Poly Sci Final Paper

concluding Paper Washington State University Political Science 418 Fall 2012 ingredient 1 Professor Robert Quinlan declination 6, 2012 Introduction This paper is written virtually exclusively with information interpreted directly from the book Families of the Forestby Alan Johnson ab place the lifestyle of the Matsigenka Amazonian Natives. Information regarding the Matsigenka is al close solely derived from the imprint of Johnson unless remark separatewise. The purpose of this paper is to aver the Matsigenka pile, their needs as a residential ara and finally pose a discipline watch that meets the needs described.Realistically this is solo one possible solution posed by an inexperienced undergrad student. The occasion is student who has never set foot in reciprocal ohm America or even has had any experience with a discipline suggest. The ideas expressed in this work ar purely an academic exercise. The author does not assume that the Matsigenka do not already know and or practice some of the ideas shargond in this assignment. Overview of the Matsigenka The Matsigenka, a native messof theAmazon Basin, live in what Johnson describes as an angular landscape, a tenacious river valleys border by forested mountains.The Matsigenka hand over a peripheral environs on the outside edge of conquest lands. They originally settled in to a as a bid to avoid conflicts with opposite groups. The land is not ideal but trade good enough to live on tour not ever being sought as territory for appropriation by other groups. They be very isolated and their living alternative has the consequence scarcity. Many of the best crops, search, and gimpy are not as bountiful as they are in other areas. They pass water muddle of land for their type of farawayming and their small population means they do not compete between themselves for visions.Their settlements are small and spread far apart. (Johnson) To understand the Matsigenka they moldiness be seen in their own unique setting of their daily lives. As with any parent, the t beseech of raising a boor is to urge on them to be able to live in the world on their own one day. For the Matsigenka this means raising children who w failure become wedded to living in their own nuclear family and thrive while in relative isolation. (Johnson) The Matsigenkas ability to be independent and desire to persevere independent has been disheartening to missionaries and some schoolteachers.Attempts at organizing and go oning communities have by and crowing been failures. The Matsigenka are happy to be free from directions and rules that stem from a missioner or any other persons attempt to convert or moderate them. (Johnson) From the very beginning their upbringing determines who they are as a people. From the cause the emphasis on independence is apparent. No one is invited or comes to yell when a child is born. At birth a newborn is odd alone on a mat while the mother is attended to. Af ter a few minutes, the baby is then bathed with hot body of weewee causing discomfort making it cry. Johnson) The procedure is do to strengthen the child for the hard independent life to come. The Matsigenka parents test the childs limits, expecting much(prenominal) and more self-reliance at an early age. In the home, mothers commonly star toddlers to a stake keeping them from wandering into danger. The method is no more a cruel leash than a baby gate use in Ameri potbelly homes could be considered a cruel cage. (Johnson) Tethering allows the child emancipation and independence without the danger of physical harm. The Matsigenkas diet is varied and extensive.Their types of forage production are farming, fishing, hunting, and foraging with some small use of domesticated animals. They can eat anything from raw foods found anywhere in their environment or eat feasts involving days of preparation. The people eat insect larvae of umteen a(prenominal) bugs all during the year as source of dietary fats and protein. Larger game birds, mon secerns, peccary, and tapir are the favorites. Farming small gardens is the close important to them making up more than half of their food. Foraging and fishing can often epoch produce disappointing results.Snakes are taboo and never eaten. (Johnson) Their diet poses no issues for them. For crops the people grow manioc (cassava), maze (corn), bananas, plantains, rice and coffee. Coffee has been introduced lately by outsiders as a cash crop. A great with trying to build communities the crop was meant to bring indigenous peoples into contact and trade with the modern part of Peru. Coffee was seen as way to introduce money into the Matsigenka system. (Johnson) Their farming methods are sufficient to sustain them and the land they work on. The most important fish in the Matsigenka diet is shima. Johnson) These fish get up to 20 inches pertinacious and can weigh over 2 pounds. They are bottom feeders caught by net fishing. M amori are akin in size to shima and caught with a regular(a) hook and line setup. Rock dwelling fish like etari who are caught by hand. Along with other species such as shrimp and kempiti caught in traps fit into their diverse diet. Large fish species of omani, kayunaro and charava are rarely caught. (Johnson) domestic animals are not overly significant to a family. Families typically raise a couple of chickens and ducks.They are allowed to forage close to the business firm during the day, sustenance on insects considered pests like ants and sometimes are given maize. At nighttime they are kept in chicken coops tended to by the children. (Johnson) As a people, the Matsigenka are very adaptive and catch all kinds of fish in many different ways. The Matsigenka do not recruit in the securities industry economy. Attempts to get them to raise cash crops and begin to participate have been utilise by outsiders. (Johnson) They baffle nextly all of the material goods used in dail y life. However they do not make knives, aluminum pots or other metal items.As men and women they learn complementary manufacturing skills allowing them self-sufficiency. Matsigenka can digest in long-term isolation as a nuclear family with the skills in fishing, farming and hunting in the manner they prefer. (Johnson) The Matsigenka are adaptive, and independent. Needs and resource assessment based on the ethnographic description The Matsigenka have good nutrition and housing but they still have barriers to good general health. The problems they have are not their fault. As a people they do everything they can like maintain standards of cleanliness, and treat complaint with medicines they have available.The problems hold water from limited resources and knowledge. (Johnson) For hygiene the Matsigenka clean themselves, their homes, and their clothing daily. Even when they sit on the earthen floor of their home they use a woven mat. (Johnson) They swish their hand before prepari ng food and are careful with waste. Baths are taken daily and garbage is thrown out in a break down area away from the home. The Matsigenka find human waste disgusting on with animal waste and believe according to Johnson that The evil odor of potty is believed to invade the body and cause illness(436)Families try to locate homes succeeding(a) to mountain streams to ensure a water supply uncontaminated by humans. (Johnson) Mountain streams, dry up seasonally forcing people back to the river for water where they are re-infected by water borne parasites. (Rainforest) Research has shown that the debilitating infections are colds, pinkeye, and parasites. Colds and conjunctivitis hit the community in waves. Epidemics move rapidly through the population. tribal memories still exist of when the white mans influenza that killed many. The people stay away from everyone and the schools when sickness hits.One of the most common greetings used by members is to ascertain if someone returning is sick and to be avoided. (Johnson) Johnson notes that researchers others who stayed with the Matsigenks stated around health complaints came to our attention because the medicines we had with us were believed to be more effective than Matsigenka remedies. Our house became a center where people would stop to tell us their symptoms and ask for treatment. They were pragmatic about accepting this back up, seeing illness and injury as more or less naturally occurring. 436) When a family member becomes ill they are go away to lie on a mat in their home while the rest of the family ignores the sick person. The Matsigenka believe sickness is knockout and feel a sick person is dangerous and best left alone. (Johnson) Johnson describes the Matsigenka as a mixed picture of health They have an robust diet and are energetic and supple, capable of great feats of athleticism and endurance. They are attractive, maintain personal standards of cleanliness, and attend to their health needs wit h an array of remedies.On the other hand, they live with parasite loads that weaken them and probably contribute to many infant deaths, they are subject to viral and bacterial infections that periodically hybridize their hamlets and incapacitate them putting food production at risk notwithstanding the beauty of nature surrounding them and their freedom to set their own work agenda, theirs is a hard life evident in the virtual absence seizure of elderly people. (439) A needs and resource assessment based on the ethnographic description provided by Johnson would indicate a few key items.Health genteelness, medical aid, improvements in sanitation, and clean drinking water are the most pressing needs. These could be possibly met using a culturally elegant and responsible means of service delivery. Development project that meets one or more of the needs described Any project design must take into consideration the unique culture of the people it stresss to help Johnson notes in a p rominent way that there is family take of sociocultural desegregation not a community one and the Matsigenka cannot be understood or appreciated except as a family level society.Meaning, as a group they are not tropical-forest villagers or tribal peoples like most amateur sociologists whitethorn picture. Unlike other groups they do not participate in suprafamily, raiding and warfare, structured gift exchange, or even large group feasting. (Johnson) Concepts like a family reunion or organizing a militia to defend their land are completely foreign to their way of life. Johnson notes it is extremely difficult to get them to participate in any group activity. They provide listen to and directions but will walk away and refuse to cave in the proposed group activity.Matsigenka are not amenable to being directed or led. Education or kit and boodle projects from other regions cannot be rolled out in a cookie cutter fashion to help them. thought their independence and determination d oes not mean that the Matsigenka are closed to change. In the 1980 and 1970s sierra farmers came to the mountain valleys to live next to Matsigenka families. The new farmers have brought infrastructural development that was welcomed by the Matsigenka people. They created school communities where boys, and girls, play soccer, study and do homework.Radios that can be found now are a sign of the desegregation of culture from the larger world around them. (Johnson) Most effective long term projects rely on ownership and the pride of the people they seek to help. Pride in ownership translates into maintenance and care of the public works project after the NGO who sets it up leaves. Johnson explains the idea of shintaro owner if we deem of it not as legal title to objects like land or trees, but as a form of respect for the individual. Any project must transfer respect as ownership to achieve long term sustainability.Recently in the last 15 years money has been dumped into projects that have failed and been abandoned. (Fraser) It is not enough to just build something and leave. The best way to help might be to model what the rainforest flow project has done and pay special attention to some cultural factors. Any project should consider how ownership is considered, how the people operate as a family level society, the aversion to group activities, and being told what to do. The project should capitalize on their voiceless sense of hygiene and build on their dislike of human waste.The Matsigenka already intrinsically know about the importance of clean water and wash hands. The leap from understanding clean water and increasing the effectiveness of active sanitation procedures should be an accomplishable task if executed sensitivly. Hygiene information and health services As a people they are very pragmatic, adaptable and have demonstrated a belief in repair westernized medicine when dealing with researchers in the past. (Johnson) Setting up clinics may not be t he answer since they will avoid any area where they may go and become sick.The clinic will need to come to the sick, not the other way around. Travelling to and helping sick family members on sleeping on mats in the home will strengthen any belief in stronger westernized medicine. The process will loosen the hold of traditional beliefs in crappy spirits having an influence on outcomes. Health education can in effect be delivered using the existing school system and reinforced when educators tattle with health professionals providing mobile medical clinic visits. (Rainforest) Previously efforts were made to do similar projects but the participants only spoke Spanish not the native language.To choke the language barrier it will be key that the health professionals and educators are fluent in the native language. Workers will need to understand cultural norms of the Matsigenka. (Rainforest) Special consideration should be given to immunization programs. Immunizations can make the pe ople feel sick afterward and may scare participants off. Postponing immunizations until a trust relationship has been built up may be necessary. believability may be required for families to believe they are not being made sick after a flu shot or pertussis vaccination. SanitationThe Matsigenka already believe in finding the freshest water. Health education should teach how to defecate away from any water source and secrete it when in the forest. The disdain they have for waste and how they conduct life around their home makes them receptive. Composting latrines with hand washing facilities may be built near schools but attention should be given to ventilation and odor interpret (Rainforest) considering The evil odor of feces is believed to invade the body and cause illness. (Johnson 436) Drinking water projects Delivering clean safe drinking water is of paramount importance to the Matsigenka, or any community.Rainforest Flow has used with self-reported success, for several years , a specific setup that uses low technical school sand filtration. The method removes 99. 9 percent of bacteria from drinking water and uses a low tech gravitational flow. The systems are setup to support modest community offset and are maintained by a usage fee aerated to every home water is delivered to. (Rainforest) In conclusion there are many projects that can possibly help the Matsigenka. The purpose of this paper was to introduce the Matsigenka people, their needs as a community and pose a development project that meets their needs sensitively.Like any group, assistance must be provided to them on their terms for it to be accepted. References Fraser, B. (2012, May 25). Machiguenga communities could be affected by peru gasconade production. Retrieved from Johnson, A. (2003). Families of the forest the matsigenka indians of the peruvian amazon. University of California Press. Retrieved from http//www. sscnet. ucla. edu/anthro/faculty/johnson/ethnography. html Rainforest flow. (2012, December 01). Retrieved from http//houseofthechildren. org/safe- drinking-water. html