Nest in the Wind

Nest in the Wind

Introduction

Nest in the wind is the book about the fieldwork experiences as anthropologists about cultures and language of Pohnpei, Micronesia. She was a project director for a medical research for examining social changes, heart disease and high blood pressure in Pohnpei Island. This turned out to be an impressionist tale to induce the images and feeling as you are part of the experiences. In this paper, I am going to write a summary of each chapter along with my understanding on social behaviors that are identified in the book.

Discussion

Chapter 1

Martha was living there with her husband Roger, who was working along with her as an anthropologist. This is not just about the research study; instead, it is about her difficulty in adapting to the culture. Pohnpeian love canned fish and they drink kava that is embedded in the culture of the Micronesia. Kava is a symbol to promote peacefulness when shared with each other, it is calming and relaxing that is more or less weed and alcohol. Gardens are part of Jungle, and land is covered with breadfruit, yarns, coconuts and bananas. Floyd is also with Martha, who is a psychiatrist and there to help making questions for the survey. He very ethnocentric and drives his ideas onto the culture.

Understanding

Martha and her husband have heard a lot about traditions and beliefs of Micronesia. When she went there she faced a culture shock. She saw and felt very unfamiliar ways of life in the island. It was new for her and never visited the island. She was having difficulties in adapting the culture and language of the island. She had to move in between the social environment in the island. There is not any particular way to prevent culture shock; a person in any society might personally affected by the cultural difference in a different way. When a person moves to a new country or town, he may like the new culture, local's tradition and the way of living (Winkelman, 1994). New culture, food and language may fascinate people. At first, this is a period of discoveries and observations.

After some time, the differences in old and new culture may result in anxiety for a person. A person tries to adjust with the environment while negotiating with the culture differences. A person may feel homesick and lonely because he is trying to get use to with the environment and meet new people with whom he is not familiar. After some time, culture begins to make sense, and the person be adjusted with the culture. He begins to accept the culture in an optimistic way.

Chapter 2

In the island, she saw that Pohnpeians are Stereotypes in term of free sex. People of the island is practicing free sex, means they are involved in casual sex. She has assessed the ways they think of sex. They think it is appropriate to have kids first, and then get married. They think that it is proper to have sex ...