new year, new hopes

this year has deifinately started with some life changing events - some a bit too personal to mention on this, but time to think and reflect and not take things for granted at all.
saying that its been difficult for me to concentrate and focus on events and the anthropology... the main problem is the NHS ethics form that has been preying on my mind... so many stupid questions - so many  hoops to jump and barriers to do this form of qualitative research... thats one thing I have learnt - not to do any more research in the NHS - or do it in a team with someone else doing this form.
- so - you have to phone up for a date for  monthly meeting - which is now stretching into APril  (its January now)- as soon as you call you have 4 days to prepare all your paperwork, now I have had one rejection with I must say detailed feedback, I wonder whether calling again will give me a different research number  and then I have to get everything resigned - which is as near as impossible within 4 days. I mean who decided 4 days -  Now headed paper is needed - the interpreting service can't do and I can't get the bloody logo on to the papers. if thats the only problem I seriously give up.. this is seriously hindering any small study when the process is the same for a 10 person qualitative study to a 10000 multi centred study using a new medical device.  its ridiculous.. am so not bothered anymore, theres alawyas another way, but I feel disappointed by the lack of support the NHS can give me.


interestingly enough - reading the piece about egalitarain societes where the women are the gatherers and the men the hunters - although the men hunt a piece of meat that can be worth ten times more calories, the women are more consisitent in gathering plants and foraging. The dynamism of movement - to have little material possessions, the ability to trade skills and sharing fully with members of the local camp when they move around... a matter of bargaining - sharing skills and resources.  not to be stingy and arrogant.  Arrogance is dangerous in the Kung San ( southern Africa) clan .  communal life is also about sharing space I also love the idea that those people who are  depressed or have hurt feelings, express it be compsoing songs which they play for themselves on the thumb piano.. Richard Lees book  on politics, sexual and non sexual, in egalitarian society...