Anthropology 701 Assignment

Over the years there have been attempts to include the poor in the transformations that take
place all over the globe. Therefore, there have been theories that have been created such as
the modernisation and dependency theories have failed for they had ignored the importance
of indigenous knowledge systems within local communities. Indigenous knowledge systems
therefore are said to be very important with regards to development of local communities,
processing information, helping in production method decisions and general natural resource
management. Therefore, this essay will briefly discuss the above mentioned theories and then
proceed to explain what are indigenous knowledge and the purpose and overall importance of
them with regards to resource management and conservation within the and communities
followed by an overall conclusion.

As previously stated there have been attempts to include the poor, developing countries in the
different transformations that have been taking place in the world. Furthermore, these
transformations were said to include, technological, economic, political change and so forth.
Moreover, it had been suggested that the developing countries should be a part of the
transformation. Therefore, various development theories had been developed in an attempt to
include these countries as well individuals in this great transformation. Hence, the
introduction of the modernisation theory, the modernization theory is said to be deeply rooted
in capitalism (Nederveen, 2001). Furthermore, this theory is said to have focused on the
overall transformation that developing countries had to undergo before they were considered
to be ‘modern’. Therefore, through this theory it had been suggested that all societies whether
developed or developing are able to follow a set of guidelines which will result in their
societies being transformed as well as them becoming modernized.

However, the modernisation theory as previously stated had implied that all societies are able
to follow a uniform set of guidelines that are expected to result in them becoming modernised
(Nederveen, 2001). Therefore, the theory of modernization has been heavily criticized for
failing to consider poor individuals as being the overall centrepiece with regards to poverty
reduction initiatives and so forth. Alternatively, it is said that due to the dissatisfaction with
the modernization theory, Marxist theorist had introduced the dependency theory. In addition,
the term dependency is said to serve as an explanation of the overall economic development
of a state which is believed to be based on its external political, economic, and cultural
influences on overall national development policies (Foucault, 1970).Therefore, it was made
evident that the overall aim of the dependency theory is to attempt to explain the current
underdeveloped state of many developing countries.

Furthermore, this was said to be done by the means of examining the overall patterns of
social interactions which had particularly taken place between both the developed and
developing nations. Moreover, it is said that the inequalities between the two are considered
to be the main part of the interactions among the two (Foucault, 1970). Therefore, the above
explanations based on the modernization and dependency theories have attempted to offer
strategies with regards to the overall inclusion of underdeveloped nations in the process of
global transformation (Foucault, 1970). However, the modernization theory had suggested
strategies that were rather generalized in the sense that they implied that what is good for the
west will be good for the individuals within developing countries.

Alternatively, the dependency theory had tried to explain the current state of many
underdeveloped countries by trying to examine the patterns of social interactions which were
said to take place between both developed and developing nations. Therefore, based on the
above such theories had failed due to the fact that they had ignored the overall importance of
the indigenous knowledge systems put into place within developing countries which is
helpful with regards to coming up with effective strategies that will assist with the resource
management and conservation amongst other things in such communities (Nederveen,
2001).Therefore, indigenous knowledge systems refer to using an alternative method for
progress among the world’s poor. Furthermore, this alternative method states that there
should be a remaking of development strategies in order for them to successfully examine the
local constructions within various local communities in such a way that they become the life
and history of the people.

Therefore, such approaches are said to be able to be supported by careful ethnographic work.
Such work then is said to be capable of teasing out the overall complexities of the
interrelationships which are established between both communities as well as places (Herbert,
2000). Therefore, this implies that change actually comes from within communities
themselves and by them having confidence in as well as them making use of indigenous
knowledge among other things in an attempt to bring about economic as well as overall social
change. Therefore, indigenous knowledge in a nutshell refers to outsiders taking into account
of the importance of knowledge that is created within rural communities. Furthermore,
researchers, anthropologist and so forth ought to listen seriously to what the rural poor have
to say they also should learn from them as well as respect their realities as well as priorities in
order for effective change to take place.

For instance, there was a study done in Kwa-Zulu Natal which had focused on women who
were the producers of domestic items such as brooms, door and floor mats, baskets, sieves as
well as a range of other items. Furthermore, these items were said to be made from the leaves
of the Ilala Palm tree. Furthermore, it was stated that this plant was placed on the endangered
list within the KZN province. In addition, it was stated that the leaves from then Ilala palm
tree was exploited by both men and women. However, it was said that the two had exploited
it in different ways. The women were said to have had exploited it more carefully (Singh,
1997). In addition, the women were therfore said to have used the leaves for a more
rewarding as well as more sustainable livelihood where they had only depended on a certain
age as well as size of the leaves. Whereas, men had were using the leaves for the extraction of
its sap in order to use it for alcohol purposes.

Hence, the belief that the former is said to be carefully sought by sapping the trees without
posing an overall danger. Whereas, the latter is said is believed to cause a danger to it.
Furthermore, the woman in this community were said to have received information of this
tree from various sources including both maternal and paternal sources. In addition, it was
said that the plant was culturally significant in the zulu culture with regards to gift giving and
so forth. Therefore, due to the importance of this tree the chief of villages where this tree is
found is said to manage their care as well as protection (Singh, 1997). In addition, the chief is
therefore said to dictate when individuals can and cannot harvest leaves during different
times of the year. Therefore, the above goes back to the intial statement made that indigenous
knowledge systems being a fundamental means for the empowerment of the worlds poor as
well as for the protection of their natural resources.

Firstly, the example of how men and woman use the tree is quite significant in the sense that
the women of this community have the knowledge of the importance of this tree. Therefore,
they use it sparingly to ensure that it does not become extent for it is important for cultural
purposes as previous stated the Zulu culture using the tree for the creation mats and so forth
for gift giving purposes and so forth. In addition, the tree is also important for the generation
of income for these individuals from this community therefore the conservation of this tree is
essential in order for them to makes ends meet (Singh, 1997). Alternatively, the men had
shown to have lacked knowledge of the importance of this plan and were continuosly sapping
the tree to use it for alcohol purposes failing to take into account that they are actually
destroying the tree which will result in its eventual extention hence, it being on the
endangered species list of the province. Therefore, this example illustrates to us the
importance of indigenous knowledge systems. Furthermore, when individuals have
knowledge about something in this case the Ilala tree they can come up with ways of making
sure that the tree can be used and yet at the same time preserve it so that the future
generations can make use of it as well as opposed to someone who lacks the knowledge of
the Ilala tree who will exploit the tree to the point of extinction.

In addition, it has been noticed that the past apartheid laws of South Africa had forced
removal as well as separated development which had displaced various communities from
areas in which they had for decades invested in developing indigenous knowledge
(Neluvhalani, 2002). Furthermore, it is then said that the major threat to the sustainability of
natural resources is the erosion of individual’s indigenous knowledge reason being that there
is often a low value associated with it. Therefore, this statement therefore suggests that there
should be an inclusive approach used when dealing with local individuals as well as
incorporating their indigenous knowledge systems with regards to policy development,
development strategies, sustainable development and so forth. Therefore, an example would
be the case study done in the KwaZulu-Natal province after an outbreak of cholera in the
area. It is made evident within this case study that when health services had heard about the
outbreak of cholera they had made the conventional posters and suggestions with regards to
treating as well as preventing getting cholera (Neluvhalani, 2002).

However, in addition to this it was then made evident that the indigenous knowledge of these
individuals were considered with regards to coliform testing materials which were said to be
noticed for its local relevance and so forth. Furthermore, there was said to be a shift from
viewing local individuals as being dirty and defenseless and so forth to acknowledging them
and the importance of indigenous knowledge systems with regards to development, health
care and so forth (Naluvhalani, 2002).To conclude, it has been proven that in order to gain a
better understand of local communities their indigenous knowledge systems ought to be
acknowledged. Furthermore, it has been shown that when individuals have sufficient
knowledge about the local resources they are more likely to look after it and use it in a
manner that will conserve it as opposed to using it all and disregarding the consequences of
their actions.
Bibliography:

Foucalt, M (1970) The order of things. London, Tavistock. New York: Pantheon.

Herbert, S (2000) For ethnography. Progress in Human Geography.

Nederveen, P.J (2001) Development theory: Deconstructions/Reconstructions. London and

Thousands Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.

Neluvhalani, E and O’Donoghue, R (2002) Indigenous Knowledge and the school

curriculum: a review of developing methods and methodological perspectives. Pretoria:
EEASA/HSRC.

Singh, A (1997) Women and Creativity in Sustainable Development: Reflections from

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.