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This idea also directly supports Jackson’s idea of liminality and the understanding that ethnographies place anthropologists in a constant “betwixt and between” state (Van Maanen 1995: 37). Bohannan resolves this issue and indirectly addresses it at the end of the book by describing the reason behind some of the ‘savage’ activities that she witnessed, giving the sense that it is important to keep in mind that the motivations and reasoning of others is not necessarily the same as one’s own (Bowen 1954: 295).
However, she does not show any remorse in the text for having claimed hers a superior culture to the one being studied.
Research Findings: The results of the research are shown throughout the book through the particular experiences that the anthropologist goes through. The results are not presented in any particular statistical format and particular attention isn’t necessarily given to them. Rather, the author intersperses them throughout the book and describes them through the particular experience that reveals these results to her.
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During the year spent in the bush, Elenore gains access to information that would normally not be available to a European, as she is termed.
This information relates to kinship, marriage, death, family and various other cultural elements of the Tiv tribe. Through her research she learns that the Tiv are a polygamous tribe and it is typical for a man to have more than one wife (Bowen 1954: 105). At first sight, this relationship seems that it would create a difficult and complicated situation for the wives.
However, upon further study, she realizes that having more than one wife often complicates the situation for the husband as wives can often band together against their husband (Bowem 1954: 131).
As such, if their husband does or says something that is not beneficial to his wives, they can group together and delay cooking or serving him his meal. In addition, having many wives is a symbol of affluence in the community as it is costly to marry someone since a bridal dowry must be paid to the family. The concept of family is also unique in the Tiv tribe as the terminology usually appropriated to members of family, such as mother, is more fluctuating than is typically seen in western traditions.
In one instance, the anthropologist is surprised when the senior wife of the chief Kako claims that she will soon become a grandmother (Bowen 1954: 126). The explanation provided is that an individual’s mother is a term given to the individual who feeds them, which can change throughout life. As such, the individuals who work for or live with Bohannan are considered her children and any offspring that they bear will also be considered her grandchildren (Bowen 1954: 126).
Names are also a topic of symbolism in the Tiv culture as someone who is named after an individual automatically gives that individual something similar to a role of godparent for the child. This is revealed to Bohannan when Poorgbillin names her daughter “Redwoman” after Bohannan, who then becomes her namesake (Bowen 1954: 76). She is explained that the sharing of their name creates a strong bond and each “… took on the relatives of the other. ” (Bowen 1954: 76) Unfortunately, the life of this child is short-lived. Some illumination into the Tiv understanding of death is provided upon the death of this child.
Of surprise to Bohannan, the death of the child is taken as a very natural phenomenon and no emotional response or sadness is shown (Bowen 1954: 125). According to them, 60-70% of babies do not grow into adulthood and the passing of a child is taken as no cause for emotional distress (Bowen 1954: 125). Relationships are of paramount importance to the Tiv and play a role in the daily elements of their life. This information is revealed to Bohannan through a nerve-wracking experience regarding the distances between two locations.
She learns that when asking about the distance to a particular individual’s home, the responses of far or not far refer not only to the physical distance to be travelled, but also to the status of the relationship between the two individuals (Bowen 1954: 52). As such, if the individuals are on positive terms, the distance can be indicated as “not far” even though the physical distance can actual be quite far (Bowen 1954: 52). The status of the relationship between two individuals also helps Bohannan to gain confidence within the tribe as she uses the conflict between Kako and Yabo to her advantage (Bowen 1954: 233).
One of the more prominent results of her research is the attitude towards and role of witchcraft within the Tiv tribe. After having spent sufficient time with the tribe, and through a variety of strategic maneuvers, Bohannan is slowly accepted as a more trusted individual and is revealed details of the Tiv culture that is not normally revealed to outsiders. Witchcraft takes on a religious role within the culture, allowing the members of the tribe to explain everyday phenomenon through acts of witchcraft.
Peculiarly, witchcraft can be done by anyone who has superior knowledge and practice, normally accredited to the elderly and higher members of the tribe (Bowen 1954: 191). Illness is also explained through witchcraft since they believe that when a particular individual falls ill, it is because someone has bewitched them (Bowen 1954: 246). In particular, bewitching and wishing ill fate upon someone is thought to be done by a person that is close to them, usually a member of their family (Bowen 1954: 240). This creates a duality within the relationships that a person has with their family.
On the one hand, and individual depends almost completely on their family for their daily needs and survival. On the other hand, members of the tribe believe that bewitching can only be done by those closest to an individual, thereby often the family. In essence, members of the tribe must always walk a fine line with their family members because they depend on them for everyday needs and must remain on good terms with them for this, but this dependence also gives their family members the power to bewitch them for any justified or unjustified reason.
Summary and Conclusions: The significance of the ethnography can be understood as three fold; in terms of its significance to the anthropological community, its significance to the general community and its significance to the culture being studied. The significance to the anthropological community is a detailed account of the daily lives and beliefs of an African tribe, along with why they act in the way that they act. The author does a great job of understanding the motivations behind many of the unusual actions and experiences that she witnesses in her time.
This directly furthers the combined knowledge of anthropology as a field. Having presented the results of her research in a novel format, the author reaches a wider audience and presents her experiences with a foreign culture, along with a presentation of the customs and traditions of the tribe. The novel is presented in an easy to read format, without excessive use of anthropological jargon, making it easy to follow and an enjoyable book to read for a typical individual. Lastly, the significance of the ethnography to the culture itself may have been through her involvement with them.
In this instance, information was passed in a two-way stream, the culture learned more about a member of an exotic culture just as she studied them. Elements of their understanding of witchcraft may have been affected as they grew to see her as a witch (Bowen 1954: 258). This may have further solidified their belief in witches, particularly if a member of a culture that they view as superior to theirs is also capable of bewitching and vocally claims to be a witch. The ethnography comes across as an account of the experiences of an anthropologist throughout her fieldwork, rather than a study of a particular culture.
The author successful describes how fieldwork can create disturbing situations for a fieldworker out of which a duality can emerge where a fieldworker temporarily loses himself or herself. The book also reveals elements of a different culture, one that can be viewed as very foreign and exotic to a typical westerner even in modern times. Unfortunately, the author’s bias and subjectivity often creeps into the text giving a skewed representation whereby the reader can formulate an opinion that their own culture is far more superior to the silly culture of the tribe being studied.
Although this is an older ethnography and these elements of ethnocentrism are not found in modern day ethnographies, the novel provides a beautiful account of what ethnographies and anthropological attitudes were in not-so-historical times. It also shows how anthropology as a field has evolved to overcome some of these subjective notions and personal biases to be more scientific in nature.
Works Cited Bowen, Elenore Smith. 1954. Return to Laughter: An Anthropological Novel. New York: Anchor Books.Bresler, Liora. 1996. Ethical Issues in the Conduct and Communication of Ethnographic Classroom Research. Studies in Art Education 37: 133-44.
Ethical Considerations in Ethnography, Observational Research, and Narrative Inquiry. http://writing. colostate. edu/guides/research/observe/com2d4. cfm. Accessed 7/10/12. Van Maanen, John. 1995. Representation in Ethnography. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc. Van Maanen, John. 1988. Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography. Chicago: The University Chicago Press.
The book, return to Laughter. (2020, Jun 01). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/book-return-laughter-12617-new-essay
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