Making the Strange Familiar and the Familiar Strange

Picture stepping through farms of amaranth, roselle greens, sunchokes and molokhia with friends from Sierra Leone and Congo, reminiscing world history with high schoolers or sowing seeds for the next generation of technologists. Why? All for the love of building strong communities. I am so fortunate to be chatting with Mr. Jacob Moore, an educator and anthropologist, who is flipping the dynamics from “teaching” to “co-learning”. It's about intellectual humility, he says. 

Mr. Moore explains how anthropologists, through their observations of people in their day to day environment, get beyond the why, and reveal the myriad ways in which the environment, language, culture and identity intersect, diverge and influence one another in an intricate yet strong ecosystem. Anthropologists get to the bottom of how people make meaning of their world.

Our initial conversation centers on lessons in anthropology. We talk about Plant it Forward, an organization that empowers a diverse community through sustainable farming. As one steps into the urban farms in Houston, it quickly becomes evident how much our environmental ecosystem (plants, animals, water, soil etc.) shapes our physical and mental health. It is reassuring to see that even when displaced, with a little support, humans (such as the refugees on these farms) put pre-existing skills back to work to survive and thrive. He talks about how this organization is not just sowing the seeds of extravagant plants, but also fostering cultural and social integration, preserving individual identity, and revitalizing Houston’s community health and prosperity.

These aspects are only visible through an anthropological approach where one truly embeds into the experiences within the ecosystem. In a tech-facing world, it is refreshing to refocus on the human aspect of our daily lives. 

Mr. Moore, who is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Farsi, and is a globetrotter, highlights how anthropology makes “The strange familiar and the familiar strange”. The key to unlocking true learning is to meet people where they are, and understand the world from their lens. The perspective of watching the earth from space, and realizing that humans are fundamentally one species and solving similar issues in different ways can be gained on earth itself! Anthropology helps you realize what you do is not normal, and that it is just one way of doing things. An anthropological approach is key to intellectual humility, connections with other humans and making sense of the world.

Understanding the perspective of the human also holds the key to future discoveries and inventions in science and technology, as eventually, all roads lead back to the two-legged human.

Our era has seen technology including but not limited to social media, learning apps, video conferencing apps, gaming apps, virtual healthcare, large language models etc. These technologies have various applications such as connecting global communities, educating, curing, shaping identities etc. Technology not only provides us convenience and advancement, but now also has the potential to foster shared experiences, inclusion and a sense of belonging.

In citing applications of technology in linguistics, Mr. Moore discussed how technology can help prevent cultures and identity from being lost in the black hole of history. Technology can be very powerful in preserving and understanding the endangered insights bestowed upon us by indigenous and marginalized communities. By working with culturally diverse groups including indigenous and marginalized communities, it becomes clear how technology when paired with collective action has the ability to amplify voices and preserve cultures.

The promise of technology however, does not come without caution! Since technology is at its crux, still a human aide, we have to keep an eye on strengthening ethics, safety, citizenship, cultural and emotional sensitivity around it. We also need to be mindful to not replace technology with face to face human interaction, as body language, environmental context and involvement of all human senses are still not feasible with technology alone. 

This was a conversation that kept giving. Just a handful of minutes with Mr. Moore has revealed so much food for thought. It's evident that most disciplines can benefit from anthropology, technology, linguistic and humanistic approaches. Understanding the world of the most fascinating and intelligent creature we know, seems so obvious, yet overlooked. However, let's not forget that understanding can only happen through empathy and intellectual humility.