Anthropology of Post-foraging Societies : A Comparative Study

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A research network was formed consisting of more than 500 researchers on hunting and gathering societies in the world. Methodology and a general framework for a comparative study were also discussed, from which a total of 23 topics were listed as important problems in the study of contemporary hunter-gatherer societies. Following these discussions, a scientific meeting was held, in which researchers, both from within and outside Japan, discussed the problems of commoditisation, development policies, nature and culture conservation, tourism and other problems relating to globalization.Along with these comparative study, fields research was also conducted on the Baka hunter-gatherers in the Cameroon forest of Africa, in cooperation with Cameroonian researchers. The research was focused on how the Baka are coping with forest destruction by logging industries and nature conservation movements. Under the present situation, their visions of future are with problems; (1)intensive cash crop cutivation may result in a competitive, hostile relationship with their agricultural neighbors over the land for cultivation, (2)employment at plantations will impose them the status of lowest-paid wage laborers in the Cameroon nation-state, while they have so far maintained relative autonomy in the forest life. (3)commoditisation of meat and other forest products may not be promoted promptly, owing to the low prices and bad infrastructure, and (4)involvement intourism is neither a good option, because there are not many tourists in their area.Although the Baka show a diversity way of adaptation to the new situations, all of them maintain characteristic ritual performances of forest sprits. Such ritual performances comprise the core of their cultural identity.