Research Spotlight: Dr. Esther Ohito

An Interview with Esther Ohito, Associate Professor of English & Literacy Education, Department of Learning and Teaching 

Can you tell us about a new research project you are working on?

I’ll begin my answer with a quote from Ralph Ellison: “Geography is fate.” Ellison’s words underscore the idea that who we are and become is anchored to, and to some degree, determined by our social and geographic locations. My current research is an interdisciplinary project based on the notion that knowledge is socially and culturally constructed and contextualized by geography. Ways of knowing and being are shaped by culture, which is rooted in place. Drawing on language and literature that center on the Luo people’s cultural ways of knowing and being, the project highlights the theoretical insights and empirical research of multilingual educators situated at Maseno University in Western Kenya, home to the Luo people. The project focuses on Luo language and literature within the context of social justice education. I intend for the project to contribute to emplaced and embodied research, practice, and policy that critically engage with issues of power and oppression to illuminate how situated knowledge can be employed for decolonization efforts that propel us toward pluriversality, just global futures. 

Why did you decide to pursue this research? And what is unique about your approach?

Dholuo, the language of the Luo people, is one of over 2,000 distinct languages spoken on the African continent, which holds the second-highest number of languages found on any continent worldwide. For context, approximately 7,000 languages are spoken globally, with only 300 of these in Europe. Although many African nations adopted European languages during and after colonization, the number of African languages still alive and in use on the continent and in the diaspora highlights how Africa’s people have managed to preserve the linguistic essence of Indigenous cultures and identities. Scholarly discussions examining the influence of language in shaping African ontologies, epistemologies, and identities in relation to the continent’s colonial history have been ongoing. These dialogues have been shaped by intellectual giants such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a Kenyan-born scholar. As a Luo woman, I aim to contribute to the conversations with a specific focus on the language and literature of my people within the framework of social justice education. The project uniquely integrates the theoretical insights and empirical research of multilingual education experts at Maseno, an institution located near the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya. 

What kind of methodological and theoretical approaches do you use? And why are these important to your work?

I am trained as a qualitative researcher. Generally, I subscribe to and favor “promiscuous methodologies.” This phrase refers to practices that approach inquiry as an iterative process and emphasize the import of theoretical and methodological diversity and adaptability in response to material experience. Promiscuous methodologies are characterized by their inherent messiness. Knowledge can be sourced from what is—or is perceived as—messy or chaotic. As such, promiscuous methodologies are vital to my work because they enable me to challenge assumptions about what constitutes legitimate knowledge and research and to account for material experiences—my own and those of the people I encounter and work with at various places. 

 What’s next for you in terms of research or this project? 

Maureen Olel, the dean of the School of Education at Maseno University, and I are collaborating on a book proposal. The book, tentatively titled Education, Liberation, and JoLuo of Western Kenya: Socially Just Teaching Through Indigenous Language, Literature, and Culture, will be co-authored with faculty and students of Maseno’s School of Education and written in both English and Dholuo.