conflict with the “other” Kenyans. Based on 2014 research findings, this chapter exposes the ethnic conflicts Somalis of Kenyan origin endure. From the findings, it is apparent that the ethnic plights of Somalis of Kenyan origin are media engendered and can, to a great extent, be resolved by media.
Impact of Communication and the Media on Ethnic Conflict
(Information Science Reference, 2016) Gibson, Steven; Lando, Agnes Lucy
Throughout the world, cultural and racial clashes remain a major hurdle to development and progress. Though some areas are experiencing successful intercultural communications which pave the way for peaceful negotiations, there are still many regions experiencing severe turmoil. Impact of Communication and the Media on Ethnic Conflict focuses on both the positive and negative outcomes of communication and media usage, as well as the overall perceptions of these elements, within conflicting populations. Featuring theoretical perspectives on various intergroup interaction experiences within contemporary ethnic controversies, this publication will appeal to scholars, researchers, professors, and practitioners interested in ethnic studies, conflict resolution, communications, and global peace building
The Anatomy of Animation Films in Kenya
(2011) Ogutu, Raphael Nakhumbi; Mugubi, John Geofrey
This study dissects animation films in Kenya mainly in terms of manner. The study focuses on the substance of animation films and communicative strategies employed in 2D and 3Danimation films in Kenya. The study examines the techniques employed by selected Kenyan animators and the nexus between technique and message. Films selected for this study are: The legends of Ngong hills film (Bunitv 2011), films sampled from Tinga Tinga tales series: why lion roars, why chicken pecks the ground and why lizard hides under the rocks (Homeboyz Animation- first episode 2011), Greedy lords of the Jungle, Africa’s next top poet, Shadowboxing, Driving test, Miss match, Lunchtime woes, Savannah drama, Two olds (RECON-Digital 2009-2012), and Wageuzi Battle 2012 (Afrikana Digital 2011). The study employed a qualitative study design that comprised: library research, thematic content analysis of selected films, focus group discussions and interviews with various respondents. The triangulation approach guided data collection for focus group discussions, interviews as well as content analysis of the selected films. Three theoretical perspectives employed include: Social Cognitive Theory, the Conventionalist theory of pictorial representation, and the Neo-representation theory that guided the analysis of this study
Play Theory and Public Media: A Case Study in Kenya
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2014-03-28) Obonyo, Levi; Fackler, P. Mark
This chapter focuses on common play, the first public activity most humans learn and practice. The authors use play theory to explain the significance of editorial cartooning in Kenya. They suggest that, in developing democracies that cannot assume universal literacy, media users concerned about public life receive initial and meaningful information on politics through conventions associated with the editorial cartoon. They argue that cartoon viewers learn through this play mode rather than from public debate or through a rational articulation of issues. The five cartoonists interviewed here describe their work in ways uncommon for the press establishment, and they evince values like courage, criticism of entrenched power, and passion for justice – values that the press establishment reveres, yet practices much more conservatively.
Parental Engagement in School and Educational Programmes for Immigrant Learners
(IGI Global, 2021) Gachari, Regina; Kinuthia, Jane; Wambua, Brenda Mueni
This chapter explores the dynamics of parental involvement in immigrant learners' education with specific focus on areas of involvement, possible challenges, and strategic ways of mitigation against such challenges. Parental support may take a variety of ways including learning activities at home, family involvement at school, school outreach programs that engage families such as volunteerism and supportive parenting activities. In this endeavor, challenges such as language barrier, culture conflicts, teachers' perceptions of parents and learners, literacy levels of the immigrant parents, curriculum diversities, as well as unavailability of resources are likely to arise. Mitigating strategies explored in this chapter include forums for educators and immigrant parents, training for parents on effective communication and school policies, as well as regular evaluation of parental support programs. This information is critical for educators and policy makers since it illuminates factors affecting the partnerships between schools and home environments for immigrant learners.
Secondary breakthrough workbook English, form 3
(Moran Publishers LTD, 2012) Wamulama, O; Wambua, Brenda Mueni; Akombo, A.S
Breakthrough Workbook English Form 3 is specifically developed to meet not only the needs of students and teachers but also give parents a chance to stay involved in their children’s education. The benefits of Breakthrough Workbooks are: • Helps the student in understanding the concepts learnt in class by answering the numerous challenging questions under self-check quiz section. • Encourage independent evaluation: students can do exercises alone thus promoting skill development and retention. • The jog your mind section encourages deeper thinking by the student. • Model exam papers covering the whole syllabus help the student prepare for KCSE and other exams. • Comprehensively cover the syllabus content, level by level: guaranteeing success in KCSE. • Contain sufficient objective to objective revision and self-assessment exercises. • Effective tools for Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) on opening/entry, mid and end of term exams to boost value added progress (VAP) • Offer students a unique opportunity to work independently at home and in school. • Contain answers to enable students evaluate themselves. • Written by experienced practicing teachers and examiners.
Supporting Second Language Learners in Higher Education
(IGI Global, 2020) Wambua, Brenda Mueni; Gachari, Regina; Kinuthia, Jane
The concepts discussed in this chapter were conceptualized out of the experiences of lecturers and researchers who have from time to time found themselves in situations where their learners require extra support for them to navigate through the academic rigor expected of them. Linguistic competence of the language of instruction has been proven to contribute significantly to a learner's success since through this medium, knowledge is acquired and disseminated. Language can thus be a facilitator or impediment of knowledge acquisition. Thus, institutions of higher learning must strive to put in place strategic mechanisms to support learners especially in a time when higher education is experiencing greater internationalization with diverse learners. The chapter discusses strategies that would support such learners, with a view of encouraging the players in higher education to explore opportunities for such support which may be available both inside and outside the classroom.
Forced migration: A cause to syncretism of African musical forms, identities and cultural meanings
(Routledge, 2020) Ogari, Everline Kwamboka
Forced Migration entails tracing and studying the historical background of migration of Africans to America and other European countries; Forced Migration endeared itself to buying and selling of Africans who were acculturated to the European-American cultural forms that caused the syncretism of Africans' musical forms, identities and cultural meanings. Through the analysis of Kenyan traditional music, this chapter explores the historical background and provides examples of African musical styles before and after Colonialism, and examines how Forced Migration largely affected the development of African musical forms, identities and cultural meanings.
Africana Symbolic Contextualism Theory Authors
(Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018) Nguru, Faith; Lando, Agnes Lucy
John S. Mbiti, a renowned African theologian, once described Africans as notoriously religious (Mbiti, African Religions & Philosophy. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers, 1969/2011). The modern expression of their religiosity is found in the two main Christian denominations; the Roman Catholic and the various Protestant denominations as well as remnants of African traditional religions that sometimes find their way into mainstream Christianity. It is against this general background that our discussion in the Black African communication chapter, with a focus on the Africans’ religious perspective, will be anchored. The knowledge system of Christians in the Eastern and Southern regions of Africa forms the context of our study. This chapter analyzes how the religious worldview influences communication patterns and systems at the interpersonal and group communication levels.

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