[Last modified: November, 17 2024 03:45 PM]
Walking in Open Spaces: An Ethnographic Perspective on Somali Herders and Londoners
In the vast, open landscapes of Somalia hinterland, nomadic herders move with complete freedom rarely seen in busy urban cosmopolitan like London where I currently live. For Somali pastoral communities, space is unrestricted, abundantly available and movement is fluid.
They move naturally with no defined rigid social codes to abide. When I first arrived in London, I was strake by how people walk. It was clear that people where fully aware of their immediate space and surroundings. The herders, often grazing their valued cattle, camels or goats criss-cross expansive savannahs, naturally wing their arms freely, unrestricted by thoughts of infringing on another’s space. Unlike the regimented pathways of London life, the rural landscape provides a boundless space for movement, allowing each step to stretch naturally.
In complete contrast, a Londoner must constantly monitor their space boundaries. A habit I too, adapted for conformity while studying at UCL. In the tightly packed city environment, walking is a socially conscious manner. This becomes even more clearer on escalators, where there’s an unspoken rule to stand on the right to allow others pass on the left, and in crowded trains or buses, commuters are constantly aware of the need to minimise disturbance. Every step is a regimental and ritualistic balancing act to avoid brushing against or blocking another. In London, space is checked. Residents move with near mechanical precision to keep everyone happy, a stark contrast to nomadic herders’ natural flow.
However, the Somali nomadic space experience is utterly different. Without the proximity of strangers, because the vastness of space they can walk with arms swaying naturally, bodies loose and unworried about boundaries. Their pace is dictated by the needs of the herd, the season, and the land, not by the presence of others.
My observational comparison shows a profound anthropological difference in how space is perceived and navigated. For the urban dweller, like the Londoner, movement is framed by the need to respect the personal spaces of strangers sharing the same path. In contrast, for Somali nomadic herders, space is a limitless, collective asset. Their movement is part of a landscape where human presence is sparse and individual expression unrestrained. This freedom permits them to walk without the self-consciousness that characterises cosmopolitan London. The nomadic herder moves not just criss-crossing the land, but as a part of it, embodying it.