Impacting the Future

    In reading Pandian's "The Remembering Village", I was struck with the concept of the impact that an anthropologist can have on the community or setting that they are studying. In thinking of an anthropologist, I had always thought of them as this outside player that observes and analyzes a particular community’s past and present. But what I found particularly interesting was the ability of the anthropologist to also play a role in altering the future of a community. For, example, in this particular case, Dumont’s presence in Tengalapatti played a significant role in shaping some of the aspects of their culture looking forward. This impact is seen simply in the fact that Dumont’s house is still to this day referred to as “the white man’s house”. I think that this brings to light the very important consideration when undergoing ethnographical research of the need for the utmost respect for the culture that you are observing and analyzing. Because although it may seem like you are just “a fly on the wall” as an observer, you could be shaping the future direction of this culture without even realizing it.