In response to the dialogue on "tribe"--yes, perhaps it is best to "trash"
the concept/term/meaning behind "tribe. Yet, what (post-)post-modern
fieldworker hasn't been challenged by informants/friends/research assistants
in Africa to adopt the term "tribe." Yes, it's a post-colonial translation
thing. "We are *not* an 'ethnic group.' We are a 'tribe.' Call us a
'tribe.'" Most of the people I worked with in East Africa cringed when I
translated "kabila" into anything other than "tribe."
So, the question is: who do I be true to in my work? Academics who
trash the term? Or, the people(s) who themselves embrace the term in
translation without the baggage that others load it down with? I'm
not saying I have the answer. But, I *am* aware that it's not as
easy a question/issue to settle as some might think. Perhaps we
should continue to approach the question/issue from different case
studies--to the people themselves.