The patterns and motifs at the mud-huts have always been intriguing .No wonder anthropologists and sociologists have always wanted to know about some of these decorative arts their meaning and function, While I agree that
anthropology provides a framework for promoting understanding, acceptance and appreciation of the cultural diversity of our global community, there have been many times when I have always thought it creates a platform of creating cultural divisions to a point where others think there are better than others.Have you been taught your own culture by someone who is not within your own culture.Teaching you where you come from, what you eat and why eat it, your identity, physiology, biology, your chemistry, your origin.It is mind blowing.It could be positive but the thing about it is that how Africans have been studied, the results of such studies have been negative.So can you imagine sitting in an anthropology class and you are always told negative results about your culture? Am I just whining and groaning?
3 comments:
well i think all identity both societal and individual are subject to discursive regulatory regimes which makes it a pointless exercise to try and ascetain a true authentic one. however having said that it can be annoying especially if you think that there are those who have a privilged position to talk on behalf of the people being represented, nonetheless i go back to my original uttering that identity is a fabrication as its socially constructed and historically situated, how far in histry do you go, can you ever represent the actual the fundamental problem is the failing of this insertion as identity is never complete in its multiple and pluralistic experiences
your role then as a scholar is to vehemently challenge these discourse and expose them for what they are just creations of identity for other from the external. challenge them as misrecognition or misrepresentation, the fantasised. i think what needs to be acknowldged is the issues of power in creation of knowledge about subject positions epecially the potency of formation of the subject by and in language.
thanks for your powerful balanced views, it would be a huge task though to challenge such discourse considering the multitudes of studies done on behalf of Africans?Im not discrediting anybody here knowing its usually done with good intentions?
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