When Bamboo Bloom – Reflection Story

In chapters one through three of When Bamboo Bloom, the author, Patricia A. Omidian, uses a narrative approach to describe her experiences while doing fieldwork in three areas of Afghanistan: Kabul, Hazarajat, and Herat. Omidians’ main point is to explain what is like to be an applied anthropologist and conduct research in Afghanistan while under Taliban rule. She also attempts to give a sense of what life was like for Afghan people in the midst of living in a war zone, while having limited access to resources, education, and health care.

Omidian is “interested in the interrelationship of physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction for people who have experienced war, displacement, and resettlement, and how they have adapted to their situation” (p. 2). She intends to use the information that she compiles throughout her fieldwork to develop a psychosocial wellness program for people in Afganistan. Omidian demonstrates that in order to study the culture of a group of people, it is crucial to observe and participate in the lives of the people you want to understand. She lived in three different areas in Afghanistan observing the people and their culture to try and better understand the people and their psychosocial wellness. Omidian also stresses the importance of having the the ability to “view a culture holistically, to understand that any change in one area of society will affect other areas” (p. 2).

This is why Omidian takes the time to examine all parts of Afghan culture in different areas, including their environment, access to education and health care, and the resources available to them. All of these different aspects contribute to the psychosocial wellness of Afghan people, which is her main point of interest. Omidian describes Afghanistan as an “impoverished, war-ravaged, land-locked country” (p. 4). She realized that Afghan people lacked basic resources, access to education and healthcare, and were stripped of their rights by the Taliban. Things that were typically easy to Omidian like traveling and having access to a variety of foods were almost impossible in Afghanistan. I found the control that the Taliban had over people in Afghanistan very striking.

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They utilized violence to control the everyday lives of Afghan people, including where they can go, what they can do, and even what they can wear. Despite Taliban power, many people were willing to endure violence and risk their lives in order to maintain their identity. For example, women would sneak out of the house to educate young children or work in hospitals despite the fact that it was forbidden for them to leave their homes. Omidian recognized their courage, exclaiming that “Afghans are resilient, even to the point of defiance. They manage to live under almost impossible circumstances and maintain their culture and dignity” (p. 31). The people living in Kabul, Hazarajat, and Herat all showed resentment towards the Taliban for forcing a specific way of life on them that they did not agree with. Applied Anthropology is a theme that has been discussed in lecture, and in broad terms is anthropology put to use outside of classroom instruction. It involves the analysis of research to try and help solve practical problems.

Patricia A. Omidian is an applied anthropologist who uses her research of Afghan people to try and understand how living in Afghanistan during this time period affects their psychosocial wellness. She wants to use her findings to help solve the problems that Afghan people face by developing a psychosocial wellness program. Applied anthropology is significant because it demonstrates how Omidian will use her research to try and solve the problems that people if Afghanistan face.

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