The Bushmen People In Botswana

Up until the mid-1960’s the Bushmen people of the Dobe lead a highly mobile lifestyle composed of hunting and gathering. In order to survive these people had to forage for wild plants and hunt for game. These groups had flexible gender roles in terms of responsibilities, the men mainly did the hunting while the women did most of the gathering. There are of course exceptions to this, a man could help gather food in his spare time and a skilled woman could help the men hunt for meat. These people lived a nomadic existence, moving often during the rainy seasons and returning to one of the several permanent waterholes in the dry season. Before they relocated, they made sure to never completely deplete their resources. These people lived a simple …show more content…
In the space of only 40 years, the Ju/’hoansi have gone from a simple, uncomplicated life to adapting to a modern, global society, forced colonization, and understanding a monetary economy. While the experiences of the Bushmen in Botswana and those of the Nyae Nyae of what is now Namibia, differed in some instances, both groups were negatively affected by the attempts to civilize them. Forced into mostly permanent homes in small villages or towns, they came to rely on government ration, and wage work jobs supplemented with some hunting and foraging, farming and herding. Another issue that developed as a result of this new sedentary life style and exposure to outside groups was the introduction of alcohol. While the Ju had little to no family violence in their previous lives, the consumption of alcohol, or homebrew, led to increased instances of violence. In the case of those in the Nyae Nyae region, located in the town established for them, violence in general was being observed, even in young children, as they vied for items such as candy, ground meal, and jobs. Only two generations past the Ju would have worked for the good of their community. Now they fight among themselves to acquire more than their fellow man. For most of the Bushmen, dealing with a modern society, and their ideas of civilization, led to a host of negative problems. There have been …show more content…
The U.S has provided education for some Pohnpeians. By doing this, adolescents have lost their respect for authority and their will to learn how to farm and fish as their ancestors once did (Ward 80). Just like in the Bushmen society we can observe an increase in violent behavior. The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically as people continue to further their education outside of the traditional Pohnpeian village. May elders say that teens have become disrespectful towards them and all they are interested in are music, clothes, and new vices instead of learning the ways of the land and contributing to the overall family wellbeing. Even though some changes brought about a deterioration in Pohnpeian families, some changes have been for the better. Exposure to western medical practices have greatly improved the overall physical health of the people. Before sorcery and healing rituals would have been all that was available to the sick. Today, this is no longer the