Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa Essay -- Literary Ana

Although the !Kung San of southern Africa differ greatly from the people in the west African nation of Mali, both areas share similar problems. Both suffer from diseases, illnesses, malnutrition, and having to adapt to the ever changing and advancing cultures around them. What I found to be the most significant problem that is shared between both areas is that the people suffered from a lack of education. In the book Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine A. Dettwyler, there is a lack of education in proper nutritional practices, taking care of children and newborns, and basic medical knowledge and practices. The Dobe Ju/’hoansi have recently started putting in schools to help children receive an education to help them have better success with the surrounding peoples and culture, but there is a lack of attendance in these schools. There are also many education issues in proper sexual practices that would help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS, in a place i n the world were theses illnesses are at surprisingly high levels. The first part of this paper will discuss the education problems in the Dobe Ju/’hoansi with their school systems. There are also many divergent views about educating the public in sexual health practice, and the use of protection in general. This section will also cover the education problem in Mali related to poor nutritional and medical knowledge. The second part of the paper will cover differing views between western society and the native point of view in both the Dobe Ju/’hoansi and the people of Mali. The last part of the paper discusses some solution-oriented recommendations to the education problems and some of the steps that have already begun to take place to help improve conditi... ...nough. â€Å"If you pour all these resources into keeping kids alive, without following up on their long-term health through more extensive gardening projects and nutritional education programs, then you’re just wasting everyone’s time, money, and energy (Dettwyler 1994: 145).† In conclusion, the suffering from malnutrition as well as the lack of education in rural Africa are spotlighted in both Dettwyler and Lee’s books. Both anthropologists give an insight into the true nature of the many problems faced by the people and how they confront life and death in a completely foreign manner. Even though both areas suffer from similar problems, steps are slowing being taken in the right direction to help educate people by setting up programs and making better schools. Although both the societies and their issues differ greatly, both are advancing toward similar solutions.