The World of the BaMbuti

Anthropology > African
Anthropology > Cultural

This paper gives a cross-cultural analysis of the indigenous peoples of the BaMbuti tribe in Africa. This paper focuses on examples from their politics, economics and religion from a functionalist's perspective.

1,768 words () | 10 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

In his ethnography "The Forest People," Colin Turnbull has done an excellent job of providing details of the different aspects of the BaMbuti. This essay gives a descriptive analysis of three cultural traits of the BaMbuti's culture from a functionalist perspective. The three topics discussed in this paper include politics, economics, and religion. There are many examples that could be included within each topic; however, for the purpose of this paper, it focuses mainly on one particular example for each section.

From the Paper:

"With regards to political organization, the BaMbuti is a tightly knit hunter-gatherer tribe that has its own unique set of checks and balances. From a structural-functionalist perspective, peoples of the BaMbuti have no formal political authority; there are neither formal written laws, nor law enforcement agencies needed in the BaMbuti's relatively simple social structure. To the BaMbuti, cooperation is key concerning decisions affecting the group as a whole (Turnbull 124)."

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APA Citation:

The World of the BaMbuti (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Descriptive-Essay-The-World-of-the-BaMbuti/9814