Enculturation of Children in Hostel (An Ethnographic Study of Pestalozzi Children’s Education Centre, Pokhara)

Abstract

Enculturation is a life-long process of inculcation whereby an individual learns the principles, values and symbols of social system in which he participates and the expresses them in the roles he enacts. Hostel is the social agent away from home, would definitely play important role in Enculturation process of the children. The study was conducted in Pestalozzi Children’s Education Centre, Birauta-17, Pokhara which was established in 2016. It is an INGO, non-religious, non-profit organization and provides scholarship to high aptitude but socioeconomically deprived children from government schools of rural areas of different districts of Nepal. It tenets the principle of 3Hs (Head, Heart and Hands) principle of Pestalozzi. The objectives of study were to explore the hostel life of children and to examine the hostel strategies in an enculturation process of children in PCEC hostel. Census method was used for sampling because the population was only 30 children (10 boys and 20 girls) aged between 11-14 years old. The research is qualitative in nature. Qualitative data were used. Secondary data comprised books, journals, articles and websites. Primary data was collected through interview with children and staff, observation and Focus Group Discussion with parents. Data was analyzed through qualitative method. The children were from rural villages of 9 different districts of Nepal and belongs to different ethnicity/caste. The hostel teaches responsibility, adjustment, adaptability, punctuality and acceptability among the children. Friends and staff plays important role for sharing feeling, learning, making safe environment of hostel. Hostel has formal structure and has lots of strict rules regarding timetable, food, manner, punishment and rewards to keep the children in discipline. The children miss the family the most during festivals, excitement and low times. Hostel provides self-development classes like carpentry, knitting, computer and gardening. To make children independent, they have regular duties like cleaning, washing, helping in kitchen in the hostel. The children learns about gender equality in hostel practically as boys and girls participate in all the activities equally.