Evans-Pritchard, E. E. The Nuer. Essay, Review, Summary. ANTV 315

Response Paper 2 

The stated purpose of Evans Pritchard's The Nuer was to provide a topical account of the social structures within Nuer society, with a focus on political institutions. While Pritchard claims that the book is written for the use of students and administrators, it is likely that the book also served as a guide for the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan government, who had originally requested the study. His work takes the framework of structural functionalism, and his data was achieved through a combination of holistic and participant observation. It is through each of these factors that we are able to study the audience, style, and voice of his work.  

Through his scientific goals, concise description, and an objective tone Pritchard establishes the audience as an academic one. It is mentioned that much of the material from the book had been modified from academic journals, "We have endeavored to give as concise an account of their life as possible, believing that a short book is of greater value to the student and administrator than a long one, and, omitting much material, we have recorded only what is significant for the limited subject of discussion." (Pritchard, 7).  

The Anglo-Egyptian government is mentioned only briefly, allowing for speculation of darker implications within a second audience. While Pritchard alludes several times to his being employed by the British government and the effects of recent Sudanese government actions again the Nuer, he does little to elaborate on how this may have affected his work, and furthermore if any ethical issues arise from it. Although Pritchard states that, "When the Government of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan asked me to make a study of the Nuer I accepted after hesitation and with misgivings." (7), he goes on to clarify that his hesitations have nothing to do with his employer or ethics. Indeed, I would presume that he likely wouldn't have any misgivings within the global political climate he was in 

While it is possible is involvement with the government had no effect on his work, it is also possible that the government was the reason why he provides a study that can be criticized as overly general, exhibiting the failings of structural functionalism. Pritchard provides evidence of the governments meddling, even going so far as to ask the reader not to judge him, "I have always considered, and still consider, that an adequate sociological study of the Nuer was impossible in the circumstances in which most of my work was done. The reader must judge what I have accomplished. I would ask him not to judge too harshly, for if my account is sometimes scanty and uneven, I would urge that the investigation was carried out in adverse circumstances ; that Nuer social organization is simple and their culture bare ; and that what I describe is almost entirely based on direct observation and is not augmented by copious notes taken down from regular informants, of whom, indeed, I had none." (9). 

While his book may be criticized in these ways, it also provides a classical and famous analysis of political and social structure. Through several hurdles and challenges faced along the way, Pritchard was forced to become a better ethnographer and develop new ways of collecting data. Within the Azande community of Pritchard's previous study, he was regarded as a superior, however, being regarded as an equal among the Nuer Pritchard was able to live among them and participate in community affairs.  

To me, it seemed that Pritchard would have much rather depended on objective, holistic observation through the use of trained informants, translators, and servants. It was his inability to do this which made him a better ethnographer, “I … never succeeded in training informants capable of dictating texts and giving detailed descriptions and commentaries. This failure was compensated for by the intimacy I was compelled to establish with the Nuer. As I could not use the easier and shorter method of working through regular informants I had to fall back on direct observation of, and participation in, the everyday life of the people. … Information was thus gathered in particles, each Nuer I met being used as a source of knowledge, and not, as it where, in chunks supplied by selected and trained informants.” (Pritchard, 15). 

Pritchard was able to outline the political institutions of the Nuer by observing the interaction between the environment, the government, and relationship systems and how these structures met the needs of the society. This framework of structural functionalism allowed Pritchard to beautifully capture the functions within lineages, age-sets, social interactions and relationships, and clans. However, this framework also left the Nuer society looking like a seamless, timeless whole as the shortcomings of structural functionalism left Pritchard to criticize the culture as simple and unchanging. This mindset had Pritchard calling the diverse and different cultural practices around cattle, relationships, and conflict, simple and straightforward.  

Works Cited: 

Evans-Pritchard, E. E. The Nuer: a Description of the Modes of Livelihood and Political Institutions of a Nilohe People. Oxford U P., 1940.