Transcript Methods in Studying World Cultures

Methods in Studying
World Cultures
Doing Anthropology
Stages of Field Research
Facing Problems
Ethics in Anthropology
Doing Anthropology
 Doing anthropology is fieldwork,
fieldwork=Ethnography.
 Ethnography
 a written study of a specific contemporary
culture.
 ethnology is a comparison of cultural
processes based on ethnographic data.
 Emic and Etic perspectives, both important.
Fieldwork
 Firsthand, systematic exploration of a society.
 Primary context in which cultural anthro undertaken.
 Means of collecting data and testing hypothesis.
 Use naturally existing diversity of human cultures as
substitute for the controlled lab experiment.
 Fieldwork is experiences.
 Fieldwork is no picnic-preparing takes at least a year
for a study that might take 3-5 years.
 need to get funding through research or government
foundation. i.e. NSF, Social Science Research.
 health precautions-shots.
 *i.e. Undergrad prof had malaria in different forms 3
or 4 times when working in Kenya.
 permission from host gov't.
 rudimentary skills, such as language, landscape.
Emic & Etic Perspectives
 emic: a perspective in ethnography
that uses the concepts and categories
that are relevant and meaningful to
the culture under analysis.
 etic: a perspective in ethnography
that uses the concepts and categories
of the anthropologist's culture to
describe another culture.
Stages of Field Research
 Selecting Research Question
 Want to do more than just describe culture, you can't
record everything so go with question in mind.
 Such as "Are people of high status enjoying higher
reproductive success?" or "Why do hunter-gatherers
continually move from place to place?“
 Research Design
 How do you go about answering question, what
variables do you measure?
 measure status/repro success=amt of wealth and no.
of children.
 measure mobility=no. of moves, where to, when.
Stages of Field Research
 Collecting Data
 have to have several techniques because one may
work and another may not-also compliment.
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Participant Observation.
Interviewing.
Census taking-counting people.
Mapping-locate people in environment.
Document analysis.
Constructing kinship diagrams.
Photography, videotaping.
Stages of Field Research:
Collecting Data
 Participant Observation
 Fieldwork method in which the c. anthro lives
with the people under study and observes their
everyday acts.
 Often participate in, such as helping gather
food, find water, etc.
 Advantages-enhances rapport, distinguish actual
from expected behavior, observe nonverbal
behavior.
 Disadvantages-small sample size, not
standardized, hard to record, obtrusive effect.
Stages of Field Research:
Collecting Data
 Interviewing
 structured-ask everyone questions with
same answers, like a multiple-choice
test.
 unstructured-ask open-ended, like essay.
Stages of Field Research:
Collecting Data
 Census taking-counting people.
 Mapping-locate people in environment.
 Document analysis-diaries, colonial reports,
songs.
 Constructing kinship-relatives of
informants.
 Photography, videotaping.
 *i.e. Camera on MTV's Real World-mostly
unobtrusive.
Stages of Field Research:
Analyze and Interpret Data
 Evaluate responses, analyze
numerical data-such as if studying
status and repro success, no. of
offspring for different status
individuals.
 Confirm or reject hypothesis-do no. of
offspring reflect higher staus?-why or
why not.
Field Research: Example
 Thomas Lewellen (Professor Emeritus
of the University of Richmond) and
the Aymara Indians of Peru.
 http://oncampus.richmond.edu/~tlew
elle//PowerPoints/PPfieldwork_files/fr
ame.htm
Facing Problems
 Everything does not go the way you want it to.
 It is difficult to become accustomed to all the major
differences between two different cultures.
 Major-agriculturalist vs. hunt-gatherers
 Minor-diffs in personal space,appropriate dress
 Are techniques really working?
 Is technique you selected to use while in your office
in the University really appropriate in the Real World.
 Anthros need to reflect on how their personalities are
reflected in their fieldwork.
 *i.e. Mead vs. Freeman.
Culture Shock
 Psychological disorientation
experienced when attempting to
operate in a radically different cultural
environment.
 depression, dismay, homesickness.
Fieldwork in Papua, New Guinea
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Good results from field work- a positive outcome of
fieldwork, chance for growth and understanding, develop a
broader view of human behavoir.
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Two c. anthros, husband and wife, were conducting fieldwork
on the Island of New Britain in Papau, New Guinea. Thy had
moved into Knadoka village and were still trying to learn the
language and customs of the people. A woman offered to sell
them a watermelon for two shillings and they were happy to
oblige. Minutes later the woman returned with Koilia, the
village leader and returned the two shillings. Koilia said the
woman was wrong to sell the watermelon to them for two
shillings and she would return the money. The anthros tried to
explain they thought the price was fair and were happy in the
bargain. Koilia explained again that it was not that they paid
too much but they had paid at all. He was a leader
responsible for them while they were in the village and they
had shamed him. How would it look if he let guests buy food?
It would be all right to give little gifts, but no one was selling
them food.
Fieldwork in Papua, New Guinea
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Later, they settled into the village and plenty of food was brought
to them. Seldom did a day pass that someone did not bring
something: sweet potatoes, taro, papaya, pineapple and
bananas. Made gifts of chewing gum to kids and tobacco to
adults. Anthros felt like they were still buying food. At the peak
of harvest, they had four stalks of bananas on porch and a
woman brought another stalk. The anthros didn't need any more
and sent her away. Their perspective was that someone had
come to trade for it but the anthros didn't want it.
The woman responded that she wanted nothing for them, but
anthros told her to keep them. Koilia came and asked what was
wrong with the bananas. Anthros said nothing wrong, but did not
need them. Koilia said don't you often have visitors in evening
that you give tobacco or coffee. Did you ever think they may be
hungry. The people had come to share the bananas, like bringing
part of a meal to a potluck. Kolia left saying when your guests
are hungry feed them bananas.
Lessons Learned
 Lesson 1: In a society where food is gifted
as part of social life, you may not buy it
with money.
 Lesson 2: Never refuse a gift, never fail to
return a gift. If you cannot use it, you can
always give it to someone else.
 Very different perspective from our market
economy-Offense at getting a gift that's
used.
Ethics in Anthropology
 "Prime directive", how do we influence
culture, should we?
 *i.e. Star Trek Next Generation-Future
anthros studying small agrarian society
through one way screen. Screen breaks
and whole society is upset.
 Acquiring consent of people to be studied.
 Protecting people from risk.
 Respecting people's privacy and dignity.
Ethics: Example
 Appell studying Hassidic Jews-a very conservative
community, received a grant to do research and went
to a community in U.S. that was trying to be
incorporated as village.
 Tired of publicity and attention, Appell felt sure if he
asked permission he would be asked to leave.
 So went to services and when asked what he was
doing he said he was Jewish, lived and worked nearby
and interested in the community. Thus implying he
was interested in joining the community. Involved
with them for summer, at the end of summer he felt
sure the rabbi would have let him conduct his work
but was too embarrassed to ask him- What should he
do?
What should he do?
 As it turned out he went back the next summer,
conducted research and prepared to leave.
 A person asked him what he did for a living and he
replied that he taught at a University. The Hassidic
Jew asked him what he taught, and Appell replied that
he wouldn't understand, but that he studied
Anthropology-studying other cultures.
 The man replied that he had a great place for him to
study-right here. So Appell should probably revealed
his motives from the beginning.
Statement on ethics from the American
Anthropological Association.
 Must be concerned with:
 Relations with those studied, most responsible
to those an anthro studies.
 Responsibility to public, truth and totalness in
presentations of findings.
 Responsiblity to discipline of anthro, integrity
and rapport with fellow anthros.
 Responsibility to students, honesty in teaching.
 Responsibility to sponsors, honest with aims of
research.
 Responsible to own and host gov't., to avoid
complications.
Epilogue:
 “In the final analysis, anthro research
is a human undertaking, dependent
upon choices for which the individual
bears ethical as well as scientific
responsibility. That responsibility is a
human, not a super human
responsibility. To err is human, to
forgive humane...” (p. 186 Statement
of ethics from AAA).