Jacqueline Roumeguere-Eberhardt facts for kids

Jacqueline Roumeguère-Eberhardt (born November 27, 1927 – died March 29, 2006) was a French anthropologist who studied human societies and cultures. She was born in South Africa and became a research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). She was an expert on Africa.

Jacqueline did important research in many parts of Africa. She studied groups like the Venda, Tsonga, Shona, Lozi, and Bushmen in Southern Africa. She also worked with the Gbaya in Central Africa and the Maasai, Samburu, El Molo, and Rendille in Kenya. Her work led her to create a big project called "Totemic Geography of Africa."

During her career, she collected many valuable things from her fieldwork. This included interviews, notes, audio and video recordings, photographs, and objects. These now form a large collection of information. She also wrote many scientific articles, books, and even made movies in French and English.

About Jacqueline Roumeguère-Eberhardt

Jacqueline Roumeguère was born Eberhardt in 1927. Her birthplace was Elim in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. She was a French citizen and had three children: Isabelle, Caroline, and Georges.

Her Education and Career

Jacqueline went to Pretoria Girls' High School. She earned her first university degree, a BA in Social Studies, in March 1948. She also received the Max Pollack Prize. In December 1949, she earned her Master's degree (M.A.) with Distinction.

From 1950 to 1954, she continued her studies in Paris, France. She attended famous universities like La Sorbonne and EPHE. There, she focused on social anthropology and philosophy. She learned from well-known professors such as Claude Lévi-Strauss, who even published her first book.

Jacqueline became a researcher at the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) in December 1954. She continued this important work until 2002.

Languages She Spoke

Jacqueline Roumeguère-Eberhardt was very good at languages. She spoke:

• French
• English
• Maasai
• Venda
• Tsonga
• Afrikaans
• Sotho/Pedi/Tswana
• Spanish
• Portuguese
• Kalanga/Karanga (Shona)
• Gbaya
• Gukwe
• Kiswahili

Her Fieldwork and Research

Jacqueline spent many years doing "fieldwork." This means she lived among different groups of people to learn about their lives and cultures firsthand. Here are some of the places and groups she studied:

• 1954: She worked with the Venda and Tsonga people in South Africa. She even took part in their traditional schools, called Khomba and Domba.
• 1958-1962: She conducted research in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Kalahari.
• 1963: She studied the Gbaya people in the Central African Republic.
• 1966, 1992, 1993: She visited the Lozi people in Zambia.
• 1966-2002: She spent many years with the Maasai and Samburu people in Kenya.
• 1972-1979 and 1987-2002: She also worked with the Rendille people in Kenya.

Her Main Research Ideas

Jacqueline's research explored many interesting ideas about human societies:

• Totemic Geography of Africa: This project looked at how different African groups connect with specific animals or symbols (called totems) and how these connections spread across the continent.
• Comparative Social Structures: She compared how different societies are organized and how their rules and customs work.
• Unity and Diversity: She studied how people are both similar and different across various cultures.
• Religion and Social Structure: She explored how people's religious beliefs are connected to how their society is set up.
• Complementary Kingdoms: This idea looked at how different parts of a society work together, like different groups or roles.
• Methodology of Field Work: She developed better ways to do research when studying people in their own environments.
• Cultural Relativity: This idea emphasizes understanding different cultures from their own point of view, without judging them by your own culture's standards.