| Popis: |
This thesis is based on fieldwork carried out in Guyana, South America, between 1999 and 2002, looking at the use of English in negotiating situations between the indigenous Makushi communities of the North Rupununi Savannah, the Government of Guyana, and non-governmental and international development organisations. It considers notions of liminality and third-space encounters as they relate to the evolution within the Discourse of Development of fora that temporarily accommodate both indigenous and external modes of discourse, so opening up for debate the ideologies behind them while fostering the interactive development of a third mode capable of expressing relevant aspects of both ideological systems simultaneously and so capable of expanding each individually. The need for such a hybrid space is placed in relation to the material situation of the Makushi people and wider socioeconomic and cultural issues of power, ideology and the limits of agency. The ongoing development of this space is illustrated through detailed analysis of linguistic interaction within the specific forum of the North Rupununi District Development Board. A theory is developed for relating micro and macro issues of discourse and power and a two-way relationship established between top-down pressures towards conformity and bottom-up processes of agentive change. This framework is then related to the current subordinate position of Makushi communities within Guyana and their existing achievements in developing hybrid discourses to challenge this situation. The thesis concludes with a consideration of possible applications within the existing development context in the North Rupununi, within international development in general, and within the education system. |
