Marginalized Knowledge: An Agenda for Indigenous Knowledge Development and Integration with Other Forms of Knowledge

7. THE RESEARCH SAMPLE
The research sample of the study was 226. This figure was arrived at by the researcher after making use of Magi’s (1998: 180) Table of Estimation of Sample Size from a Given Population, where he suggested that the sample need to within  0.05 of the population proportion, P, with a 95% level of confidence. In this study therefore the population at the time when the study was conducted was 96 449.
TABLE 1: UMLAZI TOWNSHIP YOUTH POPULATION

AGE	SAMPLE	TOTAL POPULATION
10 to 14	36	29 943
15 to 19	123	30 832
20 to 24	67	35 679
Total	226	96 449

For purposes of eliminating the question of exclusivity when it comes to the research sample, the main areas targeted for removing the exclusivity were sex, level of education and language. Consequently the study attempted to make the research sample as inclusive as possible when it comes to the afore mentioned areas by doing the following:

1. 
   The inclusion of both sexes as respondents at the ratio of 50 males and 50 females (0,5:0,5). In the total of 226 as the research sample 113 questionnaires have been distributed to male respondents; while the other half to females respondents;
   
2. 
   The removal of bias pertaining to the level of education the respondents attained. The questionnaires were, therefore, available to every youth that has been within the sample size; and
   
3. 
   The removal of language barrier, by providing in the questionnaire both English and Zulu as the main languages that are used in the study area.
   

Consequently the areas of exclusivity when it comes to the question of education, sex and language were removed. This made it possible for almost all youth in the research sample to respond to the questionnaire without any fear which might have been posed by sex, level of education and language. It was therefore easier for the researcher to make a random selection from all the categories of youth. These include youth out of school and those who are still in school; youth from all the adolescent stages; and youth who might have a language problem.