Impact of Cultural Heritage Television Documentaries on Shaping People's Identity A Mixed Methods Case Study of Nairobi National Museum

Abstract

People's identity is an important part of humanity that takes significance at individual, community and national levels. Identity is visible in people culture that is passed down through generations. Currently in Kenya there is erosion and degradation of cultural values that distinguish on community from the others; the unique identity. Africa continues to suffe from hunger, poverty and ethnic clashes due to low degree of identity awareness. Television documentaries on people's cultural heritage are 2 tool that has re-shaped and reinforced the degraded identity. High degree of identity awareness develops self-esteem, confidence and creativity leading to a society's well being and ultimately peace and development. This research presents a mixed method study employing exploratory research design and examining the impact of the usage of cultural heritage television documentaries in shaping people's identity. A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth interviews, with a sample drawn from heritage, broadcast and educational sectors. The second phase was quantitative study that used an experiment that tested 'cause and effect of the usage of cultural heritage television documentaries. During the experiment, the experimental group was given a pre-test and then treated to watching a cultural heritage television documentary produced by Nairobi National Museum and lastly given a post-test. The results were compared to the results of a control group that was tested without treatment. The results indicate that the documentaries contribute to learning and reinforcement of people's identity, appreciation for the other communities and the recognition of national identity.