Child development in post-colonial contexts: educational change and ethnic transfiguration in a French Guiana Wayana-Apalaï indigenous community

Rodica Ailincai (1, 2, 3) , Maurizio Alì (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 3, 10, 2)

1 EASTCO - Sociétés Traditionnelles et Contemporaines en Océanie (EA 4241)
2 ESPE UPF - Ecole Supérieure du Professorat et de l'Education de la Polynésie française
3 UPF - Université de la Polynésie Française
4 CRREF - Centre de recherches et de ressources en éducation et formation [UR6_3]
5 CIÉRA - Centre interuniversitaire d'études et de recherches autochtones
6 OCCS - Observatoire Caribéen du Climat Scolaire
7 INSPÉ Martinique - Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l'éducation - Académie de Martinique
8 UA - Université des Antilles
9 Université des Antilles (Pôle Martinique)
10 EDP - Ecole Doctorale du Pacifique

This paper presents a first attempt to describe an emergent dynamic: the transformation of family educational practices between Wayana-Apalaï indigenous people of French Guiana. Ethnographic data collected between 2010 and 2013 show a large set of variations concerning care-giving time, housekeeping charges or the frequency of traditional activities. Taking into account the role of schooling and based on a critical analysis of the socioeconomic and historical context, the authors interpreted the data as demonstrating the hypothesis that Wayana-Apalaï have been involved in a process of Ethnic Transfiguration which in return has had a deep impact on traditional lifestyle, on community schemes for youth training and education and, last but not least, on child social development.

Mots clés: Ethnoeducation; Educational Policy; Schooling; Indigenous people; Compulsory schooling; Indigenous knowledge; Education; Apalaï; Wayana indigenous community of French Guyana; Wayana; Indigenous education

Mots clés: Amérindien; Patrimoine culturel; Scolarité; Ecole; Parentalité; Guyane française; Outremer; Politique éducative

Domaines: Sciences de l'Homme et Société

Rodica Ailincai, Maurizio Alì. Child development in post-colonial contexts: educational change and ethnic transfiguration in a French Guiana Wayana-Apalaï indigenous community. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015, INTE2014, 174, pp.3625-3632. ⟨10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.1081⟩. ⟨halshs-01143144⟩