Essay On Colin Turnbull's The Forest People

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The Forest People seems like an unbiased book when you read it, but is it really? The answer is a resounding “NO”. There are many reasons including the conditions Colin Turnbull was in and where he was when he wrote the book, his history, and his views as an ethnographer being subpar from what is considered an accurate ethnographer. There are many reasons that methodology and ethical choices are questioned when it comes to Colin Turnbull’s The Forest People and they are all not unfounded. Colin Turnbull faced many challenges while growing up, including never being given emotional nurturing and emotional stability he needed as a child (15, In The Arms of Africa, Grinker). His mother was too demanding of him and his father too distant (118, Grinker). He also faced the …show more content…

Firstly, when did he write this book? At the time of writing the book, he was among another culture he was studying. The Ik, the focus of another ethnography. Turnbull expressed a deep dislike of the Ik calling them “sub-humans” as well as claimed the Ik did not possess generosity, compassion, charity, hospitality, kindness, or honesty. (156, Grinker). Turnbull couldn’t connect with the Ik like he did with the Mbuti. Turnbull couldn’t connect with the Ik while he was writing the book The Forest People. Writing a book about a culture while being among another creates a conflict of interest especially when Turnbull was surrounded by a harsher culture than the Mbuti. It put things in perspective and it translated into bias that the Mbuti were much more civilized and overall better than they were. Had he written the book while immersed in their culture or even in his home, it would’ve had a much different theme and feeling to it than how he wrote it while observing the Ik, whom he wished would die and cease to exist (173,

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