Argue that hunting among the Bushman is not merely a physical act, but Essay - 1

Argue that hunting among the Bushman is not merely a physical act, but one that touches, often deeply, every domain of Bushman society and thus promotes social solidarity - Essay Example This paper argues that, in terms of Durkheim’s theory of solidarity, the Bushmen utilize hunting not just for obtaining food, but also for deeper domains of their life, specifically marital, religious, and economic customs and rites. Hunting in the Bushmen society influences social status, determines the rituals of religious traditions, and forms duty within extended family units, uniting the people in what Emile Durkheim refers to as ‘social solidarity’. As stated by Peter Kropotkin (Hann 1993, 27): But still we know that when the Europeans came, the Bushmen lived in small tribes (or clans), sometimes federated together; that they used to hunt in common, and divided the spoil without quarrelling; that they never abandoned their wounded, and displayed strong affection to their comrades. Emile Durkheim claims that traditional societies are bonded together by a type of social cohesion that is rooted in the commonalities of the members, or referred to as ‘mechanical solidarity’ (Komter 2004). The common values within these traditional societies, which are mostly religious in character, create a ‘collective consciousness’ for the society, a group of ideas, beliefs, and norms common to everybody (Komter 2004). There is modest individuality because individuals view themselves mainly in connection with their membership in the group. Hunting is still deeply embedded in the culture of Bushmen, even in instances where bands take care of their own cattle and grow their own food. The Bushmen are essentially hunters on the peripheries of the bigger non-Bushman culture. Bushmen are hunters in numerous ways. Gift-giving and kin relations include social ‘hunting’, for family connections and for bonds of exchange. Their spiritual or religious principle is distinguished as ‘hunting’ for knowledge (Hann 1993). It is factual that personal ties and hunting in Bushmen culture are