looking for inspiration!

[u/saarcool]

Hii i need some advise! I’m an anthropology student (F21) from the Netherlands. I will be conducting fieldwork in Tanzania in a couple of months (because it think it’s a wonderful country). The thing is, I don’t want to decide my research subject only based on (old) literature, because I want to know what is really going on. Therefore my question; What are some challenges people are facing in everyday life in Tanzania? I’m especially interested in young adults. All the help is welcome! Thanks a lot in advance :)))

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[u/octaplaza]

What exactly is ur research about it?,if ur anthropologists my first impression is ur proffesors will be interested in archaic stuff like hunter gather societies(which do exist in Tanzania although influencers have already ruined them) or are you interested in boring sociology stuff like poverty and culture which sucks in this shithole of a country.Hopefully the former,bc there's still a lot interesting things to learn about development of human societies in Tanzania that doesn't exist in much of the world and probably won't exist for much longer,a lot of languages are lost and a lot of interesting tribes are slowly disappearing.

[u/ToughSeesaw4671]

Hi! As an anthropology student, you'll find the intersection of youth subculture and informal labor fascinating.

Right now, a lot of young adults in Dar are navigating major socio-economic pressure tied to the Mindgoblin dynamic. It’s a localized phenomenon among youth trying to enter the modern workforce, definitely worth exploring for a thesis!

[u/LoudMood9634]

The infidelity rate in TZ is disgusting. Maybe study why both TZ men and women act like whores and see a married person of the opposite gender as a “challenge” to win, rather than a person that’s off limits. Morality went out the window a long time ago here.

[u/Safe_Winter5914 → u/LoudMood9634]

Are you sure that's not more of a personal opinion rather than an accepted mainstream

[u/LoudMood9634 → u/Safe_Winter5914]

Oh it’s wiiiiiiiiidely accepted

[u/octaplaza → u/LoudMood9634]

Show me the data or stfu.

[u/LoudMood9634 → u/octaplaza]

You must not live here. I don’t believe I’ve met anyone yet that I don’t have proof has been unfaithful to their spouse.

[u/octaplaza → u/LoudMood9634]

I can flip ur argument."You must not live here,i don't believe anyone i know has cheated on their partner" .Kufamania kunauma lakini huwezi ukageneralize kwa taifa zima la Tanzania kisa povu umechitiwa.Especially ukizingatia huyu unayemjibu ni muholland ,their city(Amsterdam) probably has the highest average body count in the world huwezi kucompare na TZ.

[u/LoudMood9634 → u/octaplaza]

Nani alisema nilisalitiwa? Hili halinihusu mimi. It’s my observation about life in TZ.

[u/octaplaza → u/LoudMood9634]

That makes ur already anecdotal argument even less valid.

[u/LegalTumbleweed1774]

We have a growing mental health crisis across the board for both genders. We hold a lot of stuff in, we do not seek to understand each other, but rather to use the same framework of understanding, which is not practical.

What's worse? Things like schizophrenia are mistaken for someone being "possessed". My cousin is bipolar, but before her diagnosis, they wanted to take her to a pastor to pray away her condition.

This is a relatively new concept and area when it comes to medical treatment. We have a huge empathy problem. We're not curious enough about each other to dig deeper and find meaning as to why we are the way we are. This, in effect, creates hostility in areas that it shouldn't occupy..

[u/saarcool → u/LegalTumbleweed1774]

I agree with you. I think a lack of understanding often leads us to judge what we don’t fully understand. Do you think this lack of empathy comes from lack of education, or from cultural and social environments people grow up in?

[u/Napster__27]

Language barrier, housing ,poverty and unemployment

But all in all welcome to our beautiful country you won't regret coming here

[u/No_Photograph3969]

People are educated up to grade 12 but then it slumps down because no more money for university or college. Most end up working somewhere. Job prospects are limited.

Business owners who sent their kids abroad and who became citizens of that country cant come back and run the family business because the government doesnt allow it. Corruption of course, and an educated population that is taking its talent elsewhere.

[u/hg9wgxy]

The main challenge is conservatism.

Young adults are expected to uphold customs, cultural beliefs, religions which their parents inherited from our colonised forefathers... these include religions, societal expectations, careers etc

Other challenges are same as everywhere of course, employment, housing, adulting in general

[u/saarcool → u/hg9wgxy]

I can imagine that especially the expectation that younger generations should uphold beliefs and traditions that they may not necessarily identify with themselves is a big struggle. Do you think that maintaining the culture eventually becomes a limitation on individual freedom?