School of Education and Social sciences
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Item A metaphoric analysis of Miriri’s Ekegusii pop song Ebunda(2021) Ntabo, Victor Ondara; Ouma, George OgalThe study undertakes a metaphoric analysis of the animal metaphors in Miriri’s Ekegusii pop song “Ebunda” (a donkey) to reveal meaning. The meaning of the animal metaphors in the song might be elusive to the majority of the fans because metaphor is principally a matter of thought and action which is often situated in a specific context. The study employed the descriptive research design to describe the metaphors as used in the song. First, four coders (including the researchers) were employed to identify the metaphors in the song through the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit. Secondly, the metaphors in the song were classified into animal metaphors based on the levels of the principle of Great Chain of Being metaphor (GCBM). The animal metaphors in “Ebunda” were then explained using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study reveals that animals are stratified source domains used to effectively conceptualize human beings as highlighted in the song. In addition, the animal metaphors in “Ebunda” are used on a cognitive basis to reveal the perceptions Abagusii (the native speakers of Ekegusii) have about some animals in society. Metaphors are crucial ways of communication and are best explained using the Cognitive Linguistics paradigm.Item Unpacking modified idiomatic expressions in Kenyan political discourse: A cognitive linguistic perspective(2022) Ogal, George Ouma; Kirigia, Eliud Kiruji; Ntabo, Victor OndaraPolitical discourse employs colorful expressions to establish strong relationships with the audience. Speakers or writers exploit the relationship between human language and socio-political experiences to initiate creative discourses through modification of expressions. Against this background, this study sets out to investigate the meaning of modified idiomatic expressions in Kenyan political discourse. The study has two objectives: to describe the structural and lexical modification of idiomatic expressions and to interpret the modified forms using vital relations. The study employs descriptive research design. The study randomly sampled ten idioms used during the 2017 General Elections and used content analysis to establish the lexical and structural relationships between the canonical and modified expressions. The idioms were analyzed using the Conceptual Integration Theory to preserve the link between two expressions and account for the emergent meaning. The study found that Kenyan political discourse achieves figurative competencies through modified idioms. Interpretation of modified idioms requires a thorough understanding of vital relations and pragmatic inferences. Further, Cognitive Linguistics establishes backstage cognition and supplies the elements omitted by grammar. The study concludes that modified idiomatic expressions achieve contextual significance. Consumers of modified idiomatic expressions should immerse themselves in the socio-political backgrounds to unmask the emergent meaning.Item Representation of young people in Ekegusii proverbial metaphors: An image schematic account.(2023) Ndung’u, Catherine Waithera; Ntabo, Victor OndaraProverbial metaphors are useful resources for communicating known truths about life in a given community. Most African proverbial metaphors, however, make reference to customs and situations that might be unfamiliar to some language users especially young people. On the basis of this background, this study employed image schemas to interpret Ekegusii proverbial metaphors that allude to young people. The research was anchored within descriptive research design. Primary data was collected from four Ekegusii respondents of an advanced age of at least seventy years old through an interview schedule. The collected data were then subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universities (MIPVU) in which four annotators were used to identify Ekegusii proverbial metaphors. Seven Ekegusii proverbial metaphors that refer to young people were identified through MIPVU. The identified proverbial metaphors were then subjected to the FORCE and CONTAINER schemas and their subsidiary schemas for analysis. The paper reveals that there are norms and customs regarding young people that are conveyed through Ekegusii proverbial metaphors. In addition, image schemas are fundamental in explaining the role, place, and cultural expectations of young men and women in Gusii. The study concludes that proverbial metaphors are useful tools of communication, and should be interpreted using Cognitive Linguistics paradigm.Item The Role of Plantosemic Metaphors in the Conceptualization of the Males in Ekegusii: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach(2023) Ndung’u, Catherine Waithera; Ntabo, Victor OndaraPlants are fundamental in the transference of semantic aspects that are helpful in structuring maleness in society. As a result, plantosemic metaphors which enhance conceptualization of omosacha (a man) are ubiquitous in Ekegusii. This study employed conceptual mappings to evaluate Ekegusii plantosemic metaphors. The study adopted descriptive research design. First, an interview schedule was utilised to establish the terms used to describe men in Ekegusii from 48 Ekegusii native respondents purposively sampled using the criterion of gender. The collected terms were then subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU) in which four annotators undertook the MIPVU procedure. Through MIPVU, ten metaphors were identified. The study then selected three metaphors that describe a man as a plant hence the Ekegusii plantosemic metaphors for analysis. The study reveals that Ekegusii plantosemic metaphors are critical in validating the culturally assigned roles to men among Abagusii. Moreover, the principle of conceptual mappings is useful in divulging critical issues concerning gender relations between men and women in Gusii. The paper concludes that metaphor is a valuable tool of communication and should be explained using the Cognitive Linguistics framework.Item Evaluating the Performance of Tree-Based Predictive Models as Programme Recommenders for University Entrants in Kenya.(2024-10) Kabiru, Kibuthi J.; Makiya, Ratemo C.; Anduvare, E. M.Enrolling for the wrong programme by university students has, to an extent, contributed to the high rates of discontinuation on academic grounds, repeat year cases, change of programme after registration, interuniversity transfers, deferments to change programme, drop out cases, suspension over exam irregularities as well as to strikes. This study focused on finding a technological solution for reducing these cases by evaluating three tree-based predictive models and recommending the most predictive model to implement as a programme recommender. Data was collected in five selected public universities in Kenya using Google Forms. The respondents were 308 translating to 308 rows of data with 36 columns. Numpy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Sklearn, Seaborn, Scipy, Plotly python analytics libraries were deployed using Jupyter Notebook for Anaconda. The cleaned and processed dataset features had categorical variables thus one-hot-encoding technique was employed. Data was split for training and testing with the random_state set to 42. Gini index criteria was implemented. The three models were evaluated on their performance from the optimally split data for training and test with a 80:20 ratio. Random Forest (RF) came out the most predictive at 99.3% followed by Gradient Boosting (XG Boost) at 90% then Decision Tree (DT) at 80.93%. The testing accuracy score for RF was 81.72%, XGBoost was at 75.72% and DT was at 76.34%. Confusion matrix criterion was implemented to evaluate the performance of the three models. The results of this study have demonstrated the high accuracy level of RF as the most predictive tree-based model for this real-world University crisis. The model is recommended for development as a system to be integrated into the KUCCPS portal. The integrated system is dubbed Programme Recommender which if launched would highly predict the best programme of study for application by university entrants.Item Influence of Political and Cultural Factors on Education in Kenya: Approaches to Build Competencies(2015-05) Kiambati, Kellen; Itunga, JuliusEducation has received considerable attention worldwide; however, its low success rate in Kenya both in terms of quality and quantity warrants further investigation. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of political and cultural factors on education. The political factor constitutes government resource support, internet and policy on quality of teachers whereas the cultural factor focuses on early marriages, polygamy and female genital mutilations. Drawing on the theory of source-position performance, source of education should be promoted through various approaches. In the paper we propose a couple of approaches to build capability.Item Putting on a Brave Face: The Experiences of Women living with HIV and AIDS in Informal Settlements of Nairobi Kenya(Taylor & Francis, 2007-03-07) Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, M.; Okeng'o, L.; Wagura, A.; Mwenzwa, E.This paper examines two key dimensions of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, namely poverty and gender, within the particular context of informal settlements. The study, conducted in five informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya explored the challenges facing women living with HIV and AIDS (WLWA) in informal settlements in Nairobi in terms of the specific risk environments of informal settlements, the support they receive and their perceptions of their future. The data were gathered through an interviewer-based questionnaire administered to 390 WLWA and 20 key informant interviews with Kenya Network of Women with AIDS (KENWA) project personnel. The results show that for WLWA in informal settlements, poverty and poor living conditions combine to increase the risk environment for HIV infection and other opportunistic infections and that the WLWA then face HIV- and AIDS-related problems that are exacerbated by poverty and by the poor living environments. In response, the WLWA had devised coping strategies that were largely centred on survival, including commercial sex work and the sale of illicit liquor, thus increasing their susceptibility to re-infections. Insecurity in informal settlements curtailed their participation in income generating activities (IGAs) and increased their risk of rape and HIV re-infection. Recognising the disadvantaged position of communities in informal settlements, the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) provide a range of services including HIV and AIDS information and therapy. Paradoxically, living in urban informal settlements was found to increase WLWA's access to HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment services through NGOs and social networks that are not found in more established residential areas. The sustainability of these services is, however, questioned, given the lack of local resources, weak state support and high donor dependency. We suggest that the economic and tenure insecurity found among WLWA demands in response consistent support through comprehensive, sustainable HIV and AIDS services complemented by social networks and community sensitisation against stigma and discrimination. Fundamentally, the upgrading of informal settlements would address the wider risk environments that exacerbate the poor health of the WLWA who line in them.Item GENDER, LAND OWNERSHIP AND FOOD PRODUCTION NEXUS IN MBEERE DRYLANDS, KENYA: IMPLICATIONS ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY(2018) Mwenzwa, Ezekiel; Cheserek, Grace; Kiptui, MarkLand ownership gives an individual the confidence and dignity required to be active in society. Indeed, land ownership and rights are important for effective utilization of farmland for food production to alleviate food insecurity and revitalize household welfare and national development. While the foregoing is the ideal situation, the reality is that culture and gender dictates who owns land especially when customary laws seem to override any legal and policy provisions regarding land ownership, access and control. In particular, women are largely land caretakers, with men owning most of the land, titled or otherwise. Based on the foregoing, this paper sought to identify gender and land ownership structures in the context of dryland farming and their implications on household food security in the Mbeere drylands of Embu County. It utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of social investigation and concluded that while many factors combine to determine food production and food security, inadequate access to and control of land and related resources by women in the Mbeere drylands is significant. Consequently and given the environmental and cultural milieu on which land is utilized, measures have been proposed to augment dryland farming and alleviate food insecurity in the Mbeere drylands.Item Can Schools Make Our Society More Cohesive? A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Embu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya(2023) Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Githui, PerminusCohesion’ is a growing concern for policy makers and society and this raises questions for the role of schools. This mini-report asks how, and whether, schools should respond. We draw on academic and policy research, think-pieces and perspectives from the LKMco Big Debate 2016 ‘Can Schools Make Societies More Cohesive?’ and ask: 1. What is social cohesion? 2. What influences levels of social cohesion? 3. What are schools currently doing to improve social cohesion? 4. How can schools make society more cohesive? 5. What stands in the way of schools doing more? 6. What barriers do schools face in doing more?Item The Role of Plantosemic Metaphors in the Conceptualization of the Males in Ekegusii: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach(2023-06-06) Ndung’u, Catherine Waithera; Ntabo, Victor OndaraPlants are fundamental in the transference of semantic aspects that are helpful in structuring maleness in society. As a result, plantosemic metaphors which enhance conceptualization of omosacha (a man) are ubiquitous in Ekegusii. This study employed conceptual mappings to evaluate Ekegusii plantosemic metaphors. The study adopted descriptive research design. First, an interview schedule was utilised to establish the terms used to describe men in Ekegusii from 48 Ekegusii native respondents purposively sampled using the criterion of gender. The collected terms were then subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU) in which four annotators undertook the MIPVU procedure. Through MIPVU, ten metaphors were identified. The study then selected three metaphors that describe a man as a plant hence the Ekegusii plantosemic metaphors for analysis. The study reveals that Ekegusii plantosemic metaphors are critical in validating the culturally assigned roles to men among Abagusii. Moreover, the principle of conceptual mappings is useful in divulging critical issues concerning gender relations between men and women in Gusii. The paper concludes that metaphor is a valuable tool of communication and should be explained using the Cognitive Linguistics framework.