The Healing Land: Research methods in Kalahari communities

Abstract

The Healing Land (Isaacson, 2001a) is a vivid, experiential account of Rupert Isaacson's journey towards personal and community healing among the ≠Khomani Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. This paper provides a detailed analysis of The Healing Land in relation to Isaacson's research methodology and interaction with the ≠Khomani, examining how the story he tells is influenced and shaped by his own perceptions and experiences. This article echoes the journey of autoethnography from the inter- to the intra-personal. Factual, text-based information on the ≠Khomani and a synopsis of The Healing Land/eads to the incorporation of the author's voice into the article, as she refers to personal interviews conducted during research on the book, and shares inner reflections on the article's conclusion.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vanessa McLennan-Dodd

when this research was conducted as part of her MA. She is currently a CCMS Research Affiliate. She has published on her Kalahari research in Visual Anthropology, and has co-edited theme issues for Current Writing and Cultural Studies ←> Critical Methodologies.