Ethnography as the Foundation of the Systems - Essay Example

College: Lecturer: Ethnography is a method of qualitative research that is carried out on cultural phenomena that forms the foundation of the systems and knowledge of a social or cultural group. This essay examines the role of an ethnographer both as an observer and a participant. Synge adopts a descriptive analysis of the life of the people of the Aranmhor. Right from his arrival to the end of his stay, he simply describes events that occur in the routine life of the people. He does not question the subjects or the events neither does he endeavor to understand why things are the way they are. As a young, town bred and possibly inexperienced, he majorly provide accounts of his observations and experiences without explaining the meanings of those events. Furthermore as a detached observer, he remains unaffected by the occurrences. His analysis, therefore, is merely descriptive rather than critical. Some of the subjects are given additional attention as compared to others. For instance, the input of young people especially women is missing while old men are given considerable time. It is also worth noting that despite not interviewing as many women, he spends most of his time observing them as they carry out their activities and their dressing (Synge, 14). The chief objective of the qualitative study is to understand and interpret the life and culture of the people of Aran Islands. He wishes to study the Gaelic language and the primitive life of the inhabitant. In fact, he believes that that they are the most primitive tribe in Europe. This is evidenced when he decides to continue his research in Inishmaan (Synge, 19). Before leaving he notes that these people have an ingrained belief in Fairies. While in Inishman Synge observes the simplicity of life of the locals as comparable to the medieval lifestyle. The tools and equipment used are not only made of local materials, but they lack modernity. For instance, the use of spinning-wheels and wooden barrels instead of earthenware, and the obvious lack of art (Synge, 23). Their dressing is equally simple, made from the materials found within the island. Flannels are spun, by women using wool from their own sheep while shoes are made from cow skin which have to be soaked every night to avoid discomfort when the skin dries. Synge believes that these people are enclosed and alienated from the life outside the island. Very few people speak a foreign language, and those can still mix them with Gaelic idioms. Furthermore, their ignorance is evidenced by their belief that the main occupation in the foreign world is the study of language especially Gael. Most of the foreigners visiting them are students of language and culture. According to Synge, rituals are a cultural microcosm. When writing about death, he takes the position of a detached observer who views the death of the old woman as a formality. When narrating the events that followed the death, he portrays the process as a ritual that more or less focuses on the activities that takes place when a person dies. For instance, wake on the evening before the burial, sounds of the wailing keen and the preparation of the coffin by the next of kin. Other ritualistic events include serving of poteen, a local brew made from potatoes, to the neighbors and mourners. On the day of the burial, the community attended mass then carried the loosely sewn coffin made of the local sail cloth. The procession follows from the village to the burial grounds on the lower side of the Island. The mourners dressed in mourning attire (petticoats worn over the heads by all mean and oldest women) join the march to the burial site. The chants by women during the burial and the wails after are all typical of rehearsed events. From Synge’s perspective, the echoes by the keen was not due to the grief of losing a loved one rather a reminder of the inevitable fate awaiting all mortals. Rosaldo view ritual as a one Synge’s account eliminates the emotional side of death. Very little is given about the emotional state of the next of keen and how they dealt with grief. In fact, the display of emotion described all occurs within the sphere of ceremonial rituals. He concentrated on the public ritualistic group completely obscuring the intense emotional states of the people closest to the deceased. Therefore, the funeral is simply a routine that does not include the emotions of bereavement. Synge’s view, however, takes the funerary ritual as a complete event in itself in that it does explore the effects that death has on the people and how they deal with grief. From his description, the Islanders do not deal with grief and rage outside the confines of the formal rituals. Rosaldo’s view of ritual as a busy intersection greatly contrasts the approached used by Synge in describing the treatment of death. While Rosaldo sees rituals as a connection of a process that continue to affect the individuals and the community before and after. For example, before a raid the Illongots men feel burdened with the issues of life. However, a successful raid that includes killing their victim and tossing away their head brings feelings of freedom from rage and grief (Rosaldo, 597). Such success is celebrated with music and dance that also includes cleansing. This view looks at the relevance of the ritual to the community, the forces affecting the performance of the ritual and the effects the ritual has on the community. Synge is a learned, town bread middle class man who has by no means had a chance to practice life in the primitive villages. He is a qualified bachelor as evidenced by the tall girls who feel free to talk to him and even make jokes. Being a man, he is able to notice the attractive features of the women in the village. For example, at the pier when the bullocks were being shipped to the fair, Synge is strongly attracted to the woman’s skin and hair. Even though, she is a primitive village girl her natural features still look beautiful and attractive to the ‘modern’ Synge. The villagers relate very easily with him across the age and the gender divide. Young boys and girls easily approach him for a conversation (p, 17-18). Men too out of curiosity approached him without difficulty and discussed issues that were very dear to them such as the languages, politics and their relatives abroad. Furthermore, he also engaged old men in conversations about the history of their culture. Nevertheless, urban upbringing affected his vision of the island and its people. The first impression he got when he arrived in Aran was that it was a desolate place. He considered the residents and their culture to primitive as to compare with the medieval life. As a result, he could not objectively understand some of the stories and myths such as the fairies. The way the villagers navigated their rocky environment was something of great astonishment to Synge because back in the city, human beings are artificially bred while these villagers embodied similar agility as the wild animals. According to Synge, life in the village is one that is filled with desolation. Everything in the environment screams backward. He does not respect the culture of the inhabitants because it does not conform to the conventional logic of the modern times. The ritual performed during the funeral does not elicit any emotion from Synge because they seem hypocritical and rehearsed. He also believes that these people are pagans who have adopted a bit of Catholic doctrines that suit them. Throughout the text, Synge manages to maintain a practical distance. He is able to describe situations from an observer’s point of view. His interactions and the experiences of the village life did not interfere with his objectivity. This is mostly demonstrated when his neighbour dies. He gives the account of the burial ceremony without involving his emotions. However, when the police come to evict the villagers Synge is affected and laments at the mistreatment of these poor people who do not deserve such level of harassment. At the end, he admits that he misses the people of the Island displays his discomfort with the economical inequalities that comes with city life. Synge is an etic observer in that despite the warm reception by the community, he relates to the events in the community as a foreigner. He continually complains of the ineffectiveness of the means of transport used such as the curaghs the fact that the island is a desolate place. Nonetheless, the people remain cooperative both the young and the old. The old men easily open up to him providing various anecdotes that forms part of the culture of the people while the young, able bodied boys like Michael provide the tour around the Island. He is taught new skills like rowing boats, navigating rocky terrain using the local shoes (pampooties). Work cited Synge, J.M. The Aran Islands and Connemara. Blackrock, Ireland: Mercier Press Ltd, 2008. Rosaldo, R. Grief and a headhunters rage. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1993. Read More