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While hopes and expectations for the next generation in many countries of the Global North are shaped by family traditions, gender stereotypes and class affiliation, in countries of the Global South they are closely linked to the development discourse and the associated processes of social change. In this discourse, Western education seems to be the only alternative, not only in terms of one's own future, but also in terms of the development of society. Investigating the case of the Turkana, mobile pastoralists living in Northern Kenya, it became apparent that the aspirations of parents, children and young adults are shaped by this discourse. Reflecting on the biographies of three women and her now adult children, the paper reveals that in view of the economic situation of the Kenyan nation state and the marginalization of the Turkana within the nation state, Western schooling leads not only many young people but also entire families into a trap. Diversification strategies are abandoned and everything is put on one card (schooling). This in turn undermines the conditions that in many cases led to the success of school careers. Fewer and fewer families can draw on resources in mobile livestock farming and sell livestock from time to time to ensure continuous and successful schooling for their children. This development is accompanied by an inflation of degrees and competition in a private education market, in which many Turkana families cannot compete. This leads to an increasing gap between aspirations and the possibilities and opportunities available to young Turkana and their families within the education system and on the labour market. Individual (successful) graduates are confronted with high expectations and many obligations that make it difficult for them to pass on their success to the next generation. This is another reason why, one can speak of an “education trap” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Forschungsjournal Soziale Bewegungen is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses policy debates about environmental and climate factors in migration movements. Focusing on the example of the connection between human rights and environmental policies in the Tana River Delta in Kenya, the author emphasizes how policies designed to prevent or mitigate global environmental change that could potentially have significant social and economic consequences may in fact themselves contribute to marginalizing populations and forcing them to move. Issues addressed include definitions of environmental refugees, migration patterns in the region, and population transfers.

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