Sunset on Lake Victoria with two boats bobbing on the waves. Taken by Matthew Stephens

Ethnography, Essays, and More

Ethnographic Observation: Rupa’s Mall
Matthew Stephens Matthew Stephens

Ethnographic Observation: Rupa’s Mall

An ethnographic observations of Rupa’s Mall in Eldoret, Kenya, shows us that things can be both strange and familiar at the same time. This observation, originally submitted as an assignment for a Cultural Anthropology course, showcases the principles of observation and applies sociological and anthropological principles.

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Kenyan Marriage Bureaucracy
Matthew Stephens Matthew Stephens

Kenyan Marriage Bureaucracy

I’ve been married twice in my life; the first time was to another American in a courthouse ceremony in Virginia, and the second (final) time to a Kenyan in Kenya. The two processes were entirely different and worthy of documenting here. Note that in both instances, it is a civil marriage that is discussed and not the greater cultural traditions of religious ceremonies or tribal unions.

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