The Dobe Ju/'Hoansi (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology)

In "The Dobe Ju/'Hoansi", anthropologist Richard Lee has created an anthropological classic case study. Writing directly about the people of the Kalahari region, he gives us isights into the changing lifestyles of the peoples who have survived there for eons. Peppered with a little self-effacing humor, it is highly informative, yet very readable for high school students, and has become a staple of my International Baccalaureate Social and Cultural Anthropology Course curriculum. Students enjoy the very human side of both the Ju/'Hoansi people and Richard Lee himself. The Dobe Ju/'Hoansi (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology)

I purchased this book for a cultural anthropology class. For me it has been riveting reading. I recommend reading all three forwards that went with each new edition of the book. The book is well organized, researched, cited, and contains many fine black & white field photos and drawings.

This book is very interesting. It is one of those books that I buy for school and end up really getting into and reading even when I don't have to. I highly suggest this book for anyone into anthropology, learning about other cultures, or just wanting to read some interesting out-of-the-box non-fiction.

I read this book while taking an undergraduate sociocultural anthropology class. Several years later, it still stands out in my mind as a crisp, fair ethnography in a field full of opaque and often pejorative books. Richard B. Lee's accomplishment here is to balance a scientific and human approach. Realizing how strongly a physical environment can impact a culture, Lee smartly and dispassionately details the basic facts of the Ju/'Hoansi's past and current situation - the geography and ecology of their home in the Kalahari desert, their food supply, etc. On this canvas, he paints a picture of the culture of this people. This sweeps from the physical layout of their camps to their language (including a thorough exposition of those interesting click consonants) to their handling of mortality and sexuality to the privileges and "complaint discourse" of older members of the society. Then Lee qualifies this whole portrait by describing recent developments, including enroachment of other cultures, erosion of the traditional lifestyle, and the dispossession and advocacy that has defined the Ju's recent relationships with the Namibian and Botswanan governments. What amazed me about all this is that Lee remains tenderly human during this rich exposition. He writes of the Ju with great respect and humbly describes vigniettes of his interaction with his subjects - like when he got his pet name and when he had crushes on various native women. He avoids sentimental exoticism when describing how the culture began to fall apart due to pressures on their territory from Black herders. Instead, he documents the painful transition with precision and observational detail and even finds sources of hope. For example, he connects Ju women's lower-than-average HIV infection rates with the culture's respect for women, arguing that Ju women's assertiveness make them more likely to insist on condom use. Also, rather than arguing that only the old way could be good for the Ju, Lee looks forward, advocating the Ju's integration into the larger society and adaptation of modern land-use patterns. In this book, Richard Lee shows himself to be one of the rare anthropologists who do a good job portraying their culture of study but resist the possessive urge to lament its change and adaptation over time. For me, it recalls many happy hours reading in college, taking in the sunshine while struggling through all the click consonants. I heartily recommend it.

I haven't even read the entire book yet, but I can still tell how wonderful it is going to be when I have finished it. I'll probably want to read it again because it is so interesting. This study has opened up so many new understandings of unique ways of life that I cannot wait to buy more Case Studies just like this one! It's the perfect addition for anyone with a curiosity of how unique people exist in different parts of the world, specifically in South Africa. By far the most interesting and entertaining work I have read--it sure beats thoses dull books we have to read in AP English!