Knowledge Generation and Application Process of Women Labourers for Improved Livelihood.

Abstract

How women labourers generate and process knowledge that they derive from Non formal education and apply it for improving their livelihood was the main research question of my study. I generated answer of my research question through qualitative research. In other words, I used postmodernism paradigm as a research design and hermeneutic mode of interpretation. I attempted to bring out women labourers’ lived experience through reciprocal sharing, interaction, in-depth interview, with some unstructured questions based on NFE package used for them. I also interacted with the women labourers of carpet factories of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts individually, three times within a period of one year for this purpose. I analyzed their accounts with information processing theory/model of cognitive development theory and andragogical theories. I also categorized the field information by using Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger and Tarule (1997) frame of understanding women’s knowledge into three groups: silence, received and procedural. Then I analyzed how the participants within these groups restored and used the knowledge acquired from NFE for their better livelihood. I found that cosmological effect on the learning pattern was not found evident, as the learners shared common background and experiences. They were all from the rural areas and belonged to agriculture profession. From epistemological perspective, they differed in processing knowledge based on their types as stated above. I found that the silence type of learners was not eager to retrieve the knowledge gained and use it to better their livelihood. The received type of learners was enthusiastic to keep the knowledge in their memory and use it for improving their lives. The procedural type besides, being active to apply the knowledge, explored other possibilities as well to better their living. From axiological point of view, these women possessed ‘connected’ knowledge giving more values to children and family than to self. Since, different types of literacy learners generated and applied knowledge in different ways, its NFE implication is that the concept of multiple ‘literacies’ should be nurtured. This implication also paves the way that the trainers’ role is required to enable different types of people for specific knowledge generation and its application for their improved livelihood.