essay

The !Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert

peoples of africaNew York • Published In 1965 • Pages: 243-278

By: Marshall, Lorna.

Abstract
This summary article on the !Kung San was written by a cultural anthropologist especially for this volume. The authenticity of her descriptions derives from a decade of field research experience among the San. Due to its recency and comprehensiveness the reader should examine this source prior to consulting other specific material in the San file. The author's theoretical outlook is ecological -- using data on San environmental adaptations, resource potentials of their habitats, population-settlement sizes and distributions in order to develop some functional generalizations about the relations between San subsistence economy and the nature of the sociopolitical institutions, implying that the level of productivity sets limits to the sociocultural forms that arise. Stress is put on the significance of kinship reciprocity and its relations to food gathering and seasonal movements, extensive regional kinship bonds, and the egalitarian political structure. Her ethnographic description is excellent, especially her notations on the religious-ritual complex, life cycle and socialization, the kinship basis of headmanship and group leadership, and material culture and technology. Also found are brief interpretations of San historical origins and affinities, the kinship correlates of the naming relationship in uniting the bands, the family cycle, and the effects of acculturation. The introductory comments on pages 241-242 were written by the editor, James L. Gibbs, Jr.
Subjects
Culture summary
culture
San
HRAF PubDate
2005
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Southern Africa
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Cultural Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Gilbert Winer ; 1967
Field Date
1951-1961
Coverage Date
1951-1961
Coverage Place
Nyae Nyae region, Namibia and Botswana
Notes
Lorna Marshall
The footnotes at the end of the article are on pages 273-275. The footnotes have been indexed for the categories to which they specifically pertain.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 276-278)
LCCN
65010276
LCSH
San (African people)