Remote and Poked, Anthropology's Dream Tribe [article]

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Researchers have focused on the Ariaal, a nomadic community in northern Kenya, since the 1970s, following anthropologist Elliot Fratkin's initial studies. While examining the Ariaal's way of life, the community has been observing the researchers in return. They note peculiar behaviors of foreigners, such as applying sunscreen, wearing shorts, and consuming bottled water and packaged snacks, which contrasts with their own lifestyle. This mutual observation highlights a complex dynamic between the Ariaal and the researchers, suggesting that the Ariaal are not passive subjects but active participants in the research process. The discussion also critiques the effectiveness of some research methodologies, drawing parallels to studies on social skills in video gamers.
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Anthropologists and other researchers have long searched the globe for people isolated from the modern world. The Ariaal, a nomadic community of about 10,000 people in northern Kenya, have been seized on by researchers since the 1970's, after one - an anthropologist, Elliot Fratkin - stumbled upon them and began publishing his accounts of their lives in academic journals.

[...]

The researchers may not know this, but the Ariaal have been studying them all these years as well.

The Ariaal note that foreigners slather white liquid on their very white skin to protect them from the sun, and that many favor short pants that show off their legs and the clunky boots on their feet. Foreigners often partake of the local food but drink water out of bottles and munch on strange food in wrappers between meals, the Ariaal observe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/i...4aa&ex=1292562000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
 
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haha, insightful findings:rolleyes: Fat lot they do for their research subjects. Reminds me of studies which find that people who spend most of their time playing video games seem to lose social skills, well no sht sherlock!
 
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