[Stoves] Anthropological approach was Re: Example of missed opportunities was Re: is this new?

[Paul Anderson]

Dear Cecil and all,

I have known of you and your fine efforts for many years via Crispin.  
In your messaged you provided an excellent example of anthropological 
methods.   Highly valid.  Understand the people and their needs.  
Classical Anthropology as an academic discipline attempts to NOT 
influence the culture being studied.  You are studying and learning how 
to improve their lives via appropriate changes that can be incorporated 
into their homes, in this case via stoves.

There is another side to the anthropology issue.   It is the study of 
the introduction of an innovation (whether good or bad is not the issue) 
and its impact on their lives.  The introduction of a "new-to-them" 
stove innovation (such as TLUD stoves that are ignited on the top, etc) 
that could impact many lives in serious ways is also a valid topic for 
the skills and methods of anthropologists, as well as of marketing 
specialists who also look at "acceptance / rejection" of what is new, 
but with a different perspective.

We look forward to your continued efforts.

Paul

Paul S. Anderson, PhD  aka "Dr TLUD"
Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu   Skype: paultlud  Phone: +1-309-452-7072
Website:  www.drtlud.com

On 1/22/2013 3:49 AM, Cecil Cook wrote:
>
> Dear Pual, Kevin, Crispin, Marc, and kindred stovers,
>
>  I am a much backslid applied anthropologists who took a 30 year side 
> trip into appropriate technology in South Africa at the instigation of 
> Crispin.  Now a days Crispin is still misleading me by asking me to 
> assist him and the World Bank design, test, produce, and market ever 
> more perfect low cost biomass stoves in places like Ulaanbataar  in 
> Mongolia, Yogyakarta in Java, and most recently Battambang in 
> Cambodia.  With fiendish friends like Crispin, who needs enemies?
>
>  Kevin's comic stories about the idiot savant who is very good at 
> drawing circles around bullet holes is unfortunately a hilarious 
> metaphor for the multiple problems and predicaments that stove 
> scientists, inventors and enthusiasts typically create for themselves 
> when they (we?) try to innovate ever more perfect biomass burning 
> stoves for imagined and therefore voiceless stove customers.
>
>  I recently discovered there is a significant market in Central Java 
> for big portable charcoal stoves so that neighbours can
>
(see the excellent original message)
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