Ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethnography - Essay Example An understanding of the Kabre is necessary because it enlightens and opens up new and different perspectives that will aid in the determination of what shaped their culture. The villages of modern Kabre in West Africa appear to be very remote. They are based in northern Togo and possess all of the classic notions an individual has about a remote village of African culture. Remote in the sense they exist on subsistence farming have straw roofs on their houses and perform rituals to the spirits. They appear to be very simple people living very simple lives. Piot's argument is that this village life is in fact and effect of the modern and the global. Piot's tenets require further contemplation and support and that will be the basis for this discussion. In his ethnography, Piot proposes, "Kabre culture is shaped as much by colonial and postcolonial history as by anything "indigenous" or local." (1999) He supports his premise by analyzing the daily practices of the Kabre villagers. These daily practices encompassed both their social; and ceremonial activities. He used this analysis to compare modernity with traditional activities of the Kabre villagers. In his observations and analysis, Piot shows how the Kabre villagers have blended tradition with moderninity. ... To iterate his point Piot gives the example using the president of Togo's Kabre. The president regularly uses a helicopter to fly to this region to witness male initiation ceremonies. This is clearly an example of a traditional ceremony of male ritual and the president's use of a helicopter for transportation is clearly an indication of moderninity. Piot's example describes the appropriation of tradition at the state level and describes many other examples similar to this to add credence to his premise. Piot profoundly illustrates how Kabre is a culture shaped by both a modern world and one of tradition. His tenets at some points confuse anthropological theorizations and the State Department's stereotyped images of African village life, However by doing this he reiterates what he postulates about the Kabre because they are a perplexing combination of all of these. Piot's objective was to show how "Euroamerican theories that fail to come to terms with the fluidity of everyday relations in a society where persons and things are forever in motion." (The University of Chicago Press 2004) Tradition and Modernity: It could be argued that Piot's observations occur in every culture across the globe. An example of this would be the Roman Catholic Religion. The religion dates back for centuries and the ceremonies practiced by the Roman Catholics are very true to tradition. This same premise could include Orthodox Jews and a plethora of other religions and the ceremonies performed by the worshippers. However, although moderninity is very a part of a Roman Catholic's life they are not viewed as rural or indigenous people that simply adhere to tradition when they practice their religion. Whereas Piot's observation saw these people as a more complex