Mad Dogs, Englishmen, and the Errant Anthropologist Reflection
In his book Mad Dogs, English, and the Errant Anthropologist, Raybeck discusses his observations as he immerses himself in Wakaf Bharu, a city in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. Throughout the ethnography, he discusses the various differences that he observes with the Kelantanese culture and the American culture, while using his prior knowledge to explain the observations he takes note of. By using these observations, Raybeck proceeds to answer different Naturalistic Questions which explain how Raybeck gathers the information and in what ways his studies impact the culture. Then, he elaborates on the economical aspect of the culture he studies, explaining how relationships
Keeping this confidentiality was an ethical concern as the social status of the villagers was at stake. For example, during a quarrel between a man and a woman one evening, the villagers were not letting Raybeck gain knowledge of the event by denying its occurrence (Raybeck 63). And when Raybeck actually gained knowledge of this, he was to keep the names confidential due to the villagers wanting confidentiality. This is a weakness, he explains, about fieldwork. The lack of openness to certain information and the status as an outsider really hinders sensitive information to come to you, information that is usually very crucial. However, to Raybeck, the strength of being able to experience the Kelantanese way of life first hand overweighed the weakness and still gave Raybeck crucial information that helped him document the Kelantanese culture. In regards to economics, the Kelantanese culture stresses an importance in interpersonal relationships between the seller and buyer which are crucial and affect how they transfer goods. For example, because of the importance of interpersonal relationships when buying certain goods in the market, the Kelantanese culture has a bargaining system which Raybeck encounters when buying items from the market. The system was so important that when Raybeck was not able to bargain proficiently, the merchant told him to sit down as she explained every little detail about