Places of Belonging: Exploring the everyday of primary school pupils in Tororo, Uganda

Abstract

This thesis explores the lived experiences of school children in Tororo District, Uganda. The aim of this study has been to understand how children and childhood are understood in their local contexts of eastern Uganda, together with understanding children´s places of belonging.

This study is based on an ethnographic fieldwork conducted during a period of three months in Tororo District, Uganda. To understand the everyday of school pupils, the study focused on children enrolled in two different primary schools: Rock View Primary School and Morukatipe Primary School.

The thesis shows that there are multiple places of belonging, and school pupils orient themselves differently within their everyday. School is a place children spend much time. It is perceived as important for children to attend primary school in order to become responsible adults. Children emphasise that school is important together with other places. Common for all the children involved in this study was that their present experiences of places influence their future aspirations.