In college, Barnet studied anthropology and sociology at the University of Havana. Against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution, he developed a strong relationship with Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortíz. The professor introduced Barnet to an ethnographic model centered on indigenous religion, creole language, and the oral tradition. In rural areas of the island, religious practices influenced by African and Taino traditions, such as santería, were practiced within the syncretic framework of Catholicism. Ortiz’s view of ethnographic research focusing primarily on indigenous culture was influenced by the Cuban communist political ideology of the time, rejecting European modes of learning. It emphasized study of the socially and economically marginalized class.