Introduction
“Three Cups of Tea” is a novel about Greg Mortenson, a humanitarian. Mortenson began his humanitarian mission after he failed to complete his mission of climbing K2, the world’s second-highest mountain and the world’s most dangerous mountain. Depressed, tired, and weary after the climb, Mortenson found himself in the village of Korphe where he was taken in by the villagers and nursed back to health. In On recovery, Mortenson gave some of the villagers his climbing gear and treated their injuries using his first aid kit. He also took a good look at the goings-on of the village and noticed that the eighty-four children of the village were learning in an open ledge where it was being as the only school in the village. In addition, the children did not have learning materials and were using sticks as pens and dirt as their books. Only one teacher was available in the entire village to educate the eighty-four children. Despite the impoverished condition of the children, the children had a burning passion for education. It is this passion that touched Mortenson’s heart and thus began his journey towards mass schooling in the remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mortenson returned back to his homeland the United States leaving the villagers of Korphe with the promise of returning with the sole purpose of building them the first school. This promise was realized when Mortenson receives a check of $12,000 from Dr. Jean Hoerni who had retired from his professions as a physicist and a climber. Armed with the money and necessary building materials, Mortenson returned back to Korphe ready to start building the school but realized that for the mission to be successful, a bridge had to be built to connect the remote village to the rest of Pakistan. The building of the school was then followed by the building of the first school ever in the village of Korphe and the expansion of the mission in other villages across Pakistan and later in Afghanistan. This mission also led to the formation of the Central Asia Institute (CIA), a non-profit organization that helps Mortenson to raise funds and build more schools (Mortenson and Relin 55).
Mortenson is able to achieve his dreams and realize ambitions only through his tenacity and determination. These personality traits enable him to overcome the many obstacles he faces along his journey. Being an American and working in Arab regions, Mortenson indeed faces many challenges that any other American would not have persevered. His ability to grasp other peoples’ languages and respect their different cultural beliefs goes a long way in making his mission a success. One of Mortenson’s greatest achievements is the education of girls in a region that does not believe in the progression of the girl-child. In the novel “Three Cups of Tea”, many beneficiaries of Mortenson’s mission testify to the benefits that education has brought them. This paper will analyze the novel “Three Cups of Tea” using a number of theories and ideas of International and Comparative Education. Indeed, education is a tool that enhances the lives of individuals and the entire community.
Literature Review
This section reviews a number of studies that have been done by scholars and experts in International and Comparative Education. In particular, the review will be done on theories of development that promote the education of members of society. The theory of human capital, the modernization theory, and the liberation theory of development will form the basis of this review. In addition, the review will briefly look at the ability of the state to mass school and factors that hinder mass schooling, particularly in developing countries.
The Human Capital Theory
This theory is founded on the notion of productive capacity of people. Coleman states that “just as physical capital is created by changes in materials to form tools that facilitate production, human capital is created by changes in persons that bring about skills and capabilities that make them able to act in new ways” (S100). The theory of human capital asserts that the enhancement of the human workforce is the most important step towards national development of any country. Many economists have argued that education is one of the key ways through which human capital can be enhanced. Education is seen not only as a sort of consumption but also as a type of productive investment. Education not only enhances the choices that are available to people but also ensures that a society has an access to the type of labor force that can push forward the society’s industrial progress and economic growth (Klees 307).
Proponents of the human capital theory therefore support large public expenditures in education so as to enhance the human workforce. Investment in human capital has benefits to both the entire nation (in form of economic growth) and the individuals who gain from increased income and levels of achievement (Fagerlind and Saha 19). Most importantly the theory of human capital argues that enhanced skills of individuals through education deliver the people from the yoke of dictatorship and instead steers them towards democracy and liberal progressivism that is characteristic of most western societies. In support of this argument, the theory also looks at the other side of the debate. Lack of education in many developing and under-developed countries is the major reason behind the countries’ backwardness and oppression of the poor and under privileged populations.
The Modernization Theory
One of the proponents of the modernization theory argues that “the process of modernization can be characterized as revolutionary (a dramatic shift from tradition to modern), complex (multiple causes), systematic, global (affecting all societies), phased (through stages), homogenizing, irreversible and progressive,” (cited in Fagerlind and Saha 17). One of the proponents of the modernization theory, David McClelland argued that individuals have an inherent characteristic called the achievement motive which is obtained through the process of socialization and which renders a society open to economic and industrial progress. Such progress cannot however be realized until the majority of the members of a society hold modern values in high esteem.
The development of modern society also requires human planning and the participation of critical institutions such as the family, and the educational institution. The modernization theory has therefore said a lot about education systems and their effect on societies. According to the proponents of the modernization theory, education has a number of characteristics which include: education is a public responsibility; education is mandatory; education is structured both in students’ advancement and teachers’ qualification. However, the differences in specific economic, political, cultural and historical characteristics between societies imply that different societies have different education systems.
The Liberation Theory
The liberation theory of development is based on the assertion that “nothing good can be secured for the poor members of an underdeveloped society without a drastic and radical change in the structure of that society, and a broader radical change of the current socio-economic, political and cultural world order,” (Fagerlind and Saha 26). The fundamental supposition in the theory is that members of an underdeveloped community are exploited by the ruling class of their own communities. This ruling class controls the majority of the societies’ critical resources such as land, industries and wealth. Such control is however only possible if the class being ruled continues to live in ignorance. Such a situation is particularly the case in the developing nations which have a great wealth of resources but which continue to languish in abject poverty. According to the theorists, the major solution is to educate the oppressed so that they can be aware of their situation.
This process is referred to as “conscientizacao” by one of the proponents of the liberation theory, Freire. Freire states that “as the Cultural Revolution deepens ‘conscientizacao’ in the creative praxis of new society, men will begin to perceive why mythical remnants of the old society survive in the new,” (cited in Fagerlind and Saha 26). According to Freire, liberation is equivalent to development and it is more of a question of justice instead of wealth. The theory of liberation has been used at different times by policymakers in different countries such as Guinea Bissau, Angola and Mozambique. In these countries, education was viewed as the driving force behind the countries’ development. However, education has been regarded as a threat to the status quo by many governments. Governments know that once their people have become educated, they would be able to perceive the social injustices of their societies and to fight against them. Hence, the government would not be able to control their countries’ resources and wealth.
The Role of the State in Educating its People
Fuller (3) argues that the state is not able to mass school its people because of the many obligations it has. As a result, other institutions such as churches and large firms are playing big roles in educating the populations due to the high demand for educated populations in today’s world. The inability of the state to educate its entire population emanates from different forces working within the society. This is particularly the situation in developing and under-developed countries. One of the opposing forces of the government’s efforts at mass schooling comes from parents who need the labor of their children in their farms and at home and to earn extra income for their families. The second opposition to mass schooling involves village elders who may view mass education as a subversion of the traditional way of life and their culture. An opposition may also come from churches that may want to retain control over the socialization of children. This situation is however different in the Western state where the state has spontaneously promoted schooling as a way of addressing numerous social ills (Noah 553). Indeed, the western state has strong beliefs in mass schooling to the extent that it tries to promote mass schooling in other developing countries.
Analysis of the “Three Cups of Tea” Using Theories of International and Comparative Education
The story of David Mortenson and his mission of setting up schools in remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan can be analyzed using the three theories of development that have been discussed above. The theory of human capital applies to “Three Cups of Tea” in a number of ways. First and foremost, the education of all children in the remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan enables them to change their paradigm shift from war to peace. This is illustrated in the fact that Pakistan and Afghanistan recruit their boys into special classes where they are taught how to fight from a tender age. Second, the building of schools and the insistence of Mortenson on the education of all children means that children are gaining education rather than being taught how to fight. Such education helps to equip the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan with important skills and tools that can help them to better their future, for instance, through formal and well-paying employment. Third, the girls of Pakistan and Afghanistan have become better equipped with life skills that not only serve to increase their lifespan but also that of their children, for instance, through improved hygiene and improved health.
An educated woman is in a better position to plan her family and feed her family nutritious meals. In the novel, “Three Cups of Tea”, Mortenson and Relin state that “once you educate the boys, they tend to leave the villages and go search for work in the cities …. But the girls stay at home, become leaders in the community, and pass on what they’ve learned. If you really want to change a culture, to empower women, improve basic hygiene and health care, and fight high rates of infant mortality, the answer is to educate girls,” (209). One good illustration of the benefits of educating girls in the novel is Jahan, who became the first educated woman in her entire village. Upon receiving an education, Jahan embarked on a dream of starting her own hospital and take care of the health needs of her entire village (Mortenson and Relin 313).
The modernization theory of development asserts that the process of modernization is not possible unless the people accept and value modern values. In the novel “Three Cups of Tea”, modernization of the remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan is taking place through education. At the start of the novel, Mortenson notices that the only school available to the children is an open ledge and that children use sticks and dirt as their learning materials. This form of living is uncivilized. Through education, Mortenson slowly introduces aspects of modernization to the villagers of Korphe and other remote villages. The first trace of modernization is the bridge which was built with the help of Mortenson. The bridge is now a modern means of transport that is used by the villagers to move to and connect them with other parts of Pakistan. The second trace of modernization is the first school that was built under the stewardship of Mortenson. The school provides the village children with an improved structure in which they can learn protection from the harsh elements of the weather. In addition, children can now use pens and books to learn and hopefully more modern materials such as the computers and internet. As the education in such villages becomes more advanced, the people will become more technologically advanced and at par with other regions of the world (Broadfoot 218). Modernization through education was possible in the remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan because of the people’s willingness to embrace modern values. Without such willingness, Mortenson’s mission could not have been successful.
The liberation theory of development is founded on the notion that education brings light to people which in turn enables them to understand what is going on in their societies. With education, people are therefore able to fight against any injustices that are accorded them. The education of the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan can go a long way in alleviating them from the yoke of poverty and oppression that the majority of the people suffer from. First and foremost, education can liberate them from the war-stricken environment they have grown up in. The people, through education, can become more aware of the demerits of war and learn better and more effective ways of dealing with conflicts both internal and international. The elite group is therefore in a better position to make decisions that enhance the welfare of the entire society. Secondly, through Mortenson, the education of the girl-child in Pakistan and Afghanistan will go a long way in protecting women from the social oppression they suffer on a day-to-day basis.
The culture of these countries prohibits women from being productive members of their communities, for instance, by making decisions that directly affect them and their families. This culture of women’s oppression is evident in the novel when Mortenson tried to introduce the concept of girls’ education but was met with harsh criticism from some village elders. In the end, however, Mortenson’s mission of the education of the girl-child became widely accepted in the regions. Education can change women’s oppression by equipping women with tools that can help them to stand up for themselves and other weaker members of society such as children (Israelsen-Hartley para. 11). In the novel “Three Cups of Tea”, one of the women of Afghanistan argues in favor of the girl-child’s education by stating that, “we women of Afghanistan see the light through education …. Not through this or that hole in a piece of cloth,” (Mortenson and Relin 289).
Conclusion
‘Three Cups of Tea” is a great story of bravery and humanitarianism. The story of Mortenson is proof of how far one person can go in changing the world for the better if only he or she is determined and visionary enough. Mortenson’s gift of education is the best gift that he could ever have given to strangers who took good care of him and nursed him back to health. Education will continue to equip the people of Central Asia with skills that will make their lives better. Education will deliver the members of these societies from the yoke of oppression that only comes about as a result of ignorance. Education will connect the people of the remote villages of Central Asia to the world thereby opening up more opportunities for them. Most importantly, education will bring peace to Central Asia and other war-torn regions. In short, pens rather than guns will bring peace on earth.
Works Cited
Arnove, Robert and Carlos Alberto Torres. Comparative Education: The Dialectic of the Global and the Local. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2003.
Broadfoot, Patricia. Stones From the Other Hills May Serve to Polish the Jade of This One: Towards a Neo-Comparative “Learnology” of Education. Compare 29.3 (1999): 217-231.
Coleman, James. “Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital.” American Journal of Sociology 94 (1988): 95-120.
Fagerlind and Saha. Education and National Development Ch.1 and Ch. 2, 1989. Web.
Israelsen-Hartley, Sara. Educating Girls the Key to Peace, Author Says. 2009. Web.
Klees, Steven. “Reflections on Theory, Method, and Practice in Comparative and International Education.” Comparative Education Review 52.3 (2008): 301-328.
Mortenson, Greg and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. New York: Penguin Books, 2007.
Noah, Harold. “The Use and Abuse of Comparative Education.” Comparative Education Review 28.4 (1984): 550-562.