Anthropological perspectives on learning: reflections from an ethnography on the lower Tapajós region (Brazilian Amazon)

Abstract

How can anthropology contribute to the understanding of human learning processes? The article highlights the distinguishing points of the anthropological approach to learning, anchoring itself in an ethnography of knowledge and skills circulation in the Lower Tapajós region (Pará). I argue that studying learning “outdoors”, considering the social and cultural context in which it occurs, brings elements of understanding that remain inaccessible otherwise. The ethnography presented shows that, in addition to guiding what we learn (“content”), cultural specificities deeply mark the mechanism of learning. Only by taking these specificities into account is it possible to make sense of the harsh relationship that is established between more and less experienced people in Tapajós.

Keywords:
learning; ethnography; river-dwellers; indigenous peoples