Entry Eight

Chapter 7

This chapter explains the lifestyle of the Pygmies and how that influences their child-rearing (126-129)

·         Individual responsibility and authority are dispersed, a trait which is reflected in other aspects of Pygmy life. Children call everyone in the same age group as their parents “father” or “mother”, and everyone in their own age group “sister” or brother”. This reflects the conceptions of community in the Pygmy camp, and also how authority should be delegated.

Conceptions of what it means to be a Pygmy

·         It is not the Pygmy nature to admit that they are wrong (133)

·         After the hunters return to camp, the meat is distributed, and the whole camp gathers to make sure distribution is fair. “No one acknowledges that it is, but in the end everyone is satisfied.” (134).

·         Expressions- dance in exaggerated events of the day (134), stories, a lively imagination, difficulty in telling the difference between truth and legend

All of these traits reflect the conceptions of what it means to be a Pygmy. They reflect culture but deeper than that, they reflect a pride and a sense of community that is ingrained in the culture.

Villagers versus the Pygmies

Some people can come empty-handed to a Pygmy camp “and be received gladly, because they understand the Pygmies and the forest.” For the Pygmies this is the criterion of “a real person,” as opposed to the animal-humans who live in permanent villages in the open, away from the shelter and affection of the trees. (139)

                For the Pygmies, the forest is their whole life and existence. Knowing and loving the forest then is what makes someone human.

Brief Paragraph:

Both Symbolic Anthropology and Particularism & Relativism could be used to analyze this chapter. Symbolic anthropology gives an idea of the meaning behind what the Pygmies do, which in turn affords a better understanding of who they are. Particularism emphasizes the Pygmies’ individuality and the details of what they do.