Abstract
The current changes in our climate have sparked a growing interest in understanding
existing knowledge and experiences in communities regarding changes and variations
in the weather. However, the currently existing anthropological analyses of weather
and climate focus on adaptations to local climate, temperature, and rainfall, and often
do not engage studies of meaning making. While there are a vast number of studies
that have focused on rainmaking, rainmaking rituals, and the symbolism of rain,
previous work has failed to integrate the perceptions of those affected by rain in their
studies because indigenous knowledge (IK) was not esteemed.
This study aims to integrate the perceptions and knowledge of locals by framing them
in a local setting. With a specific interest in humans’ natural attraction to rain and the
need to fill the current gap in rain studies, the purpose of this research is to understand
how the people of Zuurbekom make meaning of rain. Through employing an
ethnographic approach, coupled with conversational and in-depth interviews with
purposefully selected participants, this study reveals that the people of Zuurbekom
have an intricate relationship with rain. Rainfall is not only recognised for agricultural
benefits but it also has socio-cultural meanings. For the participants in this study,
rainfall affirms their ascribed socio-cultural identities, acknowledges and sustains the
relationship they have with their ancestors, and signifies purity. Lastly, rain creates
and sustains individual, communal, environmental, and spiritual wholeness. The
results obtained in this study could assist in understanding how the generation of
meaning ultimately guides how local communities understand and adapt to current
climate changes.
M.A. (Anthropology)