The Bamboo Fire

The Wape of New Guinea live in a mountainous tropical forest habitat. They are slash and burn horticulturalists and reside in sedentary villages. Marriage is by bride wealth and polygyny is permitted but rare. The society is egalitarian in terms of male status and, although the society is hierarchical in terms of sex and age differences, both women and the young enjoy higher status than in many other New Guinea societies. While most Wape are nominal Christians, traditional religious beliefs and practices are of major importance. This book concentrates on describing the field work process. It gives the reader a feeling of the reflexive nature of the field work experience; to demonstrate not only how the anthropologist proceeds in her or his work, but to describe the social and psychological context in which that work evolves and how anthropologists respond to it both within oneself and in communication with others. It is not so much a book about the Wape people as it is about how one anthropologist tried to understand them. It integrates the subjective and objective into a common research method.--Publisher's description.