Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

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CDEV 0205: NETWORKING, LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY
(CHUKA UNIVERSITY, 0023-04-11) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 211: RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
(CHUKA UNIVERSITY, 0023-04-11) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 0206: COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND PARTICIPATION
(CHUKA UNIVERSITY, 0023-04-12) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 0140: BASIC FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT
(0023-04-13) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 0141: PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(0023-04-13) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 0141: PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(0023-04-13) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 0210: FAMILY STUDIES
(CHUKA UNIVERSITY, 0023-04-13) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 0209: COMMUNITY HEALTH
(CHUKA UNIVERSITY, 0023-08-28) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
Accounting for Post-Verbal Affixes on the Kĩmwĩmbĩ Verb
(Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 2016) Kĩnyua,AnnHidah and Mũriũngi, Peter
Bantu languages are known to cluster affixes on the verb root, some before the root and others after the verb root. Each of these affixes carries some meaning that contributes to the final meaning of the verb. This raises the question as to whether there are any principles that guide these combinations, and whether these affixes occur in any particular order. This paper is an account of all the suffixes that may occur on the Kĩmwĩmbĩ verb, as well as the order in which they occur, starting with the plugs that are idiomatic with the root and on outwards to the affix that occurs farthest from the root. The semantic import of these morphemes has also been dwelt upon as most of them are valency-changing. The paper also presents the variations in their occurrences, the associated phonological and syntactic processes as well as the constraints surrounding their occurrences. The population for the study was all Kĩmwĩmbĩ verbs containing post- verbal affixes and data for the study was obtained from respondents from Tharaka-Nithi sub-county, Kenya, who are competent speakers of Kĩmwĩmbĩ and who were purposively sampled. The instrument of data collection was a structure generation exercise based on Kĩmwĩmbĩ verbs. Data was also gathered using introspective reports. Researcher-generated structures were also instrumental in informing the analysis. This being a qualitative and descriptive study, data was analyzed in terms of words, phrases and sentences and rules were developed and discussed to account for the affix manifestation on the verbs. The data has been presented in the light of the Principles and Parameters theory. The results demonstrate that suffix occurrence on the agglutinated verb is orderly relative to the first affix to occur after the root. This study contributes new data for the continuing analysis of Kĩmwĩmbĩ, a language that is yet to be fully analyzed. It also contributes to the linguistic theory by advancing knowledge on the morphology of Bantu verbs and the typology of African languages
Creation of Identities in Political Conflict: Kenya’s Newspaper Discourse
(International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2016) Karuri,Mary ,Muriungi Peter
This article looks into the construction of political identities in the discourse of two Kenyan newspaper headline stories covering the period of the Kenyan Coalition Government formed in 2008 to stem political conflict that arose after the disputed elections of 2007.It focuses on the two principals of the coalition government, President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Using a Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA) approach, the study analyses newspaper headline stories of the two leading newspapers in Kenya, Daily Nation and The Standard to gauge how the newspapers created identities for the two principals in the context of the political situation that existed then. The Prime Minister (PM) Raila Odinga is seen as a hero but also a victim of political forces. He is also evaluated as a peacemaker who quells conflicts brought about by his co-principal. President Kibaki, on the hand is depicted as an opportunist, anti-reformist and an ineffective leader. The newspapers exploit discourse strategies such as evaluative lexicon, structuring, schematic form and metaphor to create the identities and to persuade the audience to adopt a certain ideological stance.
The Use of Presupposition in the Creation of Socio- Political Dominance in Kenyan Parliamentary Debates between 1992 and 2010
(Journal of Education and practice, 2016) Peter,Christine Atieno Mukuthuria,Mwenda, Muriungi, Peter
Abstract Presupposition, a linguistic element can be employed in utterances. When this is done it enhances the comprehension of what is being communicated. This aspect of language that is implicit assumption of an utterance is a strategy that may be used to express a speaker’s socio- political dominance. The truth of what is said is taken for granted and can be manipulated by the speaker to have devastating effects on an individual or the society at large. This study examined presupposition as a strategy of language used by Kenyan members of parliament during debates to create socio- political dominance. The objective was: To analyse the usage of presupposition in language used by parliamentarians to create socio- political dominance in Kenyan parliamentary debates. Various sources of literature have been reviewed in the following areas: ideology, discourse strategies, the power in language, parliamentary proceedings and political dominance. The study used descriptive research design. By using purposive sampling, the data was collected from the Hansard dating from 1992 to 2010. Data was analysed using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA). This theory looks at how the society is moulded by language that shows various power relationships. The study identified language that created dominance, discussed the presupposition as a strategy used in the utterances. The research found out that presupposition was used by speakers to create dominance in the debates. Keywords: Presupposition, Discourse Strategies, Ideology, Power. Parliamentary Language
Hate Speech in the Creation of Socio- Political Dominance in Kenyan Parliamentary Debates
(American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 2016) Atieno, Peter Christine, Muriungi, Peter and Mukuthuria,Mwenda
Speech can vary in meaning and implication. It can become something more than a vehicle for the communication of propositional knowledge. Speakers can manipulate language to evoke the emotions of recipients, hence becoming “damaging speech” that evokes negative emotions. What is said or written can have devastating effects on an individual and the society at large. The purpose of the study was to identify and discuss hate speech as a linguistic strategy used by parliamentarians in the creation of socio- political dominance. Sample texts were studied using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis. Data was collected from The Hansard using a guiding card to identify utterances that had the potential of being classified as hate speech. This was analysed. The research found that politically elected leaders use the immunity that they enjoy to manipulate language to create dominance
Influence Of Digital Journalism’s Gratification On News Access And Choice In Kenyan Universities: A Case Study Of Chuka University
(Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 2017-06-07) Okana, Edward
The aspect of digital journalism on news access and choice has not received proper empirical research. The question whether digital journalism gratifications influencenews access and choice is an area that requires additional research.This study sought to explore the extent to which digital journalism audiences’ gratification has influenced news access and choice among university students in Kenya.The study was carried out in four selected Universities. The study employed descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 64,497. Purposive sampling was used to sample the universities. Random sampling was used to sample 384 respondents from the sampled universities. Data was collected using questionnaire. The data gathered was analyzed using descriptive statistics using statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 17.0. Frequencies and percentages were used for analysis. The study found that diversified digital journalism products gratify the interests and demands of internet users. The study recommends that media practitioners should conceptualize their audiences and digital journalism platforms that gratify them. Media houses and the government to develop internet infrastructure, formulate ethical framework and policies to guide digital journalism practice in Kenya. The finding of this study would provide knowledge on how digital journalism content is packaged and styled to appeal to the audiences.
Awareness and Utilization of Electronic Resources by Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Members in Universities:A Case of Chuka University
(IJSSAH, 2018-06-25) Nyaboke ,Onsinyo,Charity,Mbugua,,Ngereki,Anthony
ThestudysoughttoinvestigatetheawarenessandutilizationofelectronicresourcesbyacademicstaffintheHumanitiesandSocialSciencesFacultyatChukaUniversity,Kenya.Thepurposeoftheinvestigationwastoinquireabouttherespondents’ appreciationoftheresources,levelofutilizationbasedonavailabilityandaccess,benefitsderivedfromusageaswellaschallengesencountered,asaresultofusage.Thestudyadoptedthedescriptivesurveyresearchdesign.Thefindingsrevealedthat82%oftherespondentswereawareoftheelectronicresourcessubscribedtobytheUniversityandthatand86%oftherespondentsutilizedtheresourcestwoorthreetimesaweek.Thestudyidentifiedinconsistentinternetconnectivity,Lackofcomputerskills,slownetwork,poweroutageandirrelevantelectronicinformationresourcesashindrancestotheutilizationoftheseelectronicresources.ThestudyrecommendsenhancementofInformationandCommunicationTechnology(ICT)networkorbandwidth,increasingthenumberofInformationandCommunicationTechnologies,provisionoffacultyspecificusertrainingandinformationliteracyinstruction,andincreasingmarketingstrategies
The Study of Academic Procrastınation levels of the Students of High School in Terms of Some Variables
(SAS Publishers, 2018-10-30) Kurkcu,Recep
The aims of thisstudyisto determinetheacademicprocrastination levelsof the hıgh school students and analyze this behavior according to the variables, gender, doingsports,gradelevelandage.Thisresearchisadescriptivestudyinwhich qualitative research techniques are applied. The hıgh school students studying in state high schools in Tokat and Giresun constitute the population of this study. The sample of the study consists of 561 students (232 female and 329 male) studying in different schools participated in this study. The personal information form and “Procrastination Tendency Scale” which was developed by Aitken (1982), and adapted into Turkish by Balkıs (2006) were used as data collecting means in the research in order to determine theknowledgeaboutthedemographicalcharacteristicsofthehıghschoolstudents. SPSS 20 software package was used in the solution of the data. The average points of theacademicprocrastinationtendenciesofhıghschoolstudentsaresignificantly differentiatedbasedonthevariablesofgender,doingsports,gradelevelandage. However,theacademicprocrastinationtendenciesofhıghschoolstudentshaven’t shown a significant diversity based on the schools at which they are studying
Usage and Perceived Risks of Commercial Websites in Kenya
(IJHSSI, 2018-12) Nabea,Henry Nkoru
Commercial websites are a form of internet advertising which is formed by companies as an advertising tool hosting many forms of online advertisement to promote products and services. Researchers and practitioners have equally agreed on the abilities of a commercial website as an advertising instrument that offers unlimited potential and benefits. This study sought to investigate consumers’ uses and gratifications obtained from commercial websites advertising in Kenya. The study employed descriptive research design. Purposive sampling procedure was used to sample Nairobi. Random sampling was used to sample Kenyan 384 commercial websites users with a from a target population of one million users. A pilot study was carried in Thika town to establish reliability and validity of the research instruments. The researcher used CronbachAlpha co-efficient to test the reliability of the instruments. A reliability co-efficient of 0.985 was obtained from thequestionnaires.Descriptivestatistics wasusedtoevaluatecollecteddatausingcategoriesbasedonresearch objectives using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0.The research established that the strongest reason users have for visiting commercial websites is to share media such as pictures, videos, music and blogs. Six categories of reasons for using commercial websites were identified as socialization, information seeking, convenience, entertainment, relaxation and passing time. The challenges faced bycommercial websites users identified in this study were slow loading, clutter, high costs, fraud, identity theft, and complexity of use. The reasons as to why consumers avoid certain commercial websites were found to beimmorality, addiction,risk of loss of money, manipulation and poor advertisements. The study recommends that commercial websites should include social share and follow buttons to encourage social interactions from of online buyers to ensure business sites take full advantage of the ever increasing social media traffic in Kenya and that commercial websites should work on mobile phone optimization because of increased Smartphone usage in Kenya. This study is also of the recommendation that websites should be kept consistent in order to improve readability and that company webmasters must ensure websites are safe from vulnerabilities.
Mushroom as A Strategy to Reduce Food Insecurity inTharaka Nthi County
(Chuka University, 2019-01-18) Anne,Sande
Food insecurity has negatively affected livelihoods both in rural and urban communities especiallyin Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Some communities are victims of food insecurity due to unsustainable dietary choices. Mushrooms can be part of the solution to world’s food shortage as well as health problems. The popularity of the mushroom has been growing in many parts of Kenya. Although mushroom has high value, no market in Tharaka Nthi County provides the produce for sale. Preliminary surveys were conducted in Chuka, Tharaka and Maara and it was noted that the wild edible mushroomtypes were highlyexistent in this County in March and November, but the community seemed not to understand the usefulness of the product in food and nutrition security. Only two large hotels in the County were observed as utilizing mushroom flour for making appetizer. Generally the mushroom was indicated as not popular in Tharaka Nthi County because of; lack of knowledge on food, nutritional and medicinal value, fear for poisonous nature, unpalatable taste, high perish ability, lack of knowledge on value addition and preparation. Some of the suggestions given for enhancing utilisation of thisproduct in the communities were; education on howto distinguishbetweenpoisonous and non poisonous mushrooms,sensitization by advertisement through media, use of entertainment in drama, songs, poems among others, fortification of mushroom with other foods especially children’s food, commercialization of mushroom by experts, exchange program through cultural workshops and seminars to enhance training of various groups on how to prepare mushroom,training of women and youth groups, use of medical prescriptions, introduction of cultivated mushroom in the area.
Colonialism and The Agikuyu Women’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems on Food Crop Production in Kiambu, Kenya, 1902-1963.
(Chuka University, 2019-09) Muraya, Martha Wanjiru
The interaction between the European colonialist in Kenya and the Agikuyu people influenced the indigenous Knowledge systems related to food crop production. Particularly, the introduction colonial policies and practices undermined the vital role of the Agikuyu Women’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AWIKS) on food crop production and instead they viewed them as uncivilized and backward. Therefore, the purpose of study was to analyze the implications of colonialism on the AWIKS on food crop production in Kiambu County from 1902 to 1963. The main objectives of the study were; to explore the Agikuyu women’s indigenous knowledge systems on food crop production in pre-colonial Kiambu upto 1902, to examine the implications of European colonial policies and practices on the AWIKS on food crop production, and further to find out the effect of disregard of AWIKS on the availability of food in Kiambu. The study employed descriptive research design and it was also guided by the Neo-Marxist theory that looked at the relationship between women and the process of colonial capitalist development. The study was done in three sub-counties of Kiambu West, namely, Limuru, Lari and Kikuyu. The sample size was guided by the concept of data saturation in an interview based research. The main source of information was oral interviews, archival records analysis and secondary data. Oral interview data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) and reported using basic simple descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies, and tables. The study established that in pre-colonial set up, the Agikuyu women of Southern Kikuyuland (present Kiambu County) commanded detailed indigenous knowledge on weather observation and prediction, quality seed selection, indigenous farming methods, harvesting, storage and preservation in order to ensure enough food crop production in the households. In addition, the European colonial undermined the AWIKS on food crop production during the establishment of commercial crop production, land alienation and forced labour policies. Sixty (88.2%) of the respondents mentioned that between 1902 and 1963 most of the Agikuyu people were moved from their indigenous land and were pushed to poor, marginal and unproductive reserve areas where they did not have enough experience and accumulated indigenous knowledge system of the new agro-ecosystem. In addition, 29 (42,6%) of the respondents felt that the Europeans neglected most of the drought tolerant food crops in favour of fast growing commercial crops. Women were also forced to provide cheap labour in the European plantations and projects, a move that led to neglect and undermining of AWIKS on food crop production. The study also found out that during the period of political instability food crop cultivation was very little and this led to marginalization of AWIKS on food crop production. The research concluded that the integration of the Agikuyu women in colonial policies and practices undermined, neglected and pushed to the periphery the important role of AWIKS on food crop production. Therefore, the integration of AWIKS and western scientific agricultural knowledge on food crop production could be an effective way of ensuring food security.
Ad-Theatre Techniques: Motifs of Orality and Popular Culture in Kenya’s Radio
(Chuka University, 2019-09) Njogu, Jackson Gikunda
This is a study of theatre by its persuasive function in commercial contexts. Specifically the study is a critique of the influences of orality and popular culture on audiences in commercial set ups as evident in dramas of radio advertising. It begins from the awareness that the drama genre has been at the heart of Africa’s rich literary heritage, and that it still finds use in contemporary spaces through mass media. Since the advent of radio in Africa drama has been a preferred technique of radio advertising in Kenya, yet scholarly research on drama as a persuasive genre through the radio medium remains scant. This is in spite of the fact that advertising communities are already aware of its marketing potential. The purpose of this study is thus to examine some of the techniques that drama uses in radio advertising, based on the assumption that because advertisements are made to woo buyers, the genre possesses strong rhetorical elements that can render for scholarly analyses. The study demonstrates the awareness that drama has been a cultural production in Kenya, and that orality has always punctuated dramatic practice at every phase of its development both in form and motif. Secondly, it demonstrates the eternal presence of oral leitmotifs in contemporary use especially in advertising discourses. The study uses a qualitative design. Data is in the form of audio records of advertisements that use the technique of drama in radio which have been transcribed, translated and analyzed to arrive at conclusions about the persuasive strategy of orality and popular culture in the radio medium. Since radio is a purely audio-acoustic media just like primary orality, Walter Ong’s theorizing about transiting from primary orality to typographical forms has been employed to enable us understand the psychodynamics of audio-acoustic messages, and what makes them click so easily with audiences. His views about ‘imagined audiences’ have also been used. In the first chapter we have established a background to the study. The second chapter deals with the literature review and theoretical framework. In chapter three we discuss the study methods while in chapter four we analyze selected data in terms of the oral motifs used using Walter Ong’s structural-functional theorizing in Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. In chapter five the thesis analyzes the use of popular culture as a marketing strategy, while chapter six deals with thesis summary, conclusions and recommendations for further study. The study finds that aspects of indigenous theatrical forms based in primary orality feature prominently in drama-mediated advertisements, and that these features illuminate on the psychology and philosophy of radio listeners, and that advertisers prefer modeling their content on trendy topics adorned in literary stylistics. These findings are important because they affirm the enduring nature of orality in modern times. They also point to practical applicability of orality in modern discourses on one hand, and on the other, awareness that adverts strongly suggest the ways in which Kenyan consumers understand their world.
Non-Equivalence in The Kĩkamba Bible Translation Eunice Nthenya Mũsyoka
(Chuka University, 2019-09) Mũsyoka, Eunice Nthenya
Translation is encoding the meaning and forms in the target language by means of the decoded meaning and form of the source language. It involves the rendering of a source language text into the target text so as to ensure that the surface meaning of the two will be approximately similar and the structures of the source language will be preserved as closely as possible in the target text. Translators are faced with challenges of non-equivalence since languages present ideas and information differently. Translation strategies are used to overcome the challenges of non-equivalence and other inherent problems of translation. Non-equivalence occurs when a lexical item or an expression in the source language lacks an equivalent item to translate it in the target text. The objectives of this study were; to investigate the types of non-equivalences in the Kĩkamba Bible translation, to analyse the translation strategies used to handle non-equivalence in the Kĩkamba Bible translation and to suggest alternative strategies to handle non-equivalence in the Kĩkamba Bible translation. In investigating these objectives, the Equivalence Theory proposed by Nida and the Relevance Theory by Sperber and Wilson were used. The Equivalence theory discusses equivalences at different levels of the text by comparing it with the source text, for example, at word level and above the word level. Relevance Theory was also used to explore the translation strategies. The Relevance theory can be divided into two sets of assumptions, assumptions relating to cognition and assumptions about communication. Both sets were relevant to the study in analyzing the strategies used to handle non-equivalence in the Kĩkamba Bible translation. A descriptive research design was used to obtain information from a sampled population. The Bible is divided into two sections that is the Old and the New Testament, it is further categorized into seven categories which include; Pentateuch books, historical books, poetical books, prophetic books, the gospels, the early church (Acts) and the epistles. Purposive sampling was used to select one book from each category except the early church category which has only one book forming a total of seven books which included Genesis, Judges, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Mathew, Acts of the Apostle and Hebrews. One chapter was purposively selected from each book to form a total of seven chapters. Data was collected through careful study of the English Bible, the Revised Standard Version to identify non-equivalence and the Kĩkamba Bible to analyse the strategies that were used to handle non-equivalence. The study established two types of non-equivalences; non-equivalence at lexical/word level and non-equivalence above the word level. The study reveals that non-equivalence is difficult to handle at lexical /word level mostly due to culture-specific words. Above the word level, translation is hampered by the use of figurative language in the source text and in this study, metaphors were the most difficult to translate. The non-equivalence at the grammatical categories was adequately handled. Fifteen translation strategies that the translator used to handle non-equivalence were identified and discussed. They include; amplification, explicitation, literal translation, hyponymy, naturalization, descriptive equivalent, synonymy, reduction, compensation, borrowing, unit change, use of paraphrase, addition and omission. The study suggests that the translator needs a good background on the culture of the two languages and the metaphorical language use in the Bible. It is hoped that the research will be a contribution to applied linguistics in the area of translation, specifically on non-equivalence and translation strategies.

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