Anthropology and the Bushman

by Alan Barnard

The Bushman' is a perennial but changing image. The transformation of that image is important. It symbolizes the perception of Bushman or San society, of the ideas and values of ethnographers who have worked with Bushman peoples, and those of other anthropologists who use this work. Anthropology and the Bushman covers early travellers and settlers, classic nineteenth and twentiethcentury ethnographers, North American and Japanese ecological traditions, the approaches of African ethnographers, and recent work on advocacy and social development. It reveals the impact of Bushman studies on anthropology and on the public.The book highlights how Bushman or San ethnography has contributed to anthropological controversy, for example in the debates on the degree of incorporation of San society within the wider political economy, and on the validity of the case for 'indigenous rights' as a special kind of human rights. Examining the changing image of the Bushman, Barnard provides a new contribution to an established anthropology debate.

A Pdf version of this book is available for free in open access via the Oapen Library platform, www.oapen.org

Genres: Anthropology, Africa

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Alan Barnard is a world class communications strategist with a vast experience in devising and executing successful landmark campaigns. He made a major impact during his ten years working for the Labour Party and played a pivotal role in their 1997 general election victory. His work as Labour's Director of Campaigns and Elections helped change political campaigning in the United Kingdom. Now, as a founding Director of BBM Campaigns, he is taking campaigning into new territories.

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book for a while and finally decided to pick it up. It's an interesting read. Many academic authors write in a dry way with lots of jargon, while Barnard certainly writes with some jargon his writing style is fun and slightly cheeky.

Knowing very little about 'bushmen' and southern African anthropology this acted as a good primer. The complexities of the topic were well laid out.

An interesting point, that got me thinking was the challenges of the literature being in English and Japanese. Barnard's engagement of this was interesting but also showed the opportunities in this field for a scholar to develop ideas written in Japanese that have yet been translated to English.

[York · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a bad book, the author's approach towards his own subject is ambivalent and lacks necessary context. A history of anthropological interactions with Bushmen/San people needs more in the way of pre-contact history to establish a baseline. For someone already well versed in Bushman culture it would be much more useful.