downfall to all of the “good” things in life: we think our way of life is better than everyone else’s‚ and we often judge other countries‚ especially Africa‚ for their way of living. We often ask the questions‚ “What if we go to help them?” or “How can we help them?” when the real question is: “What can we learn from them”? Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa is a non-fiction book written by Katherine Dettwyler‚ who traveled to the countries of West Africa for her field research for her Ph
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“Dancing Skeleton” is one of the most significant and most effective ethnic studied that has been made by the Katherine A. Dettwyler. In this book‚ the writer has worked for explaining the situation critical condition of different children that are facing the problems of malnutrition that has disturbed the health conditions of different children. In this book‚ the writer has provided his persona account and personal observations that she made during her ethnographic research in different areas of
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Covered: Many of the anthropological topics the author Katherine Dettwyler covered in the book‚ Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa‚ are “ethnocentrism; the evaluation of other culture according to preconceived notions originating from one’s own cultural customs and beliefs‚ culture shock; subjected to an unfamiliar way or life or set of attitudes‚ population control‚ breastfeeding‚ child care‚ the meaning of disability and child death in different cultures‚ female circumcision‚ women’s
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Meagan Conrad ANT-103 Rough Draft March 16‚ 2012 Transfixed by Dancing Skeletons Katherine Dettwyler’s work in the field while she was in West Africa was exciting‚ filled with humor and even terrifying at times. She dealt with seeing various life-threatening diseases that affected the lives of children her daughter’s age‚ as well as adults. Dettwyler found that almost all of the people she came in contact with were completely oblivious and uninformed of the ways to prevent diseases such as
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ANTH 100: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor: Dr. Anne J. Goldberg Student: Florencia Aguirre September 19th‚ 2012 Katherine A. Dettwyler - Dancing Skeletons: Life and death in West Africa (1994) Review In 1995‚ Dancing Skeletons was given the Margaret Mead Award by the American Anthropological Association. It is presented to anthropologists whose work was able to interpret “anthropological data and principles in ways that make them meaningful and accessible to a broadly
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In the book “Dancing with Skeletons” by physical anthropologist Katherine A. Dettwyler‚ Dettwyler conducts a first hand study also known as ethnography in Mali which is located in West Africa. Dettwyler’s book consists of written information of her ethnography in places in Mali such as Macina‚ Bamako‚ and Timbuktu. Dettwyler writes in her book about the CARE health projects in the villages located around Macina in northern Mali. In this essay I will be discussing the goals of the CARE health projects
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Dancing Skeletons‚ written by the biological and nutritional anthropologist Katherine Dettwyler‚ is an ethnography about child nutrition and development in Mali. While conducting her ethnographic fieldwork‚ Dettwyler had to remain completely impartial and any avoid any ethnocentric feelings that she experienced‚ as well as practicing cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is the principle that people should not judge the behaviour of others using the standards of their own culture‚ and that each
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go to Africa and research and live with the people of Mali. Yet‚ besides research‚ Mrs. Dettwyler was able to make memorable memories and relationships with people never thought possible. “Her exuberant charm was an affirmation that the human spirit can survive and triumph even in the most difficult of circumstances. My last image of Ami‚ the one I will always carry in my heart‚ is of a small child‚ all smiling face and waving arms‚ bursting with affection and goodwill‚ undaunted.” (Dancing Skeletons
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Group 3 Notes Dancing Skeletons Elisa Castillo - Chapters 1 and 2 i. Return to the Field Author has been conducting research in the town of Magnambougou‚ capital city of Mali‚ during her dissertation fieldwork ‘…research involved documenting traditional infant feeding practices and their effect on children’s growth’ (pg 2) The author continued further research in her dissertation post receiving her Doctorates Three projects that she wanted to conduct; 1. Relocate children previously
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HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA Overview The history of West Africa is the long history of human movements‚ incursions‚ displacements‚ intermixtures of peoples‚ and of the impact of these on the beliefs‚ attitudes‚ social and political organization to the peoples West Africa. The history of West Africa can be divided into three major periods: first‚ its prehistory‚ second‚ colonial period‚ in which Great Britain and France controlled nearly the whole of the region and the post-independence era‚ in
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