Sambach's Ethnographic Study

Sambach brings together an ethnographic study of a school and community in East Africa. Stambach focuses on the role the school plays in the development of the children’s identity and relationships to their parents and community, as well as in the development of the region.

Key Themes and Issues

At issue here are the competing influences of Western modernity and the cultural traditions of East Africa—ideas about gender roles, sexuality, identity, and family and communal obligations are all at stake.

Controversial Practices and Cultural Signifiers

Stambach looks at the controversial practice of female circumcision in the context of school and community teachings about girls' bodies and examines cultural signifiers like music, clothing, and food to discuss the tensions in the region.