Acting Stubborn: Understanding “Vulnerability” and Secondary School Participation in Lesotho

• Published in: The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Education Worldwide Vol. 18; pp. 187 - 212
• Main Author: Smiley, Anne
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2012; Emerald Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Educational: Personal, social & health education (PSHE); HIV / AIDS: social aspects; Teaching of a specific subject
• ISBN: 1781902321; 9781781902325
• ISSN: 1479-3679
• DOI: 10.1108/S1479-3679(2012)0000018011

In recent years, access to schooling for children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS has emerged as a major humanitarian concern, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. International discourse largely fails to define what “vulnerability” means, while also depicting “orphans and vulnerable children” as passive victims of complex social processes. This ethnographic study of a “typical” secondary school in semirural Lesotho investigates the research question: At the secondary level, how does “vulnerability” shape the educational participation and home life of young Basotho? Through extended observation, in-depth interviews, and student diaries, the study reveals that “vulnerable” children in Lesotho, who are locally defined as those without strong adult caregivers, actually exercise a high degree of autonomy that is often manifested through “stubbornness.” “Stubborn” students resist adult control and are closely associated with early sexual debut and high-risk behaviors. As a result of their resistance, they are often singled out by teachers for corporal punishment, increasing the likelihood that they will drop out of school. This chapter adds to the literature on youth agency by demonstrating that “acting stubborn” is one way in which “vulnerable” children can exercise control over their own lives and resist the status quo. In addition, the findings point to the failure of the school model, which is highly authoritarian, to retain “vulnerable” students and teach them valuable life skills, including HIV/AIDS prevention. Finally, this study demonstrates that local and culturally inflected definitions of “vulnerability” may not always align with international definitions and policy prescriptions.