Chapter 1 Discussion Questions

Introduction

In what ways can the process of migration (or specifically, the process of “the burning”) be studied as a ritual in the traditional anthropological understanding of Van Gennep’s ritual “rights of passage”?

How do the race, gender, age, and nationality of ethnographers shape the findings of their anthropological research? What other factors might shape an ethnographer’s status as an “insider” or an “outsider”? In what ways does the author view her standing as impacting this particular research project? How might the findings differ had this research been conducted by an ethnographer of a different gender, race, age, or nationality?

In your community, what are some of the primary ways in which physical space is used to delineate between different groups; to support or constrain the social or economic mobility of different groups; and to reinforce categories of race, categories of legality, or gendered expectations about work in the private and publics spheres?