My experience is real world. The fundamental principle of my discipline is fieldwork and application. I don't have cable, I don't watch TV, I use the internet access at the school. I work full time. I go to school full time. I write a column for the schools anthropological newsletter. I work on independant research. I am also 27 years old, and worked for about seven years as an auto technician before I came to college. The blue collar background is what gives me my left leaning. The means of production must be owned by workers in order to have social and financial equity. Now, tell me some more about my rose colored glasses. I live a life of austerity (except for maybe my truck) because those are the morals that I adhere too.
And, milpa farming is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of agriculture on the planet. They deplete certain tracts of land and let the lie fallow for twenty to thirty years. It is only since giant international logging companies have adopted slash and burn methods in the Amazon that the environment has suffered. Indigenous populations have a very deep understanding of using renewable subsitence methods. This has been coroborates scientifically by tons of long term research. In fact. Native American populations probably had the earliest and most sophisticated environmental engineering project in the history of humanity - corn/maize. (Although, I do admit that my knowledge of the Middle East is second hand from books and people who do research there.)
LOL! Just testing the waters with my rose colored glasses comments, TT. I am impressed. You are very well read and very well written. When I read slash and burn I was seeing things on the large scale. Of course I know nothing about these people.
I am very glad to see someone like you using your powers for good rather then evil. If one person could make a difference in the future of our world, it is someone like you that would make it happen.
