Learning For Cambodian Women

Two primary critical hermeneutic concepts, drawn from the theory of Paul Ricoeur (1992), provide the categories for this research. These categories, Narrative Identity and Mimeses, serve as the boundaries for both data collection and analysis. Kearney (1998:158) states "[n]arrativity, as the construction or deconstruction of paradigms of storytelling, is a perpetual search of new ways of expressing human time, a production or creation of meaning." This research was conducted in the participatory inquiry method of Dr. Ellen Herda (1999). The research explored educational opportunities and existing learning programs for women who live or lived in villages and the suburbs of Cambodia. The investigation focused on the women's personal histories, narratives and hopes in order to uncover possible ways in which government and non-government agencies could help transform their lives through education.