Etic And Emic Views On 'Shakespeare In The Bush'

1. What is happening in the “Shakespeare in the bush” article is how an American went to somewhere in Africa, visit this tribe and tell them about a Shakespeare story hamlet. While this person is telling this tribe the story about hamlet play, the African tribe is having difficulties interpreting the story. The American is thinking that everyone/ culture should understand and interpret the play one way, as which the American culture does. The elder tribe was stating things such as words meaning different meaning as chief, also how the story had witchcraft in. The way the elders interpret stories made it seem like that had the right and only way. For example, when the American was telling them the story in his way the elders did not like that

Etic and emic views was tied all throughout this story. First thing is showing how the American girl was observing the tribes culture because she was not actually apart of the tribe. So that shows how she really is not tied up into actually understanding the tribe on a level of experience and understanding. I believe personally before studying one’s culture that you are not a part of you have to be cautions not to offend people. As in the story how the tribe was getting offended that the story she was telling was not the “truthful” way. This article also shows how she had emic views of actually talking and communicating with the tribal people when she was telling the story of hamlet. So, when it comes to having an etic view meaning you are on the “outside looing” and emic view on culture “inside perspective” I think emic view is more important when understanding someone else’s culture. The Etic view just can have too many down falls to it in. I state this is the people acting different once they notice they are being observed, also not preforming the important rituals and more. I leaned more towards the emic view because you are actually engaged with the people. Yes, the main downfall can be bias but pass that having the experience of living different cultures and stepping outside of your everyday life one can be a major learning point for most people. The emic view just allows you to more into depth, which is a big point when you want to understand a