Specific Opinion About This Two Anthropology Sources

Ethnography From an Artistic Point-of-View

One of the most intriguing things about art is that it pervaded all cultures, regardless of the conditions present in some communities. Values that seem absurd for some cultures can be especially appreciated by others and vice-versa, considering the complex nature of the contemporary society. Napoleon A. Chagnon's article "Doing Fieldwork among the Yanomamo" provides readers with a first person understanding of the Yanomamo tribe and with the opportunity to understand why the community's members take on attitudes that the masses might be inclined to criticize.

The writer emphasizes the extreme aggression present in the Yanomamo culture and the fact that these people actually consider this to be one of the most important values in their community. What was even more surprising is that they seemed to be enthusiastic about it and that this induced feelings related to brutality and unfairness in Chagnon. As most people in the civilized world he was accustomed to acting in accordance with a system of laws and he was raised in an environment that set strict definitions of what was considered right and what was considered wrong.

In order for Chagnon to be able to enter the Yanomamo society, he did not only become more open minded, as he also came to adopt an attitude that would make it possible for the tribe's members to accept him. Even with this, he had trouble going through with his plan in the beginning and he actually expressed doubt regarding the field of work that he was involved in. However, he gradually started to behave similar to the Yanomamo tribe and eventually felt that he was really enabled to understand them directly.

Chagnon's experience can be comprehended more easily when regarding things from an artistic point-of-view. The man felt that it was difficult for him to be assimilated by a community that was nothing like the one that he grew in. However, as he changed his perspective he began to appreciate some factors in the Yanamomo society and virtually saw the beauty in these people's behavior.

It is actually curious that one can be easily influenced to abandon all of his or her principles when the respective person comes across a situation that exceeds his abilities and makes it difficult and almost impossible for him to continue to direct his thinking in a particular way. Chagnon was left with the impression that he was unable to perform his job properly when he discovered that the Yanomamo people were hostile and that they were focused on acting in disagreement with every single value respected in the civilized world. However, as he started to integrate the tribe he came to gain a better understanding of his position and eventually began to appreciate the important role that humanity had provided him with.

Chagnon's article demonstrates that people often have the tendency to discriminate communities and individuals because they fail to understand the world from the perspective of these respective communities and individuals. This means that it is essential for individuals to get actively involved in trying to understand things that they are inclined to express hatred toward.

Many people believe that film has little to nothing to do with ethnography because of the fiction present in a great deal of ethnographic motion pictures and because directors and editors often edit materials with the purpose of making them more extraordinary. Furthermore, documentary ethnographic films are often categorized as being blunt and as being generally meant to be educational, as directors are apparently not interested captivating audiences by making their films interactive.

Peter Loizos' book "Innovation in Ethnographic Film: From Innocence to Self-Consciousness, 1955-1985" provides an intriguing outlook concerning ethnographic film in general. His book points toward the belief that even though some documentarians edit their films in order for them to be more entertaining, their success in the industry is dictated by their ability to be more or less proficient in putting across the realism present in the story that they are telling. By speaking in regard to a series of documentary films Loizos wants his readers to understand that there is a thin line between a normal documentary film and a motion picture that is meant to be ethnographic. By demonstrating that many film directors were criticized because of their failure to create movies that were ethnographic, Loizos apparently intends to emphasize that these people failed to observe the success that they could have had in the domain if they directed their attention toward a particular public. The writer is well-acquainted with the fact that ethnographers are strict about their line of work and are generally unsupportive with regard to individuals who are involved in it but also express interest in creating works discussing other subjects.

The fact that ethnographers fail to accept that a film director can also create motion pictures with other things in mind is actually disturbing when considering the fine work that these directors do when regarding ethnography. Working with a more complex audience can enable a film director to learn more about the industry. The fact that these people develop films that are meant to discuss topics related to ethnography but also introduce other concepts does not necessarily mean that they act in disagreement with the domain. Ethnographers need to filter information in order to be able to see beyond appearances and by doing so they are more likely to appreciate an artistic ethnographic film.