Transcript presentation - Harlem Children Society

Anthropology: The Cultural
Experience
Badrul Islam
Joel Serrata
Dr. Lambros Comitas/Dr. Louis Cristillo
Columbia University: Teachers College
What is Anthropology?
 Anthropology is the science of human
beings. More specifically,
anthropology is trying to understand
all aspects of human beings and all
possible questions about them
through the broad discovery, study,
interpretation, and inference of past
and present cultural characteristics.
Ethnography
 Ethnography is the formal research
approach used to acquire the cultural
knowledge of a social group.
 Ethnographic research involves
informants, or subjects who inform us
about their cultural knowledge.
 The challenge for ethnographers is to
help their informants remember and
express their cultural knowledge.
Muslim Youth in NYC Public Schools
Study
 Columbia University is conducting an
anthropological research study about
the opinions and experiences of
Muslim students in NYC high schools.
 The research is intended to help
teachers and school administrators
improve the learning environment for
Muslim students.
Muslim Youth in NYC Public Schools
Study (Cont’d)
 This study is not limited to Muslim students;
students from all religions can participate.
 In a broad sense, this study wants to learn
how students’ experiences in high school
impact their attitudes and opinions about civic
life and cultural identity in America.
 This study primarily consists of a telephone
survey, a focus group, and face-to-face
interviews with high school students.
 The telephone survey, focus group, and faceto-face interviews ask about life in school,
coping with problems and attitudes about
identity, society, and education in America.
Materials
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Human Research Participant license
Consent form
Recording equipment
Questionnaire
Notebook/writing utensil
Methodology
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The informant is selected to be interviewed and informed
about the Muslim Youth study.
The informant is assured that the interview will remain
confidential at all costs and that he/she has the right to
withdraw from the interview at any time.
The informant will be asked to briefly introduce him/herself
and say what high school they attend and their grade (20062007 school year).
Questions regarding identity, religiosity, life inside school, life
outside of school, self esteem, locus control, discrimination,
coping and resiliency, and personal background/demographics
will be asked in an informal interview manner.
After the 90-minute interview, the notes from the interview
will be typed up as an essay document.
Follow up questions for the informant will be asked over the
phone or via email.
Consent forms from the informant will be collected.
Interview Questions
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Some of the probing questions for the interviews are:
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Generally speaking, would you say that your school is a cool place;
like is it safe, well managed place-a place where students get
along pretty well with each other and with teachers?
Are the teachers doing a good job? Do you trust your teachers?
What about things like drugs, violence, and gangs?
Do you think student activities at your school are worth it or just a
waste of time?
Do you ever do volunteer work that is not related to school?
How important is it for you to keep informed about news and
current events; where do you get your news?
What are the biggest problems facing America today (ex. Poverty,
homelessness, crime, racism, War in Iraq).
Most of your friends Muslims? Non-Muslims? Mix?
How important is religion in your daily life?
Ever experience discrimination in public?
Is turning to religion helpful?
Have you ever questioned your religious beliefs?
Our Progress…
 We have interviewed 8 people altogether (4
each).
 The interviewing process takes quite a
while because one must know their
informant, be in their environment, observe
their interactions and behaviors.
 The actual interview with the probing
questions start a few days after getting to
know the informant.
Future Work
 We plan to complete at least 12
thorough interviews by the end of the
internship in September.
 We will continue our work with our
actual mentor Dr. Lambros Comitas
and learn more about the field of
cultural anthropology.
Sign Up!
Works Cited
 http://www.cyberpursuits.com/anthro/
 http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/Ethnogra
phyVid.html
 http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/ant
hropology/courses/122/module1/metheory.
html
 http://www.culanth.org/
 http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/leh
man/guides/cultanth.html
Acknowledgements
Dr. Lambros Comitas
Dr. Louis Cristillo
Dr. Sat. Bhattacharya
Columbia University: Teachers
College
 Harlem Children Society/Staff
 Audience
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THANK YOU!!!!!!!