Eating Christmas In The Kalahari Analysis
Jolene Vanderpool Professor Rice
ANTH 1200
30 September 2011
Americans view Christmas as a time to give and appreciate everything we have had in the year and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but it can also be seen as a selfish holiday as we ask for presents from our loved ones. The essay, “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” by Richard Borshay Lee explains that you cannot take what is said and done to you as a reflection of your personal views if you do not take the time to think about the way those words and actions affect you. We can learn many things about our culture if we reflect on the cultures of others around the world. This is essay offers the reader a chance to explore how a different culture celebrates a holiday in a similar but very different way than Americans.
` Richard Lee, a Cultural anthropologist studied the culture of the! Kung , also known as Ju/’ hoansi, Bushman culture. “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” is a story about that shows an example of cross cultural misunderstanding. Lee attempted to give the! Kung the largest and fastest ox he could find. Lee thought it would be a kind gesture to share as the “Christmas Feast”. ! Kung culture insulted & taunted Lee with the inadequacy of his gift. After …show more content…
We do not have the reactions that the !Kung do, instead we sit and ridicule others over the hunt not being as big as another’s, we make it into a competition to see who can be better at the hunt and come back with the trophy prize. In some ways, we should work harder to be like the Bushmen and not become so full of ourselves since egotism is not a quality that represents the positive aspects of one’s personality and make us think of ourselves better than
ANTH 1200
30 September 2011
Americans view Christmas as a time to give and appreciate everything we have had in the year and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but it can also be seen as a selfish holiday as we ask for presents from our loved ones. The essay, “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” by Richard Borshay Lee explains that you cannot take what is said and done to you as a reflection of your personal views if you do not take the time to think about the way those words and actions affect you. We can learn many things about our culture if we reflect on the cultures of others around the world. This is essay offers the reader a chance to explore how a different culture celebrates a holiday in a similar but very different way than Americans.
` Richard Lee, a Cultural anthropologist studied the culture of the! Kung , also known as Ju/’ hoansi, Bushman culture. “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” is a story about that shows an example of cross cultural misunderstanding. Lee attempted to give the! Kung the largest and fastest ox he could find. Lee thought it would be a kind gesture to share as the “Christmas Feast”. ! Kung culture insulted & taunted Lee with the inadequacy of his gift. After …show more content…
We do not have the reactions that the !Kung do, instead we sit and ridicule others over the hunt not being as big as another’s, we make it into a competition to see who can be better at the hunt and come back with the trophy prize. In some ways, we should work harder to be like the Bushmen and not become so full of ourselves since egotism is not a quality that represents the positive aspects of one’s personality and make us think of ourselves better than