Meet the Natives

Writer: Dr Luke Freeman

What is Anthopology? | An Englishman's home | Language and class | Body language | Meet the Natives

What is Anthopology?

Left to right: Chief Yapa, Posen and JJ in front of Central London skyline – image from the programme Channel 4

Television programmes such as Meet the Natives lay claim to using an anthropological methodology. In fact, they are a kind of cultural tourism, based on marvelling at how other cultures, customs and beliefs appear to differ from one's own. The study of anthropology is the opposite of this because it goes beyond shallow first impressions to appreciate the complexity of cultural practices and ideas.

Anthropologists are trained to spend years at a time experiencing long-term, intimate participation in a community's life. The practice thus goes beyond superficial appearances of 'bizarre practices' in order to understand the sophistication of others' lives.

Let's take the example of a mother in Madagascar who, instead of sending her son to school, buys a cow. Has she no concern for her son's future? In her society a cow is an item of prestige, an economic investment that will bear fruit for her son in years to come. So the cow is far more useful than a good set of exam results. When we understand her actions in her own context we see that she is as wise, caring and rational as mothers everywhere.

So what might a trained anthropologist look at in trying to make sense of the English?

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