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

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The discussion centers on the Ariaal, a nomadic community in northern Kenya, which has been the subject of anthropological research since the 1970s, particularly through the work of Elliot Fratkin. Researchers have focused on the Ariaal's lifestyle, yet the community has simultaneously observed the behaviors of these researchers, noting their peculiar habits such as using sunscreen and consuming packaged foods. This reciprocal observation highlights the complexities of anthropological studies and the interactions between researchers and their subjects.

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This discussion is beneficial for anthropologists, cultural researchers, students of social sciences, and anyone interested in the dynamics of researcher-subject relationships in ethnographic studies.

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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!