This book was one of the most famous ethnographies in the field. The book focused on the Samoan society and how the community functions on the different levels of authority, class, age group, sex, etc. This type of research was very big for the time and allows different societies to see the rest of the world and compare their own life to that of another's. Also the ethnography focused quite a bit on the adolescent aspect to the girls of the tribe and how growing up in their society worked. This included what was expected of them and what roles they played in the community. Throughout the entire study many details were revealed that showed the interesting similarities that the culture had with western culture, but at the same time many things were quite different. The way basic principals were dealt with in Samoan culture was vastly different sometimes than it is in the west such as sex or relationships.
The roles that people undertook seemed to be a lot more straight forward and understandable than it is sometimes in the west. Certain things were expected out of everyone that made much more sense.
Discussion
This should be a required book for everyone to read as it reveals a way of thinking to people that is invaluable and important for life. Looking at life in a very critical sense is important to understand how and why we do the things we do. Traditions and rituals are important, but to understand them is much more important. In terms of this class, that is why this skill is important to learn and use. Computer and human interaction requires that the designer of the computer object understand how humans of all backgrounds perceive what he is designing.
No comments:
Post a Comment