Culture Comparison: Hadza and San - Research Paper Example

Culture Comparison: Hadza and San Historical studies of various communities provide information about cultural activities of these communities in postmodern period. Historians have explained cultural heritage of various communities by exploring their religious affiliations, war, marriage, and relationship to the environment among other aspect of cultural diversity. Some of these communities have hardly changed the cultural activities in this modern era while others have embraced modernity (Finkel 110). Historians have observed in their work that modernity has warped the rich cultural activities of many communities because these communities tend to adopt borrowed cultural practices. It is not surprising to say that this age is a mix of cultures because of neo-culture. This paper compares and contrast cultures of Hadza and San communities in respect to their social political activities, relationship to environment, marriage, and spirituality. Historians believe that the original homeland of the Hadza community is around Lake Eyasi. Lake Eyasi is one of the lakes in the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. Anthropologists’ diaries indicate that this community did not keep livestock, did not plant any crops, or showed any trace of building permanent shelters. The community gathered wild fruits and hunted wild animals in order to raise their food. The Hadza community lives in small camps where relatives and friends come together as group (Finkel 112). The community uses the name of a senior male to identify their camps. Traditionally, gender roles in the Hadza community are distinct. Men hunt and collect honey while women gather baobab fruits and berries from the forest. Notably, the community does not hunt in groups, but it is an individual initiative. Hadza community believes in equality of all people where no man is above the other in terms of wealth and authority (Finkel 115). The community trade with its neighbors by selling honey to them. Hadza community does not have any religious observation. The community believes that Hadza man should marry after killing five baboons. Women in Hadza community initiate the marriage process. In case of mistreatment, Hadza women return to their community groupings. It is notable that Hadza community does not conduct a marriage ceremony. However, they perform rituals of the black moon (Finkel 117). Hadza practices monogamy, however, their children live and play together in the camps. Hadza community does not like warfare, in many cases; the community solves its differences by sending elderly men of various groups to negotiate peace deals. Hadza community has not been able to embrace modern agricultural practices such as rearing livestock or practice crop agriculture. The San or Bushmen community live in the Kalahari Desert where they claim to be the ancestral land (Lee 1). The community practices gathering of fruits and wild crops and hunting which is their principle economic activity. The community practice pastoral farming where they move from one point to the other in search of green pasture or water (Lee 2). Largely, the environment where this community stays does not favor crop farming this could probably explain their lifestyle. Bushmen live in camps where communities come together and live as friends and relatives. The community does not construct permanent shelters because of their nature of activities. Bushmen conduct marriage ceremonies where the bridegroom pays cattle to parents of the bride (Lee 8). The community observes some celebrations such as Christmas where they slaughter a bull for the celebration. Bushmen do embrace warfare especially when one community has trespassed against the other. Other instance of war among the Bushmen is during a meat sharing ceremony where the fittest takes the larger junk of meat. Bushmen go hunting in groups where men from a certain community go out and look for a suitable game. The women on the other hand go out looking for fruits and performing other house chores such as taking care of their children. It is notable, that when Bushmen kill a game their share its meat with others in the community. Largely, they lit a campfire where the roost the game animal. Bushmen are spiritual and believe in good intention against humankind. Largely Bushmen view themselves as equal in the society where an elderly person assumes advisory roles in their communities (Lee 7). The Bushmen community refrain the bride of their hunters by rejecting their hunted game in order to eliminate the pride. Women and men play distinctive roles in the community. It is apparent that in the advent of modernity, Bushmen still practice culture without many changes. It is arguable that education and coming of Whiteman civilization led to changes in traditional practices, this community has remained in the bush conducting their activities as usual. It is apparent that Hadza community and Bushmen share a number of similarities in lifestyle and social economic practices. Bushmen and Hadza communities are both gatherers and hunters. They depend on while game meat and gathered wild fruits for their food. In both communities, women and men play distinctive roles such as hunting, making spears, arrows, and bows among men. Women make ports, gather fruits and wild plants, collect fuel wood, and water. Hadza community and Bushmen communities build temporary shelters which they often destroy when the leave from one place to the other. Hadza and Bushmen communities live in small groups where relatives and friends settle as a group. It is notable that in Hadza community, the settlement groups would take the name of a senior male. Some contrasting aspects between these two communities include marriage and social ceremonies. Hadza community does not have any marriage ceremony while the Bushmen acknowledge a marriage ceremony. In the ceremony, a bridegroom has to pay a certain number of animals to bride’s parents. Another contrasting aspect between these two communities is that Bushmen observe other ceremonies such as Christmas which modernity embraces while Hadza community does not practice them. Men in Hadza community have to show their worth by killing five baboons before marrying. Hadza community does not embrace any warfare as opposed to Bushmen who would go to war. Elderly persons in both communities take the initiative of quelling differences between their community groupings. However, Bushmen would engage in a fight. Hadza community does not have religion or spirituality while the Bushmen community believes in spirituality. Practices in the environment such as agriculture differ between these communities. Hadza does not practice pastoral farming or crop farming while Bushmen practice pastoral farming. Wealth in Hadza community is spread equally among the community members on the hand Bushmen community own livestock which belong to individuals. It is notable that these two communities use different methods to abolish pride among their hunters. For instance, Bushmen would reject a game of a boisterous hunter. Hazda community view hunting activity as a solo pursuit, which an individual does at his own volition. Conclusively, the two communities have not been able to embrace much of the modern culture. Work cited Finkel, Michael. Hadza. Washington, DC: National Geographic. 2009. Print. Lee, B. Richard. Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. New York: American Museum of Natural History. 1969. Print. Read More