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Anthropology/Maasai tribe modernization

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Expert: - 3/22/2009


Question
How come it seem that the Maasai people seem to have adapted successfully to Africa being modernized so much better than many other native African peoples? How did they manage to do so well while in many other countries, colonization and modernization seem to have led only to violence and war, such as the Congo?

I ask because i am looking into how 1st world countries have gone to 3rd world countries in order to 'help" them, and in the end have only brought conflict.

Answer
Hello Ariel!

Hope you are fine.

Finding answers to your research question involves a lot of textual analysis, which need large time. I'm just giving you a simple feedback.

I'm impressed with your precision when you used the word within quotes. However, if I'm not wrong, you are already guided by preset assumptions. When you look for such an issue, there is a risk of collecting biased information to establish what you intend to achieve, which is clearly a positivist methodological standpoint; and it opposes contemporary anthropological or social science research.

Rather, you may look for the 'effects of 'first world' countries' to 'third' world countries' and analyze what the picture is (though partial). Looking towards a phenomena in this way will broaden the way of collecting data, categorizing them and revealing multiple truths (for example, the 'help' was not context sensitive in other areas and it was to Maasai and/or Maasai themselves adapted successfully due to these or that, which was absence was not present among others etc.). Books like "Maasai" by Tiyambe Zeleza might help you as there's much details about Maasai and modernization.

Best regards,
Gorkey

Anthropology

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Gorkey Gourab

Expertise

Identity, ethnicity, anthropological theories, medial anthropology (social & behavioral aspects), psychology and anthropology, gender and sexuality, philosophy of social science, research design and analysis procedures, computer assisted qualitative data analysis and data management (using ATLAS.ti)

Experience

More than six years' professional research experience as Medical Anthropologist (in the field of HIV &AIDS, gender & sexuality etc.). Qualitative research, programmatic and M&E experience with MAPRs.

Organizations
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) as Manager - M&E (Qualitative) at Laboratory Sciences Division

Publications
(1) Khan, S. I., Hussain, M. I., Parveen, S., Bhuiyan, M. I., Gourab, G., & Bhuiya, A. (2009). Living on the extreme margin: Social exclusion of the hijra in Bangladesh. Journal of health, population and nutrition. (2) Khan, S. I., Hussain, M. I., Gourab, G., Parveen, S., Bhuiyan, M. I., & Sikder, J. (2008). Not to stigmatize but to humanize sexual lives of the transgender (Hijra) in Bangladesh: condom chat in the AIDS era. Journal of LGBT Health Research, 4(2-3), 127-141. (3) Khan, S. I., Pasa, K., Gourab, G., Hasan, A. M. R., Kaukab, S. S. T., & Islam, A. (2007a). Living with risks and vulnerabilities to STIs/HIV: a qualitative assessment of indigenous populations at the northwestern belt in Bangladesh. Paper presented at the ASCON: ICDDR,B, Dhaka, Bangladesh. From http://www.icddrb.org/images/11thAscon_Orals_Day2.pdf. (4) Gourab, G., Karim, M. S., & Karim, Z. (2004). Religiosity of the santal community. Paper presented at the International Seminar on Anthropology: Chittagong University, Chittagong, Bangladesh. (5) Khan, S. I., Gourab, G., Sarker, G. F., Ghosh, S., & Khondokar, S. I. (2008a). Mapping geographical and service delivery gaps and estimating size of street, hotel and residence based female sex workers in Bangladesh (draft report). Dhaka: ICDDR,B & Save the Children USA. (6) Khan, S. I., Gourab, G. et al. (2008b). Understanding the operational dynamics and possible HIV interventions for residence-based female sex workers in two divisional cities in Bangladesh (draft report). Dhaka: ICDDR,B & Save the Children USA. (7) Khan, S. I., Gourab, G. et al. (2007b). Understanding the context of risks and vulnerabilities to STI/HIV and sexual health: an anthropological assessment of the indigenous community of northwestern belt of Bangladesh. Dhaka: ICDDR,B. (8) Khan, S. I., Parveen, S., Hussain, M. I., Bhuiyan, M. I., & Gourab, G. (2007c). Socialization and sexuality constructions of hijra: implications for STIs/HIV intervention. Dhaka: ICDDR,B.

Education/Credentials
Post graduate in Anthropology.

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