As part of their safari, the mainly Europeans and Americans also visit a Maasai village. Locals are usually surprised by the arrival of tourists in their village, as there are few tourists in this region, and it’s difficult to give advance notice. Tourists usually stay between 20 and an hour to look at the cattle corrals and houses.
In my research, I provide a detailed description about “Maasai’s” and “Tourists” views on each other and how their views are affected by their encounters. It shows why and how ideas about the “other” persist, even when they don’t match experiences.
My research conclusions led me to create a short movie – ” Eliamani’s Homestead“. The film illustrates my most important findings about host-guest interactions. The film follows the experiences of Dutch tourists who visit a young mother and her family. All conversations are subtitled in four languages: Maa, Swahili and Dutch.
Paolo Ngulupa is a research assistant that assisted with transcription and translation. Vanessa Wijngaarden, the Author, provided
Parallel Fears
Why are these encounters happening? Maasailand is a destination for tourists who are attracted by the cultural differences. Kenyans and Tanzanian Maasai are primarily involved in tourism because of the economic differences between them and visitors. They supplement their income by selling safaris and other artifacts.
There are striking parallels between their motivations and fears.
Both the Maasai people and tourists are afraid of being seen as ignorant or naive by their counterparts. They are so scared of being exploited. Both sides exaggerate how much the other side will make. Maasai exaggerates how much tourists can make by taking photos. Tourists overestimate the value of their money in Maasailand.
Both sides are afraid that the other side is only acting in their narrow interest. Maasai and tourists are both concerned that the other is only interested in selling beads. Both sides wonder if their apparent friendliness with the other is fake.
Both sides are concerned about being scammed.
Details of the price and payment discussions reveal that it’s not the few Euros required to purchase artifacts which are causing the tourists’ emotional outbursts, but rather their fear of losing face. Maasai also fear that tourists will only be interested in their cultural differences and may not see them as real people but rather as a show. Eliamani, for example, runs behind her house to escape the tourists’ cameras because she is afraid they will ridicule her.
Eliamani eludes the camera
Confronting gaze
It is not just about material gain and exploitation. Both sides care about their perception. They do not act on their image of the “other” but rather react to the impression they believe “the other” holds of them.
It has been noted in psychology that the “presumed image” of another person is very important when interacting with people from different cultures. The psychologists Claude Steele & Joshua Aronson describe the “stereotype” threat. It was found to be relevant not only to stereotypes of minorities but also those of powerful majority.
According to Marie-Francoise Lanfant, a sociologist, in the context of tourism, the host society is forced to confront its values and traditions through the encounter with the otherness represented by tourists. It is the same for tourists who are under the watchful gaze of their host.
Imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes. Create an image of what you may look like.