Anthropological fieldwork; a personal account in Nepal

This is a personal journey to work with the Gurungs of Nepal, where I have worked from 1969 to the present. Please see www.alanmacfarlane.com for context and other films.

All revenues donated to World Oral Literature Project

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Gurung
• Nepal
• anthropology
• anthropological
• fieldwork

[Radulka79]

I am just opening my first year of anthropological studies and I find your video very helpful. I have so many questions about the trends of development (if any) you would have seen over the years of your extraordinary life work. As one commentator here, I would also like to give you and your wife my admiration (especially for the ability to adapt to the poor hygiene standards and illnesses.) To me, your Tibetan family seems very pleasant! Do you find these people intelligent? And in what sense?

[ayabaya]

Thanks very much and glad it is helpful. Actually they are people in Nepal, not Tibet. Yes, they are very intelligent in the sense of logical, rational, thoughtful and focused. Just as intelligent as my students in Cambridge, even if not as well educated. Best wishes, Alan Macfarlane

[pdawg2005]

I read your book "Gurungs of Nepal" with Indrabahadur Gurung and I was wondering if you meant for that book and some of these videos to work together or was all of this many seperate ideas that you had at different times? It seems like the video and book complement each other nicely.

[ayabaya]

Thanks. Yes, the book and film are complementary. I intend to re-do the book on my website some time - linking to film. And to re-do the films... Alan

[lauragabriel]

Fascinating footage. Fieldwork has been a major frustration for me. I've tried it among the wayuu of North-Western Venezuela, but almost immediately had to return home due to illness. After giving it some thought, I decided this line of work was not for me; I don't really have what it takes to renounce Western life. It takes extraordinary strength to abandon the armchair, and I admire you for it.

[ayabaya]

Thanks. Yes, it is difficult. I am enormously helped by having a marvellous wife/partner who has taken to it with great enthusiasm. This video was made 10 years ago. I am not re-doing it with new footage and an expanded framework. Alan

[liwainstitut]

Nomaste !

[neshamon]

dearly respected mr alan i am was very much delighted to see your anthropology video. thanks a lot to yourself any your wife mrs alan for being so kind to the village peoples and for maink such a wondeful educational and emotional video....thank you once again and good luck for your more work

[adriedwa]

best Asian women  #lushfmlk.info#

[nangphanrangnt]

it is interesting video. I like it and love Anthropology. Thanks,

[bananaproton]

Iam the son of the Owner of Sakura. I was absolutely überrasched , amazed to see the building.

[netratamu]

The aim of the program is to maintain, preserve, and promote our gurung origin culture (those you had already experience in the gurung village) in front of this 21st century world wide new generation gurung generation. Once again thank you very much for your this kind of excellent help for we all tamu. So we TPLS UK branch organising a BBQ party on Saturday 11th of July. So we will be so great full if you could attend thank you.

[netratamu]

I really appreciated with your wife how kindly helping our gurung in such an environment. So now my request as I am one the member of tamu pye lhu sangh uk branch we wish you to keep visiting our occasionally programs such as during the lhosar celebration its happening here in the uk every year 30th of December and the summer BBQ in mid July

[netratamu]

But its really difficult, thats why we tamu pye lhu sangh branch stabilised here in the uk since 2005 to help our gurung shamans pachyu and klhepree to keep their orally chanting historical word in written. In this case we still need your help. Hope you will help us in this project as you are one of the experiments people about the gurung history.

[netratamu]

Its such a great full program. And I can say no body can do like this again. Because now a days its very difficult to get such a history carriers gurung senior person in this kind gurung village, our aim also as a one of the gurung association TPLS trying to preserve, promote our gurung origin, culture ritual and tradition.