Culture and Belief The Kalahari Bushmen

   AQA Humanities Paper 1 15% of total marks Source Booklet

What you need to know

      Key Terms How the natural environment influences culture How the culture is passed on The strengths and weaknesses of that culture Conflict and co-operation with other cultures Problems faced by that culture today

Key Terms

Roles Appearance Aesthetics Religious Beliefs Traditions Customs CULTURE Morals Attitudes Values Language

        Behaviour Norms Co-operation Conflict Family Peer-group Community Sanctions

Key Terms

        Environment Wealth Technology Nature Nurture Socialisation Multi-cultural Mono-cultural

Natural Environment

The Bushmen live in the Kalahari desert. No crops will grow and it is difficult to raise livestock (cattle and sheep). The Bushmen are NOMADIC and thus have few possessions. They have learnt to survive on scarce NATURAL RESOURCES. They live in small, fluid groups and co-operate with each other. There is no set HIERARCHY. Little material wealth and no permanent settlement mean no chiefs, kings, parliaments etc. They are EGALITARIAN.

Passing on Culture

There are no schools. Bushmen children learn by imitating their elders. Boys go with the men to learn to HUNT and girls go with the women to learn to GATHER, prepare food, etc. Most of the calories come from women’s activities. Hunting has most PRESTIGE. Everyone takes part in singing, dancing and storytelling. Religious ritual is picked up as it happens.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths     Mutual co-operation Little conflict within the group Flexible social structure Well-adapted to harsh environment Weaknesses  Lack of formal education / literacy    Lack of economic or political power in modern world Dependent on rains, weather Low self-esteem

Conflict and Co-operation

Conflict

 Bushmen have very low status in their countries    They have been driven out by cattle farmers Their land has been taken over by the government as nature reserves They have been PERSECUTED and MARGINALISED

Co-operation

 NGOs such as Survival International have taken up the Bushmen’s case   Many Bushmen work with Tswana farmers helping herd cattle Bushmen often join the military where their skills are very useful

Problems Faced

       Forced relocation and settlement Alcoholism Low educational attainment Intermingling with dominant culture Wells and boreholes now opening up desert land to cattle herders Tourism and diamond mining intruding on traditional hunting grounds Long history of PREJUDICE and PERSECUTION

You can compare them to:

 The Amish – rejection of technology, outsider group, monocultural, elders, gender roles, deliberately separate  The Kayapo – living close to nature, threatened indigenous group, monocultural, marginalised  Britain – multicultural, materialistic, specialised, hierarchical, wealthy