Space and communication: An ethnolinguistic study of the Maasai society of Tanzania
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Date
2016
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
The University of Dodoma
Abstract
This thesis reports the findings of the ethnolinguistic study of the use of space in
communication in Maasai society. It examined how Maasai use genealogical and
geographical space to construct social and linguistic categories which affect
communication among the society members. The findings of the study are presented
from the transcriptions of the participant observation made in the natural settings of
occurrence and supported by the information from face-to-face and group interviews
with 59 informants sampled from Monduli District through snowball technique.
Analysis of the information obtained revealed that genealogical and geographical
spaces are used in Maasai to categorize and develop differences among people and
linguistic means are used to express the differences. Unlike women and children,
men are grouped into peer groups by the means of space and get names which not
only predict and wish them good will but also entitle them to enjoy certain social
privileges. Despite the differences, the society members enjoy the categorizations
since they are an important constituent of their culture. The society uses a top-down
communication approach whereby men have freedom of communication that can
only be challenged by the peers above ego or the laigwanani. The non-Maasai people
are assessed, categorized, named and placed in the Maasai social structures to enjoy
some social privileges. Besides, the spatial arrangements of objects in the
environment are made according to the society‟s norms of interactions and, therefore,
they affect interactions in the society. The findings of this study proscribe the often
made claim that Maasai society is unchanging. Though the society has established
proper mechanisms to resist the norms resulting from the drive to modernity, this
thesis revealed that some Maasai norms of interactions are sometimes violated to
accommodate modern and institutional norms while other norms decay as
development escalates. It is concluded that social stratifications and naming on the
framework of space are necessary for the society‟s socio-economic activities but they
affect communication in the society. The perceived social marginalization resulting
from the stratifications are unintentional inasmuch as every member enjoys the
differences. It is recommended that government and different agents should consider
the ethnolinguistic characteristics of the Maasai society when developing different
policies in the society.
Description
Doctoral thesis (PhD in Social Science)
Keywords
Maasai society, Maasai, Maasai tribe, Monduli district, Space in communication, Ethnolinguistic study, Maasai people, Maasai communication, Communication
Citation
Sane, E. (2016). Space and communication: An ethnolinguistic study of the Maasai society of Tanzania (Doctoral thesis). The University of Dododoma, Dodoma.