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Doing Fieldwork Among The Yanoomamo Analysis

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Throughout the article, Doing Fieldwork among the Yanomamo, by Napoleon A. Chagnon the reader is able to read along as if they were a real anthropologist’s on a journey throughout the villages of tropical forests in unoccupied lands. Changnon begins his writing explaining the culture and life style of the Yanamamö people. How their daily lives focus on gardening, hunting, visiting and completing tasks to get through the day. He describes their short life expectancy and the risks of violence between surrounding villages. The amount of men is exceedingly larger than the women, and often time’s men have multiple wives. Changon describes how each village is apart of broader political demographic. However he expresses how difficult it is to understand all of this simply from his descriptions. For you and I this type of adventure could sound scary and intimidating, however, through Chagnons writing we quickly are able to understand his groundwork and excitement when preparing to study another lifestyle and culture. Yet, we quickly learn that there is no amount of preparation that can prepare someone for the ‘culture shock’ they are about to embark. He discusses …show more content…

He found himself asking questions, such as, would they like me? Will I make strong bonds? I believe questions like these are important and show just how in need of others approval we all are, especially others whom we have yet to meet. He writes about feeling incredibly depressed and missing his friends and life in the states. If I were in his shoes, I couldn’t imagine leaving my daily activities for such a lengthy amount of time, in a place that practices a completely different lifestyle than what I am used to, let alone a life without those closest to me. For the remainder of the time Chagnon spent with the Yanamamö people, he was able to create bonds with a few close members who found him as much of a friend as they did

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