“At the most micro of scales, anthropologists remind us of the personal, often invisible to the eye, borders, which determine our daily life practices to a much greater extent than do national boundaries – across which the majority of the global population do not even cross once in their lifetime.” (148).
This excerpt brings up a central element in the reasons for social conflict at any level. Each individual has an infinite number of personal borders in the form of habits, comfort zones, fears, that in some cases can lead to misunderstanding, prejudice, stereotypes. The existence of borders and divisions in all areas of life is both inevitable and in many cases beneficial. However, borders can often be detrimental simply through there existence. Our personal borders, according to the essay, “determine our daily life practices” as individuals. At the beginning of the article, the author recommends looking at borders from the bottom up. If individuals are failing to acknowledge there personal borders and attempt to penetrate them, it is no wonder that we have so many border issues on a macro scale, between ethnicities, religions, nations… I read this passage as a challenge to attempt to recognize the borders I have created for myself, to consider them, and potentially attempt to overcome them.
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