Critical Evaluation Of The Development Project For Katine Village In Uganda

How the culture concept help us understand the Guardian’s Katine project in Urganda? We discussed the article by Alan Rusbridger in relation to the theory of social evolutonn What are the main points of this theory? How, exactly, do they link to Rusbridger’s comments? Do you think it is correct to say that the Guardian’s project is shaped by social evolutonary ideas, or do the other materials on the website suggest that in fact cultural relatvism is the more appropriate framework?

The most important thing is that your essay demonstrates an understanding of the ideas you use from the readings and lecture materials Your essay should do more than summarize the readings it should include analysis and, where relevant, argumentation

Assessment of cultural concept in the project

The present study is based on the critical evaluation of the development project for the small-size African Village named as Katine, located in the north-east of Uganda. The study will include the assessment of culture concept and will cover whether the theory of evolution or cultural relativism is a more appropriate framework for the overall project. The study will discuss the methods briefly while considering their loopholes and effectiveness in the project of the same.

Culture is entirely different of market researchers; the concept of culture can strengthen the racial theory of difference. This could stimulate discourse on ethnic identities at the same time adjuring racism. For the development of the area, and make a little difference by aiding the place, the cultural concept must be first initially clear, the cultural gaps must be filled up to upward the society as a whole and enhance education and health. This is required to be carried out with the help of the technological advancements and communication and 21^st-century tools to, interpret the people that they have to change their mindset take advantage of the contemporary aspects and features offered by the project (Rusbridger, 2007). The initial and the most noticeable aspect is to assess the cultural concept, the project is all about community empowerment, which ultimately needs the support of the community and their culture. For addressing the core areas of poverty, preparing villages with the capability to aid them and reforming unique level of transparency. The building of community is vital to the sustainability of the project. The Katine will state the development approach based on community (Manyozo, 2012). It is a well-known fact that there are wide regional variations present in Uganda  in terms of income and life like health and education issues, so the conditions in Katine are considered as worse  beyond the realization of people.  Community capacity has been built to collect information on Katine so that the area can cope with better plans with ten support of the government. For this aspect, the community has to place contribution and work on their priorities first.

With the consideration towards the cultural issues and problem held in Uganda, a total 3-year relationship with the individuals is agreed across a small-size African Village named as Katine, located in the north-east of Uganda. The people residing in Katine have gained minor aid and helped formerly and experience some of the problems of a fragile economy, cultural conflict, partial education, and poverty and health issues. The project is designed to assess and address the causes of poverty, inclusive of gaining a better understanding of cultural practices, issues and problems (Abu?Lughod, 2002). Due to the social setting of the learning process, the people are not able to be persuaded that their own living is the most desirable one. Since people realize their personality by the helping culture, thereby resilience and respect for the differences between individuals involve underlying respect over the cultural differences. It is urged that culture is highly revolving, and one needs to understand the cultural practices and differences to resolve the matter of poverty and conflicts and  aid the society in getting back to life (American Anthropological Association, 1947). A cultural change is required to alleviate poverty, further the culture is considered as the core topic or concept of study that has substituted the society as the general aspect of inquiry with the progression. It is essential to primarily understand the culture concept to understand the Guardian’s Katine project in Uganda.  

Importance of community empowerment for project sustainability

The central theme is that the aspects of the evolution of the society are not included in it, they are embedded in the interface of the free societies. In essence, it is asserted that the revolutionary change is the consequence of the modification in the external economic as well as political relationships of society (Eriksen, 2014). These transformations take place due to the technological advance and other relations which are mixed with the improvised efforts on political authority. Further, a reconceptualised culture of the social change is provided. The theory of evolution is considered as the waste of resources and time, and the best example is of Uganda. It is not required to rely on a theory, and seek for differences.

Social evolution is said to be the evolution of the social frameworks and systems. The theory has been employed to advance a range of political projects. The regulation of anthropology, starting with these recent social theories takes place mainly in relation to the  encounter between culture.

Alan Rusbridger claimed that the Katine has experienced over 20 years of inconsistency and is presently compounded by rapidly increasing climate, by considering this aspect new abilities are required to amend to confront the immense challenge of climatic changes (Eriksen, 2017). Alan Rusbridger commented that working together can assist the people living in Uganda  and a significant change could be made with a distinct difference, by taking advantage of the power to twenty-first-century technology, communications skills and resources, people living there can be helped, and their lives could be changed. Since the editor Alan Rusbridger introduced the outstanding development in Katine sub-county, aided by the liberality of readers, there have been substantial changes. The people of Katine are now able to have clean water, better education system, fewer diseases and the knowledge to improvise the livelihoods and better manage the communities (Kuper, 2009). Each and every aspect was traced by the journalist of Ugandan based in Katine coming up with the unparalleled transparency to the projected by a dedicated website.

By considering the remarks of Alan Rusbridger, it can be said that the theory of evolution is not related with the sayings of the editor and the reviews and claims of the people and journalists (Escobar, 1997). The theory of evolutions does not suit the criteria of the community of Uganda, like the articles, websites and Guardian shows that the theory cannot bring a change in the overall development or resolve the problem of the area.

Cultural relativism as a more appropriate framework for the project

According to the other materials on the website, the cultural relativism has been suggested as a more appropriate framework, it is because the change is based on the community and community is based on cultural aspects, so it is essential that cultural aspects must be considered and the difference between the same must be improved to change the lifestyle of the backward areas in the society (Huntington, 1993).

The conflicts of the future will take place along with the fault lines of culture separating the civilization, the culture as well as region build the base of all related aspects and together bring all to unite and develop (Tsing, 2009). The discipline granted to the key understanding and addressing with the cultural differences can offer crucial consideration of justifications made on the project.

Cultural relativism is the concept that a belief, values and exercise of an individual must be interpreted on the basis of the own culture of the individual, instead of being judged in opposition to the criteria of other (Ellis, Schummers and Rostoker, 2011).  Cultural relativism in terms of anthropology can be asserted as the individual suspends their moral judgements on a short-term basis, aiming to acquire some extent of empathy with the unfamiliar norms, standards and preferences.

By considering the facts mentioned in other materials and websites, cultural relativism is the suitable structure of the development of the project and making a difference as it is the capability to interpret the culture on a personal basis while not making judgements by making use of norms and standards on another person’s culture. It targets to support the empathy of the cultural practices which are not generally the part of an individual’s own culture, facilitating in thinking out of the box. By making use of the perception of the cultural relativism results to the view that comparing one culture to another is not the point, as no culture is superior to another while making a comparison to the morality system, law and politics. It is the idea that cultural values and terms obtain their own meaning in a specified social way (Ssewamala and et al., 2011). This is meant on the basis of the idea that there is no presence of absolute standard of bad or good, whereby each and every judgement must be made by considering whether they are right or wrong with giving consideration towards society.

The fact of cultural relativism asserts that any perception of ethics is subjected to the perception of each individual in their specified culture. In an agile understanding of the cultural relativism, it attempts to support the findings of cultural practices that are not familiar with other culture.

Conclusion 

On the basis of above evaluation, it can be concluded that the project has provided great assistance to the area and the project development resulted as expected. However, the theory of evolution is not an appropriate framework for the concerned project. Instead the cultural relativism evidenced to be more appropriate, as it will help in developing the area with an optimal cultural mindset.

References

Abu?Lughod, L., 2002. Do Muslim women really need saving? Anthropological reflections on cultural relativism and its others. American anthropologist, 104(3), pp.783-790.

American Anthropological Association, 1947. Statement on human rights submitted to the Commission on Human Rights, United Nations. American Anthropologist, 49.

Ellis, C., Schummers, L. and Rostoker, J.F., 2011. Reducing maternal mortality in Uganda: applying the “three delays” framework. International Journal of Childbirth, 1(4), pp.218-226.

Eriksen, T.H., 2014. Globalization: The key concepts. A&C Black.

Eriksen, T.H., 2017. What is Anthropology?. Pluto Press.

Escobar, A., 1997. Anthropology and development. International Social Science Journal, 49(154), pp.497-515.

Huntington, S.P., 1993. The clash of civilizations?. Foreign affairs, pp.22-49.

Kuper, A., 2009. Culture: The anthropologists' account. Harvard University Press.

Manyozo, L., 2012. Media, communication and development: Three approaches. SAGE Publications India.

Rusbridger, A., 2007. ‘Can We, Together, Lift One Village Out of the Middle Ages?. The Guardian, 20.

Ssewamala, F.M., Wang, J.S.H., Karimli, L. and Nabunya, P., 2011. Strengthening universal primary education in Uganda: The potential role of an asset-based development policy. International Journal of Educational Development, 31(5), pp.472-477.

Tsing, A., 2009. Supply chains and the human condition. Rethinking Marxism, 21(2), pp.148-176.