Analysis of The Dobe Ju/Hoansi - Book Report/Review Example

Running head: The Dobe Ju/’Hoansi The Dobe Ju/’Hoansi Richard Lee’s book is an elaborate research on the lifestyle of the Kung San Clan, which inhabits the Southern African region and is also referred to as the Ju ‘Hoansi. Even in a global society that has progressed so much in the fields of science and technology, the Ju ‘Hoansi subsists on extremely primitive methods that primarily revolve around foraging and hunting. Lee portrays the culture in a positive light and treats it with great respect despite the gaping disparity it has with modern society, Lee sheds light on how the Ju ‘Hoansi traditional way of living is endangered as it continues to be heavily influenced by other cultures. The substance of this prose will juxtapose the elements of the Ju ‘Hoansi with that of the American culture to draw out a proper comparison as an exercise for ethnography. The primitiveness of their culture does not mean that they are socially backward. The Ju ‘Hoansi are considered to be more open about certain issues than the American society. The following table condenses some of the major difference between the Ju ‘Hoansi and the American society. Comparison United States Dobe Ju/’Hoansi Food Production Industrial Agriculture Hunting/gathering Diet GMO’s, imported foods, organic vegetables and fruits Nuts, vegetables, hunting and food gathering Conflict Resolution Usually peaceful with negotiations or penalties for a perpetrator Often violent and results in years long vendetta Marriages Love marriages or pre-marital courting and strictly monogamous Arranged marriages or marriage by capture; monogamous but has cases of polygamous unions Gender roles Men and women work side by side, however there are cases of gender discrimination reported all over the country. Men and women contribute equally in the work, but women work for fewer hours as they have a bigger role in managing the gathered food. I. Food Production Food production in the Ju ‘Hoansi is carried out by hunting and foraging; years of practice has made them quite efficient in gathering enough food that can feed an individual for nearly 10 days. Their efficiency is demonstrated by their ability to gather 2000 to 3000 nuts in an hour. They work in teams so that the work load is divided and they also use primitive tools to hunt down animals. The Ju people are also lauded by Lee for having the knowledge of constructing ingenious bird traps. Cattle rearing and farming are two of the most essential activities carried out by the people that enable them to survive in the area regardless of the climate or weather. (Lee, 2003) The Ju ‘Hoansi are one of the biggest consumers of pig meat and are also involved in Pig herding. They slaughter pigs when they are celebrating a marriage or any festival. They also use pigs as offerings to their ancestor and feed pig livers to the sick. They are well-versed in animal husbandry and use various techniques to enhance the quality of the animal. On the other hand, American society uses state of the art agricultural techniques to enhance crop yield. They use fertilizers and insecticides to cater to the ever-growing population. Unlike, the Ju culture, the American society has divided work and instead of a collaborative effort, they have compartmentalized the food gathering task and even the livestock is reared separately that is then slaughtered and used for consumption. They rely on complex mass production techniques to cover for food shortages, whereas the techniques employed by the Ju ‘Hoansi are simple r and can keep the people fed for a short period of time only. II. Diet Since, their food gathering methods are extremely primitive, the Ju ‘Hoansi rely on organic food for nutrition; their diet consists of nuts, meat, vegetable and fruits. They categorize the food based on it nutrition, taste and availability, and then ration them out. There foods are high in proteins and other nutrients that toughen their body up for physical labor (Lee, 2003). They compute the amount of calories that are consumed by the people and plan out the diets accordingly and even regulate the amount that is being consumed by every individual. On the other hand, American society encourages the consumption of Genetically Modified Foods (GMO’s) and fast foods that are high in calories and result in an exponential rise in obesity (Schlosser, 2012). There is a wide variety of food items to choose from, which include both organic and inorganic foods, but compared to the diet of the Ju ‘Hoansi people, the diet of the American people causes great fat build-up. III. Conflict resolution Conflict resolution amongst the Ju ‘Hoansi often takes a violent turn and they use their fists to decide who will get the upper hand in the argument. Although, there are little or no conflicts in the Ju culture, but these conflicts are often triggered by the lack of contribution in the workforce or if two me n are pursuing the same woman. If a confrontation turns bloody then there is a high chance that the conflict will take a form of a vendetta and as grudges are held for years, then the string of killings go on for a very long time. Elders have no say in the matter, however, people do intervene to resolve the conflicts by either trying to lighten up the mood by turning the fight into a joke or asking the involved parties to go separate ways to deliberate over the matters and manage their emotions. In the American society, the people rely on negotiations or discussions to draw out a mutually acceptable solution to a problem. Most of the time, the people usually avoid confrontations and since duties are properly assigned to every individual, the people hardly get involved in each other’s business and remain detached. In case of an intense argument, a third party usually takes on the role of an arbitrator or the case is taken to court for a formal resolution of the issue. IV. Marriages Marriages in the Ju ‘Hoansi are usually arranged right after the birth of the child; the girls are usually married as soon as they hit puberty, while the boys are married off when they reach the age of 18. The affair is vastly arranged by the elders, who confirm a betrothal by a series of long gift exchanges between the two parties. Even though the marriage is arranged, but that does not mean that the girl’s consent is insignificant in the matter. After the marriage, the clan carries out a tradition of a mock capture called “marriage by capture” as the girl is taken from her family home to a conjugal hut. The girl has the right to resist her husband’s advances and this goes on throughout the initial weeks of the marriage. It gives the Ju women the right to assert their opinion on their mate and even opt out of the marriage, if she fails to develop an attachment to her mate. On the other hand, marriages in America are vastly based on mutual love and attraction. It entails years of courtships before the actual marriage takes place. The society is based on individual choices and decisions and the elders have little or no say in the matter. Although, both Ju ‘Hoansi and American have strictly monogamous marriages, but there are cases of Polygamy, if the man is in a position to support more women. However, in case of extra marital affairs, women are known to become quite violent towards their spouses. V. Gender roles The Ju men and women have equality in the society and Lee has observed no signs of gender discrimination, although to westerners it may seem like the women are oppressed, considering the fact that marriages are usually arranged. However, the Ju ‘Hoansi are vastly matriarchal with the women having greater dominance in the society than men. They often turn violent if they find their men with other women and take on a bigger responsibility in the society when it comes to managing the supplies and gathered food. On the other hand, the American society; much like all the western societies, is very patriarchal in nature. Though, feminist movements have ameliorated the position of the females, but there are still rampant cases of discrimination whereby the women are paid less than men or are not given job at all. Rape and sexual harassment is not so common in the Ju ‘Hoansi culture, whereas American women are quite susceptible to such cases and are required to regulate their behavior in order to protect themselves against rapists and sex predators. (Riedmann et.al, 2008, p.126) VI. Conclusion After considering all these factors, it is ostensible that the schism between the Ju and American culture is indeed wide, which is quite clear from the way they resolve conflict and methods they employ to survive. However, there are instances where the Ju ‘Hoansi are more forward than the America, especially when it comes to the dynamics of the gender roles. Moreover, the people are healthier and more robust than the Americans, who are heavily dependent on inorganic and high-calorie food that in turn harms their health. The gender roles are more stable in the Ju society than the Americans, but some of their cultural practices are now on the verge of extinction, as the society takes influence from other cultures, which may pave the path for further progression of the society, but the younger generation is moving farther away from a traditional way of living. References: Heider, K.G. (2006). “Ethnographic Film”. Texas: University of Texas Press Lee, R. B. (2003). “The Dobe Ju/’Hoansi”. California: Wadsworth Publisher. Schlosser, E. (2012). “Fast Food Nation: Dark Side of an All-American Meal”. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Riedmann, A et.al. (2008). “Marriages and Families”. New York: Cengage Brain Read More