Blurred Lines: Our Extension Work or My Extension Work?

Abstract

Informed by the constructivist grounded theory, the research was set out with the general goal of understanding how extension workers, who are involved in disaster rehabilitation and recovery, the meaning of extension work. The research participants interviewed were selected througha pre- determined selection criteria. Data was generated through coding, thematic sampling, and member checking. Interview with an expert on disaster risk reduction and management and document analysis of progress reports were also done to enrich the data set. The research revealed that meaningful extension work is founded on collaborative activities with communities and organizations/ institutions while aiming to achieve set organizational goals, resulting to a blurring of the concepts of collective and individual works. “Extension” is defined as an organizational activity and as an individual’s contribution to society which resulted in blurred definition of extension work. This is different from the known definition of extension which is about organizations extending education to marginalized sectors, and setting-up processes and systems of working with people to improve their standard of living.