Type: Essay
Subject: Anthropology
Subject area: All Subjects
Education Level: College
Length: 3 pages
Referencing style: MLA
Preferred English: US English
Spacing Option: Double
Scholarly Journal Article Analysis’ “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari”
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“Eating Christmas Dinner in the Kalahari Desert” n Richard Borshay Lee walks us through the many ethnographic methods that he utilized in his research. Participant observation, also known as direct, firsthand observation of behavior, is a tradition associated with the Christmas ox, and he makes the decision to take part in it. Then, Mr. Lee finds out about additional parts of the community life of the Kung through his important sources, such as Hakekgose, Tomazo, and /gaugo.
Even if the anthropologist participated in the Bushmen culture on a day-to-day basis, he cannot be considered a member of this group because of his outsider status. After Mr. Lee made the decision to take part in the Christmas “tradition of slaughtering an ox” (Lee, 10), the Bushmen began to grumble one at a time once they saw “the ox chosen by /ontah” (Lee’s translation of “ontah”) (Lee, 10). The anthropologist’s goals “were served” by the Christmas ox custom; yet, the response he obtains from the! Kung Bushmen people does not meet his expectations. The manner in which they responded insulted Mr. Lee, and I can see that his perspective was undoubtedly influenced by the norms of his own culture, according to which members of society are expected to value the efforts of others.
The narrative sheds light on the perspective of a certain national society of Bushmen with regard to the haughtiness and social disparity that exists in the contemporary world. The Christmas story that unfolded in accordance with the customs of the people has a strong connection to the anthropological challenges that are present in the modern world. The author made an effort to bring attention to the full disdain with which the Bushmen regard the arrogance of visitors to their country or people who choose to live among them. The fact that these people have made it a habit to make fun of others may come across as cruel and cynical, but the reality is that by doing so, they are assisting people of other nations in recognizing their own shortcomings and overcoming their hubris for good.
When a young man kills a lot of meat, he starts to think of himself as a chief or a great man, and he thinks of the rest of us as his subordinates or inferiors. This is because he believes that he is better than the rest of us (Lee, 2009) The author emphasized the importance of individuals overcoming this lesson of line and becoming more open and direct with others who around us, regardless of the country of those people. The narrative is extremely thought-provoking, and at the same time it educates its readers to take stock of what they have and work toward personal growth. A cultural affinity and a respect for one another’s traditions can never emerge from arrogance. The example of the Bushmen’s lesson demonstrated that every person is capable of understanding his or her own shortcomings; it is essential to develop rapport in order to comprehend how to alter one’s perspective of the world.
We never stop talking about how useless his flesh is. This way, we can calm his spirit and make him more submissive. The consumption of Christmas dinner in the Kalahari revealed the contact between two distinct communities that had a great deal in common despite having different perspectives and values from one another. The author was able to demonstrate that the morality of the Bushmen’s civilization is geared toward the development of the individual’s intrinsic attributes. They clarify that everyone is equal in whatever circumstance, regardless of whether or not you have killed a significant animal.
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The author emphasized the importance of generosity and kindness in one’s attitude toward others, and the story was able to highlight how people may overcome bad characteristics such as arrogance and envy in their relationships with other people. Even from an anthropological point of view, the strategy of the Bushmen, which consisted of embarrassing their enemies, seemed to be fairly successful. It demonstrated that barriers between different cultures may be overcome if individuals recognize the importance of social equality and are willing to communicate honestly with one another.
Mr. Lee employs the emic strategy in order to learn about the local viewpoint, and he does it through having conversations with cultural consultants. In the society of the Kung Bushmen, your effort is recognized and acknowledged, but only behind closed doors, and it is not easy to demonstrate this to you. Their method of control and belief is that praising a person for a work well done would do more harm than good since it will bolster the individual’s ego, and “someday his pride will compel him to kill somebody.” This is true even if the job in question was completed well (Lee, 12). Their ability to survive was dependent on their awareness of their surroundings and their evaluations of how individuals think and behave in a society. This is something that I believe will be beneficial to people in the long run, provided that people have good intentions and do not begin to take other people’s labor for granted.
References
Lee, B. R. (2009). “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari.” In Annual Editions: Anthropology (33rd ed.). Angeloni, Elvio. Dubuque, Iowa: Mcgraw-hill/dushkin.