The Bushmen archives nearly 50 years of research with some of Southern Africa's remotest groups. Author Jiro Tanaka's deep connection with his subject matter is evident through his insightful and often touching stories and reflections on a rich and challenging life work. Tanaka interweaves ethnographic materials with broader reflections on the changes that have beset Bushman groups carried by waves of global political and economic developments. While some of the characteristics of the process of transformation are specific to Bushman society, many others are shared by other indigenous and minority societies around the world. The book analyzes the transformation process from this perspective and at the same time serves as a catalyst for readers to look back and question the state of our own civilization.

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About Editors and Authors

TANAKA Jiro is Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University. He specializes in ecological anthropology, focusing on hunter-gatherer societies (Bushmen, Mbuti Pygmies) and nomadic pastoralists (Rendille, Pokot and Turkana) in Africa. In particular, he has conducted observational studies on the dietary life and group structure of Central Bushmen since the 1980s. He received his PhD from Kyoto University in 1974, and started his career as Associate Professor at the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University. After working at the National Museum of Ethnology and Hirosaki University, he was appointed Professor at Kyoto University in 1986. He retired in 2004 before taking up his current position.

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