Yu 1
Ivan Yu
Annotations 11-20:
1. Five Misunderstandings About Case Study Research
Pg 2
2. Deep Play: Notes on Balinese Cockfight
Pg 5
3. Up the Anthropologist - Perspectives Gained from Studying Up
Pg 8
4. Basic Legal Research Techniques
Pg 11
5. Religion and Environment
Pg 13
6. Complex Adaptive Issues_ And the Use of PAR to Solve Them
Pg 16
7. Participatory Action Research
Pg 19
8. Strengthening Livelihood Capacities to Disaster Risk Reduction
Pg 22
9. Coping With Drought
Pg 25
10. Ethnography In/Of The World System: The Emergence of Multi-Sited Ethnography
Pg 27
Yu 2
Ivan Yu, Annotation 11, 10/29/12
Quantitative Approaches to Empirical Legal Research
1. Full citation.
Epstein, Lee, and Andrew D. Martin. 2010. “Quantitative Approaches to Empirical Legal
Research.” In The Oxford Handbook of Empirical Legal Research. Oxford University
Press.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Lee Epstein is the Provost Professor of Law and Political Science and the Rader Family Trustee
Chair in Law at the University of Southern California. She earned her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in
Political Sciences from Emory University. Her research interests include the U.S. Supreme
Court, constitutional law, and judicial behavior. Her other works include Constitutional Law for
a Changing America, The Supreme Court Compendium, and The Choices Justices Make.
Andrew D. Martin is the Vice Dean and Professor of Law at Washington University School of
Law and the Founding Director of the Center for Empirical Research in the Law. He got is
Ph.D. in political sciences at Washington University in St. Louis in 1998. His research expertise
is judicial decision-making. He is also involved in the fields of political methodology and
applied statistics. His other works include The Execution of Judicial Discourse: A Positive
Political Theory and Empirical Analysis of Strategic Word Choice in District Court Opinions,
Who Controls the Content of Supreme Court Opinions, and Does Public Opinion Influence the
Supreme Court.
3. What are the topics of the text?
The text gives an overview on conducting empirical legal research. The steps include designing
the research, collecting data and coding variables, analyzing the data, and presenting the results.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
There are many rules for empirical research across many fields from Biology to Sociology. A
problem is that many of these rules overlap each other and legal researchers can adopt methods
to suit their own interests. This article describes the legal research process, its uniqueness
compared with the research process of other fields, as well as its challenges.
Yu 3
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The writers of this article provided many examples in the context of legal field to illustrate
practically and relevantly how some of these methods are used. For example, the first step of the
legal research process is to design it. A question was posed. “Do males and females who have
the same level of experience earn the same amount of money?” Then a better one was posed.
“Do males and females who have been in the workforce for the same number of years net the
same salary per month?” This example showed the importance of framing the right question to
help clarify concepts and help the researcher be able to empirically answer the question better.
Figures and diagrams are used to model some of the methods that are unique to the legal field.
For example, Figure 1 models the process of clarifying observable implications for evaluation.
A more visual approach to explaining some methods are more effective than when explained
verbally or in writing.
Finally the writers also introduced many terms involved with legal empirical research and
defined them. For example, after legal researchers are completed with their work and
presentation, they are required to archive their data and documentation. The purpose of this is so
that they meet the “replication standard: Another researcher should be able to understand,
evaluate, build on, and reproduce the research without any additional information from the
author” (Epstein and Martin, 2010, p. 917).
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
-
“In virtually every discipline that has developed a serious empirical research program –
law not excepted – scholars discover methodological problems that are unique to the
special concerns in that area. Each new data source often requires at least some
adaptation of existing methods, and sometimes the development of new methods
altogether” (Epstein and Martin, 2010, p. 917)
-
“And this [the fact that legal researchers make use of the data in the world, not what they
generated], of course, substantially complicates the task empirical legal researchers
confront. While experimental data – generated by random assignment to treatment and
control groups – effectively minimize the confounding effects of other variables, the
same cannot be said of observational data” (Epstein and Martin, 2010, p. 904).
(Observational data is more common in quantitative empirical legal research.)
-
“Just as scholars have been improving methods for causal inference, they have been
working on approaches to convey the results of their studies. These developments should
be of particular interest to quantitative empirical legal scholars who often must
communicate their findings to judges, lawyers, and policy-makers – in order words, to
audiences who have little or no training in statistics” (Epstein and Martin, 2010, p. 917).
Yu 4
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
When would qualitative methods be used in legal research? Why are quantitative
methods usually used? Why are observational datasets more common in quantitative
empirical legal research?
-
How does one confirm whether the inferences drawn from either statistical data or
observational data is accurate or not?
-
What can be done to improve the literacy of judges, lawyers, policy-makers, or other
people in terms of understanding statistics? Would this make the process of using the
results of empirical legal research a more efficient system?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
How multiple regression analysis and regression models are done to make causal
inferences from observational data.
-
Examples of good presentation of empirical legal research versus bad presentation to an
audience with little or no training in statistics.
-
Resources or programs available specifically for coding in legal research.
Yu 5
Ivan Yu, Annotation 12, 10/30/12
Deep Play: Notes on Balinese Cockfight
1. Full citation.
Geertz, Clifford. 1972. Deep play : notes on the Balinese cockfight. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Clifford Geertz was known for his influence on the field of symbolic anthropology. He was a
professor emeritus at Institute for Advanced Studies until his death on October 30, 2006. He
received a B.A. in Philosophy from Antioch College and Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from
Harvard University. He did extensive fieldwork research in Southeast Asia and North Africa
focusing on religion, economic life, traditional political structures, and village and family life.
Some of his work includes Religion as a Cultural System, The Religion of Java, Peddlers and
Princes: Social Development and Economic Change in Two Indonesian Towns.
3. What are the topics of the text?
The main topic of the text is about the meaning, symbolism, and worldview of cockfights in the
country of Bali. Clifford and his wife stayed in Bali in April of 1958 and did participation
observation in order to build relationships and learn more about the significance of cockfighting.
At first, it was hard for them to be integrated because the Balinese acted like they did not even
exist. But after an incident in which the police showed up to break up a cockfight, the Balinese
saw how Clifford and his wife ran away just like they did. They even protected Clifford and his
wife when the police showed up at a house they were in. This helped break down the barrier for
these foreigners. The Balinese realized that Clifford and his wife did not use their “distinguished
visitation” status or claim to not be betting during the cockfights as an excuse to confront the
police. This put them on the same level as the rest of the Balinese and opened up more
opportunities for relationships and research.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The main argument of the text is that despite the fact the cockfighting is illegal in Bali under the
Republic, many men still participate in it. Why? One reason is to help raise money that the
government doesn’t provide for causes like a new school. However, another reason is the men’s
relationship to the cocks. Then men take good care of their cocks and identifies with them.
Cocks are a masculine symbol. During cockfights, it is not the cocks who are fighting but the
men in reality. When their cock is losing, the owner will even try to breathe into it and give
medicine to its wound to try to conjure up any last spirit in it to win the fight. Different types of
bets are made during these cockfights. There are many conventions about who the members in
Yu 6
the crowds should support depending on their relationship with those participating (same kin,
local village, loyalty… etc.) But overall there is a concept of “Deep play” going on in which
more is at risk other than money during cockfights.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The argument is supported in many ways. One was is through the narrative description of
certain events that happened. For example, in the beginning of the article, Clifford describes his
adventure with other Balinese as they ran away from the police breaking up a cockfight and
fabricated stories to protect themselves. The details Clifford describes in these field notes
contribute to the study of Balinese and offer insight specifically to the significance of cockfights.
Another way was by describing his observations of how men treat their cocks and their deep
psychological identification with them.
Geertz also observed many cockfights and noticed many patterns in the relationship between the
cocks and their owners as well as between the owners and who is supporting them in the crowds.
Geertz listed many facts about these cockfights to give a clearer picture of what happens.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“The madness has some less visible dimensions, however, because although it is true that cocks
are symbolic expressions or magnifications of their owner's self, the narcissistic male ego writ
out in Aesopian terms, they are also expressions and rather more immediate ones-of what the
Balinese regard as the direct inversion, aesthetically, morally, and metaphysically, of human
status: animality” (Geertz, 1972, p. 3).
“Bentham's concept of "deep play" is found in his The Theory of Legislation. By it he means
play in which the stakes are so high that it is, from his utilitarian standpoint, irrational for men to
engage in it at all… It is because money does, in this hardly unmaterialistic society, matter and
matter very much that the more of it one risks the more of a lot of other things, such as one's
pride, one's poise, one's dispassion, one's masculinity, one also risks, again only momentarily but
again very publicly as well” (Geertz, 1972, p. 7).
“Balinese go to cockfights to find out what a man, usually composed, aloof, almost obsessively
selfabsorbed, a kind of moral autocosm, feels like when, attacked, tormented, challenged,
insulted, and driven in result to the extremes of fury, he has totally triumphed or been brought
totally low” (Geertz, 1972, p. 11).
Yu 7
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
Did Geertz and his wife speak the Balinese language or just communicated in English
while they were in Bali? How would a language barrier like this affect research and the
data collected?
-
How did Geertz and his wife get clearance to stay and study in Bali? Did they have to lie
about their research? Does the government know that they were studying cockfighting?
-
With the underlying notion that there is a possibility for misrepresentation due to the
nature that Geertz is not native to Bali, did he do anything to confirm is findings with the
people in Bali before he published them?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
I looked more into Bentham’s concept of “Deep Play” in his Theory of Legislation.
-
The rules of cocks and cockfighting are written down on leaf manuscripts. What are the
methods to study these types of documents?
-
Learned more about the “Powers of Darkness”, the religion that the Balinese people
believed in, and how they affect the view of cockfighting.
Yu 8
Ivan Yu, Annotation 13, 11/6/12
Up the Anthropologist - Perspectives Gained from Studying Up
1. Full citation.
Dell H. Hymes (Ed.) Reinventing Anthropology. New York, Pantheon Books, 1972. p. 284-311.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
The author of this chapter is Laura Nader, the wife of the politician Ralph Nader. She is
currently a professor of anthropology at University of California, Berkeley. She got her B.A. in
Latin American Studies from Wells College and her Ph.D. in Anthropology Radcliffe College.
Her research interests include comparative ethnography of law and dispute resolution,
comparative family organization, and the anthropology of professional mindsets and ethnology
of the Middle East, Mexico, Latin America and the contemporary United States. Examples of
her other works include, Alea and Juquila; a comparison of Zapotec social organization, and The
Ethnography of Law.
3. What are the topics of the text?
In this text, Laura Nader advocates for anthropologists to “study up” rather than just “study
down”. What does she mean by these terms? To “study up” is to study the institutes,
organizations, government and those in power in society. This would provide answers to many
important questions about a society on a higher level. However, when “studying up”,
anthropologists are in a power struggle because it is hard to do participant observation and be
involved in these systems of high power. That is why anthropologists usually “study down”, or
study those of the lower class, usually of different ethnicities. But this only gives us one
perspective of the society being studied. Anthropologists need to study both “up” and “down” to
answer more relevant questions and get a better understanding of the society.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
To support this way of “reinventing anthropology”, Nader presents three reasons for “studying
up”. Reason 1: “Its energizing and integrating effect for many students (Nader, p. 284).
Students who are indignant over a social problem or issue of humankind energizes and motivates
them to ask questions and understand the social structure on a higher level that may have caused
the issue.
Reason 2: “Scientific adequacy” (Nader, p. 284). “Studying up” as well as “studying down” is
needed to understand society as a whole in cultural and cross-cultural contexts.
Yu 9
Reason 3: “Democratic relevance of scientific work” (Nader, p. 284). “Studying up” helps gives
citizens the understanding of bureaucratic institutions, governments, and systems who make the
decisions that affect their lives.
Nader concludes by saying that anthropologists need to set their priorities for meeting the needs
of mankind and be responsible for choosing what to study in addition to how.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
Nader supports her arguments by citing the work and thoughts of important anthropologists like
L. H. Morgan and Clyde Mitchell.. When supporting Reason 1 for “studying up”, she also
included some writings of students from the University of California to present some primary
source evidence of what they felt and thought about social problems and issues that motivated
them while “studying up”. This provides validity in her arguments. Finally, Nader used
examples from case studies. For example, she cited Love and Eaton’s study of the Bay Area Air
Pollution Control Agency to illustrate the barrier between the public and the industry in
understanding what was happening with the decision-making.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“If anthropology were reinvented to study up, we would sooner or later need to study down as
well. We are not dealing with an either/or proposition; we need simply to realize when it is
useful or crucial in terms of the problem to extend the domain of study up, down, or sideways”
(Nader, p. 292).
“A democratic framework implies that citizens should have access to decision-makers,
institutions of government, and so on. This implies that citizens need to know something about
the major institutions, government or otherwise, that affect their lives” (Nader, p. 294).
“Anthropologists have favored studying non-Western cultures as a way of fulfilling their mission
to study the diverse ways of mankind; they have not had an intense commitment to social reform
because of their relativistic stance and a belief that such a stance was necessary to truly
‘objective, detached, scientific perspective,’ or because they thought that others, such as
sociologists, were involved in social reform… Anthropologists of the future will have a greater
responsibility for what they choose to study as well as how they study” (Nader, p. 303).
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
What are the practical methods of “studying up” and gaining access to participant
observation in governments and industries?
-
What does it mean to “study sideways”?
Yu 10
-
Even if it is easy for anthropologists to do participant observation while “studying up”,
how can what they conclude or discover be used to implement changes in these higher
level systems? If there is already a problem with power that hinders participant
observation, wouldn’t power also hinder any changes of reformations?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Anthropologists who have “studied up” and their methods and results.
-
Examples of moral indignation in law school that lead to legal research on civil rights.
-
Looked more into the case studies and their researchers.
Yu 11
Ivan Yu, Annotation 14, 11/8/12
Basic Legal Research Techniques
1. Full citation.
Joan Allen-Hart.(2011).Locating the Law. (5th ed). Southern California Association of Law
Libraries. p.21-45
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Joan Allen-Hart is currently a part time professor specializing in legal Studies at Palomar
College in the Business Administration Department. She has an M.S.L.S. from Catholic
University and a J.D. degree from Western State University. She used to be the President of the
Sand Diego Area Law Libraries (SANDALL). Joan also worked in the San Diego County Public
Law Library as a North County Branch Librarian from 1994-2000, an Assistant Director for
Branch Services from 2000-2005, an Interim Director in 2005, and an Assistant Director of
Public Services until her retirement in 2007. She also wrote Chapter 4, “Legal Reference vs.
Legal Advice”, and Chapter 11, “Availability, Accessibility and Maintenance of Legal
Collections’ in Locating the Law.
3. What are the topics of the text?
The topics of the text are on the steps and techniques for researching legal information and
resources, both print and online, to assist those who have legal reference questions. The initial
steps include a reference interview to identify legal issues followed by recommendation of legal
resources for the user to consult. The next steps involve finding the law like statutes, agency
rules and regulations, and case laws. The text provided many links to databases, legal
dictionaries, publishers, and many other resources. It explained when and what each resource is
best used for during research. For example, “novice legal researchers should start with a
secondary source, such as a Nolo Press book. These publications are written in plain English and
will provide citation to relevant cases and statues” (Allen-Hart, 2011, p. 27).
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The main argument of the text is that seeking legal information is no different than seeking
information for other subjects. However, there are many challenges that one may encounter
specifically for the legal field. These include finding the state codes for the applicable statutes,
knowing alternative terms for searching indexes, and finding updated statutory law in print.
Yu 12
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The argument is supported by giving examples of how an issue is identified. Methods like the
TARP method is introduced to help with the analysis. The author also made use of tables like
the one on page 27 to explain different kinds of alternate terms. Finally, the writer provided
many links and resources to use for overcoming the challenges mentioned above.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“The major difference when providing legal reference is that the librarian must then step back, as
it is the user’s responsibility to do his or her own legal research and come to a conclusion about
the legal issues and the relevant law that applies to the specific situation. Often, due to the
complexity of legal issues, a person will reach a conclusion that he or she needs to consult a
lawyer” (Allan-Hart, 2011, p. 24).
“Aside from questions relating to specific code sections, regulations, cases, and citating… the
choice of using a print resource over an online resource depends on the complexity of the
question and the expertise of the researcher” (Allan-Hart, 2011, p. 28).
“For some statues, especially in the federal codes, there may be many cases where the courts
have interpreted or applied the law… After identifying some potentially relevant cases in the
annotation, the researcher should read the complete opinions in these cases… Legal researcher
never rely solely on the case annotations to understand the legal issues that were decided in the
case” (Allan-Hart, 2011, p. 30).
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
Do lawyers or attorneys use these steps and methods for research too?
-
Why are some legal databases free while some require a fee?
-
In the case that one is referring to a law in print that has been updated or appealed, what
is the process of citation for it?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Used some of the resources like the Cornell’s Legal Information Institute for my research
on affirmative action in the Formations of Race course.
-
Looked into an example where the TARP Method was used.
-
Skimmed other chapters that were referenced in this text.
Yu 13
Ivan Yu, Annotation15, 11/8/12
Religion and Environment
1. Full citation.
Jenkins, Willis, and Christopher Key Chapple. 2011. “Religion and Environment.” SSRN
eLibrary (November). http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1955073.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Willis Jenkins is a professor at Yale University and teaches in the fields of environmental ethics,
global ethics, and Christian social thought. He received a B.A. in Biblical Theological Studies
from Wheaton College and M.A. and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia.
Some of his works include Bonhoeffer and King: Receiving Their Legacies of Christian Social
Thought, The Spirit of Sustainability, and Ecologies of Grace: Environmental and Christian
Theology.
Christopher Key Chapple is the Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative
Theology at Loyola Marymount University. He received a B.A. in Comparative Literature and
Religious Studies from SUNY Stony Brook and a Ph.D. in History of Religions from Fordham
University. Some of his works include Karma and Creativity, Nonviolence to Animals, Earth,
and Self in Asian Traditions, and Hinduism and Ecology.
3. What are the topics of the text?
The topics of this text include the importance of understanding the religious dimensions to the
integration of ecology and society. Every day, human interact with the environmental systems.
A big part of understanding this interaction comes from the significance and influence of religion
in human thought. Researchers question over the meaning of religion, nature, and ecology to try
to conceptualize their relationship. The text also explains major approaches to this field and
gives many case study examples of different religions in different countries.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The authors began the first part of the text by expanding upon the meaning of religion, nature,
and ecology. They also mentioned about how there is a great system at work. Environmental
problems drive changes to religious traditions, which in turn, drive changes to the social and
political view of the environment. For example, yoga helps the participant be interconnected
with the environment and its elements and know the balance. Those involved will have a better
relationship with the environment and treat it well and sustainably.
Yu 14
At the end of the text, the authors mentioned four areas in which religious studies have begun to
work with the humanities and sciences including the ethics of treating animals, study of sites,
focus on particular environmental problems, and cosmology. The author advocates for a
continual relationship and interaction between researchers in environmental studies and religious
studies.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The argument is supported in many ways. First, many scholars and their works are quoted to
expound on the different meanings of religion, nature, and ecology as well as to describe the
religions and the relationship with the environment. Next, the author also uses boxes on the side
to provide more information on a topic. For example, on page 452, there is a box describing
green yoga. Finally, the author summarized everything in four points at the end of the text.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“More importantly, looking for the religious dimensions of everyday environmental practices
and popular affinities for nature may illuminate relations of religion and environment left hidden
by a focus on the global traditions” (Jenkins and Chapple, p. 448)
“For understanding complex, anthropogenic environmental problems, the science of ecology
depends on moral decisions about how human systems should interact with its environment.
In those cases, it seems that religion-science collaboration needs religion scholars with the sort of
constructivist, reformist engagement with religious communities that facilitates confrontation
with the ambiguous science of complex environmental problems” (Jenkins and Chapple, p. 448).
“In an era of integrating human and environmental systems, understanding, religious dimensions
of human behavior will become increasingly important for investigating how Earth’s systems
and communities interact” (Jenkins and Chapple, p. 457).
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
Different religions would result in different worldviews and interactions with
environmental systems. How can practical laws or regulations be set in a country in
which there are multiple religions?
-
If everyone in the world recognizes the relationship between religion and ecology and
started implementing laws and practices in line with their beliefs, would it be possible
that there may be unintended consequences (from contradictions… etc.) in the bigger
picture (the world as one environment)?
-
Does religion affect the environment or does the environment affect religion? Could it be
both?
Yu 15
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
I followed up on some of the case studies that were cited. I found a pdf of Willis Jenkin’s
book, Ecologies of Grace: Environmental and Christian Theology and will read it to learn
more about the Christian approach to the environment.
-
Looked more into the terms ecotheology, ecospirit, and ecofeminism.
-
Learned more about TEK (Traditional ecological knowledge).
Yu 16
Ivan Yu, Annotation 16, 11/9/12
Complex Adaptive Issues_ And the Use of PAR to Solve Them
1. Full citation.
Participatory action research + complexity. (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-SAJPF5xiA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
E. Alana James has a Masters in Non Profit Management from Regis University and a Doctor of
Educational Leadership from Columbia University. She specializes in action research methods
for server universities for Doctor’s of dither Education or Management programs. She also runs
a web based business to help doctoral students finish faster. Some of her works include Action
Research for Business, Nonprofits, and Public Administration,
3. What are the topics of the text?
The topic of this video is on the problem of Complex Adaptive Issues and how Participatory
Action Research (PAR) is a method that can be used to overcome them. Alana defines Complex
Reality Problems as “places where realities hurt… it puts us in the middle of the tension between
the ideals that we hold in our head and our hearts for our lives and the realities that we actually
face”. PAR is “a group of people working together to get something done, either personally,
professionally, or part of your community”. There are four stages in PAR which work in cycles.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
Alana advocates that PAR uses the tension from Complex Reality Problems to create
transformation and is really effective. She has been researching the effectiveness process for the
last five years and promises these results. Through using PAR, one will get the results they
expect.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The argument is supported by explaining the four stages in PAR:
1. Diagnose a situation
“Research and evaluate factors that contribute to the status quo.”
2. Act to improve it
Yu 17
“Plan and implement actions with the intent of moving status quo to an increased level of
effectiveness.”
3. Measure or Evaluate their effectiveness
“Measure the results of actions implemented – work to achieve student level outcomes.”
4. Reflect on their learning and plan the next step
“Reflect on the process and brainstorm situation and additional steps with others.”
Alana also gives some examples and illustrations while going through the stages. When she was
talking about the Act stage she said, “Be like this kid. Look and play, and do what you are doing
without having the adult eye of ‘oh this is so big, I can’t possibly do it’”.
Finally, Alana quotes participants who attest and confirm that they got the results they expected.
However, these participants were anonymous and she never gave context into their situation.
She just said that they were transformed and will never do things the same way again.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
(Also see definitions of Complex Reality Problems and PAR in question 3)
“Step two: taking action and step three: measuring the action are what makes this process
different from other strategic planning tools”.
Act: “Every step by every person counts especially when we are looking at things that are vast
problems such as world hunger… the bigger the problem, the more we need lots of people and
every step counts.”
Measure: “Keep a pulse with the people you are affecting… over coffee, in focus groups,
interviews. Ask people what they think about what you are doing. They will be your best
resource”.
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
Is it really true that the through PAR, anyone will get any result that they expect? What
if expectation is not plausible? Have there been instances in which PAR is not as
effective?
-
Is there a need for “Sub-PAR” cycles to occur in order for the main cycle to work
effectively? For example, what if not everyone is cooperating or contributing towards the
goal? Would a PAR cycle be needed to achieve that?
Yu 18
-
If two different people are using PAR in the same situation, would there be conflicts in
the “Measure” step? Each person measures differently in terms of their enjoyment and
thoughts about how things are going.
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Looked at what fields and situations PAR was used and note the results.
-
Looked into the research Alana did on PAR for the last five years.
-
Researched on the origin of PAR.
Yu 19
Ivan Yu, Annotation 17, 11/12/12
Participatory Action Research
1. Full citation.
Baum, Fran, Colin MacDougall, and Danielle Smith. 2006. “Participatory Action Research.”
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 60 (10) (October 1): 854–857.
doi:10.1136/jech.2004.028662.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Fran Baum works at Flinders University as a Professor Public Health and is also the director of
the Southgate Institute of Health, Society and Equity, and the Health Research Unit. She
received her Bachelor of Arts at University of Wales and her Ph.D. at Nottingham. Her research
interests include social and economic inequities and impact on health status and social capital
and health. Some of her publications include The New Public Health and Comprehensive
Primary Health Care in Austrailia.
Colin MacDougall is an associate Professor Public Health in the School of Medicine at Flinders
University. His research interests include social justice in the areas of childhood, policy that
promotes equitable improvements in health and wellbeing and the intersection of health and
ecology. Some of his publications include Approaching Health Promotion and Resilience in
Farm Families: A Constructivist Perspective.
Danielle Smith (No biography found)
3. What are the topics of the text?
“This glossary aims to clarify some of the key concepts associated with participatory action
research” (Baum et al., p. 854). The glossary defines what participatory action research (PAR)
is, its methodology, how it can be applied in the field of health, and presents some critical
reflection.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
PAR differs from conventional research in three ways. 1. It is a form of applied research in
which practical actions and solutions are resulted from the data collected in a continuous
reflective cycle. 2. The power relationships between the researcher and the researched are
blurred, making everyone participants in the process towards a common goal. 3. Data and
information are not removed from contexts. Rather the researched are involved in the process.
Yu 20
PAR became more and more used in the field of health research as the 21st century approached.
It has been used initially to study low income countries, rich countries, and now indigenous
health research due to avoiding criticisms of the ethics from other health research methods.
PAR is based on the fact that without experiencing an object, it cannot be described. A lived
experience is needed in order to determine the action. PAR also emphasizes that action and
reflection must go together for transformation to result.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The argument is supported by detailing the definition and uniqueness of PAR, explaining the
history of the application of it, and quoting the work of people like Freire and Crotty to explain
its philosophy.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“Participatory action research (PAR) differs from most other approaches to public health
research because it is based on reflection, data collection, and action that aims to improve health
and reduce health inequities through involving the people who, in turn, take action to improve
their own health” (Baum et al., p. 854).
“Acceptance of PAR as a legitimate research methodology will require change from public
health journals, funding bodies, and universities in the way that they judge research
performance” (Baum et al., p. 855).
“Through praxis, critical consciousness develops, leading to further action through which people
cease to see their situation as a ‘dense, enveloping reality or a blind alley’ and instead as ‘an
historical reality susceptible of transformation’. This transformative power is central to PAR”
(Baum et al., p. 856).
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
What other fields can PAR be applied to? Does it work as a better method for any field?
In what field would PAR not be effective?
-
What were the events in history that caused the use of PAR to shift between the poor,
rich, and indigenous communities?
-
How does one deal with the power issue if members are not cooperating to be in a mutual
partnership?
Yu 21
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Examples of research in the health field that used PAR.
-
More about the epistemology of Paul Freire.
-
More about Labonte’s concept of empowerment.
Yu 22
Ivan Yu, Annotation 18, 11/12/12
Strengthening Livelihood Capacities to Disaster Risk Reduction
1. Full citation.
Anon. “Mainstreaming Livelihood Centred Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction | Practical
Action.” https://practicalaction.org/media/preview/7044.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
The author of this piece is not specified.
3. What are the topics of the text?
This text gives an update on a project called Mainstreaming livelihood centred approaches to
disaster risk reduction that has been implemented in Nepal by an organization called Practical
Action. This project focuses on the reduction of disaster risks and losses and the increase of
resilience and relief in local communities. To collect information about the hazards, stresses,
and contributing factors of vulnerabilities, this project called for methods including feasibility
studies, community interactions, and stakeholder consultations.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The main argument of the text is that hazards occur due to climate change and affect many
systems and the lives of those who are a part of it. Depending on the location, different hazards
impact at different times of the year. Different people are exposed to different hazards. To bring
resilience and long term relief to the communities who are affected by hazards and disasters, it is
important to first know about the natural tendencies or other causes or factors of them. These
may include the lack of knowledge and coping mechanisms of the people to deal with the
hazards. Next, from the data collected, practical strategies or applications to reduce stresses and
impacts of hazards can be introduced. They usually involve everyone in the community such as
organizations, governments, and farmers. There are changes in lifestyle that have to be made.
For example, implementation of education in agriculture, health, management can be used to
help reduce sensitivities to shocks. More data can be collected to see the output and results of
these applications. Is there transformation? Is the system more resilient when hazards or
disasters occur? These practical approaches are then shared with others so that they can be
benefitted too. The author concludes with some lessons that can be learned including having a
long term viewpoint instead of temporary relief, creating common understanding, and brining
more awareness to those policy makers and organizations that have a role in improving the
system.
Yu 23
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The author supported the argument by giving a detailed overview of the project in this report.
He or she covered items including the description of the project, the identification of hazards and
their potential effects, the cause of them, the impact, the solution, and initial results.
The author also gave specific examples of what happened in Nepal to support his or her
statements. For example, the author talked about how embankments and spill ways have been
improved to minimize flood risks and emphasized the need for more investments and
maintenance of them to have a preventative approach.
Finally, on the last page, the author presented a table detailing the Status of Beneficiaries to give
a bigger picture of what is now happening in communities in Nepal.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
‘The project intends to build on the resilience capacities of the local communities to reduce the
risk of disasters through preventive measures and preparedness, reduce the losses from disasters
by effective rescue and relief measures and mitigate the impacts of disasters by increasing the
livelihood capacities of the housholds” (Anon., p. 1).
“Indigenous knowledge and coping mechanisms have not been sufficient to deal with the
compounded impacts of multiple hazards… In future vulnerability to these hazards can be
predicted to be exacerbated by increasing human population, unsustainable agricultural practices
in catchments of rivers, changing vegetation composition…” (Anon., p. 2).
“Tradition focus of the government and other organizations were only to rescue and relief
operations with respect to larger onset disasters… Long term cooperative actions are necessary
in an integrated way to safeguard livelihoods of vulnerable people thereby reducing the risk of
disasters and improving the resilience capacity.” (Anon., p. 5).
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
Researching and identifying the seasonality of stresses is important for understanding in
this project. How do changes in the seasonality of stresses affect the project? How often
are these patterns re-examined? What changes in practical applications would have to be
made?
-
What is the relationship of the organization Practical Action with other organizations and
government of the countries they work in? How were those connections made?
-
How do you read and interpret the data in Table 1 on page 6?
Yu 24
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Updates about this project in the other countries mentioned like Peru, Zimbabwe, and Sri
Lanka.
-
Try to find the specific steps of the research methods of this project (feasibility studies,
PVAs, community interactions…)
-
Find and read materials on CBDM planning that were mentioned on page 5.
Yu 25
Ivan Yu, Annotation 19, 11/13/12
Coping With Drought
1. Full citation.
Ndlovu, Sithembisiwe. “Coping with Drought | Practical Action.”
https://practicalaction.org/media/preview/19067.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Sithembisiwe Ndlovu is the Matabeland South provincial environmental manager for the
Environment Management Agency (EMA). (No other information found)
3. What are the topics of the text?
The topic of this text is the report of findings from the research done in regions in Zimbabwe on
coping with drought. The author talks about the primary consequences that result from the
drought in addition to the secondary and even third consequences in the social system. She also
describes the way of life of the people living in these communities and talks about what efforts
have been done to prepare for the droughts to reduce their vulnerability through multiple case
studies. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this field research.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The main argument of the text is that there needs to be more education and a broader view to
understand the effects of droughts in these communities. Sustainable and resilient practices from
the level of the community members in their everyday life like agriculture practices to the level
of the government and institutions can make the community less vulnerable during droughts.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The argument is supported with many visuals. For example, Figure 2 on page 2 details the
Khanya Sustainable Livelihood Framework to help readers understand this part of the system.
The author also used Boxes to describe topics of importance in more details. For Example, Box
1 on page 4 is about how the behavior of certain plants and animals may indicate a drought
coming. This information must have been collected through one of the qualitative interviews
that were conducted. Finally, the author concluded with some recommendations on how the
community in Zimbabwe can prepare for droughts and be less vulnerable.
Yu 26
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“Yet the diverse drought coping and risk reduction strategies being promoted in the two districts
are mainly based on agriculture and natural resources. While livelihood diversification has
increased household income and resilience, bandly managed strategies can exacerbate drought
risks” (Ndlovu, 1).
“Instead of depending solely on agriculture, communities have reduced their exposure to drought
risks by engaging in other activities, many of which are not directly affected by drought or
changes in climate” (Ndlovu, 13)
“It is important to increase the capacity of the district drought relief committee so that it is
proactive. Capacity building may be in the form of training and resource mobilization. Local
level disaster risk reduction structures are important ensuring that drought risk reduction
initiatives are community driven.” (Ndlovu, 14).
“Testing the reliability of locally based early warning systems and building on these may reduce
the vulnerability of communities by assisting them to plan and prepare for droughts” (Ndlovu,
14)
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
After collecting all of the data and making conclusions and recommendations, what has
been done to educate the people and influence the government to put them to practice?
-
How can the researcher do participation action in this situation? Should he or she do the
research when a drought is happening?
-
How can the researcher get access to institutions and the government for interviews?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Looked at some of the text referenced on the back cover.
-
Read about other disaster relief reports from the Practical Action website.
-
Looked into more about early warning systems for droughts.
Yu 27
Ivan Yu, Annotation 20, 11/26/12
Ethnography In/Of the World System: The Emergence of Multi-Sited Ethnography
1. Full citation.
Marcus, George E. 1995. “Ethnography In/of the World System: The Emergence of Multi-Sited
Ethnography.” Annual Review of Anthropology 24 (January 1): 95–117.
doi:10.2307/2155931.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
George E. Marcus used to be a professor in the Anthropology Department at Rice University.
He is currently the Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Irvine. He founded the
“Cultural Anthropology Journal” and is the editor for the “Late Editions” series. Another
example of his work is Anthropology as Cultural Critique.
3. What are the topics of the text?
The topic of this text is on the methods for anthropological research in multi-sited ethnography.
Before, ethnography was single-sited. But as the field grows and different kinds of multi-sited
ethnography is introduced, the methods for single-sited ethnography cannot be used. The author
reviews multi-sited ethnography methods and concludes about the persona of the ethnography as
“circumstantial activist”.
4. What is the main argument of the text?
Originally there were only two modes of ethnography research. One was the single-sited
ethnographic observation and participation. The other was not as common and had an object of
study that was not focused on a single site. This became more common as the field grew and
there was a shift from the micro to the macro-perspectives of the world system. The world
system, (including the political, historical, economic… etc. aspects) cannot ideally be holistically
studied through single-sited ethnography. There are many kinds of multi-sited ethnography
“Follow the People” includes studies of pilgrimages, migrations, and diasporas. “Follow the
Thing” involves the study of tracking and tracing the circulation of goods and material objects.
“Follow the Metaphor” is the tracing of modes of thought, signs, symbols, and metaphors as they
circulate. The author concludes the text by mentioning the ethnographer as a circumstantial
activist. This means that an ethnographer may experience a shift in personal positions depending
on the site he or she is in. “In certain sites, one seems to be working with, and in others one
seems to be working against, changing sets of subjects” (Marcus, 1995, p.113). They are not just
ethnographers, but activists taking on different identities.
Yu 28
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The author supports the argument first by giving a brief history of the ethnographic practices and
how it has changed from being single-sited to multi-sited. He often referenced the works and
case studies of others scholars to provide examples or help illustrate his point. For example,
when talking about “Follow the Thing”, he referenced many notable examples like Myer’s study
of the circulation of Pintupi acrylic paintings in Western art worlds. Finally, the author
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
“Precisely because such interdisciplinary arenas do not share a clearly bounded object of study,
distinct disciplinary perspectives that participate in them tend to be challenged. For ethnography
this means that the world system is not the theoretically constituted holistic frame that gives
context to the contemporary study of peoples or local subjects closely observed by
ethnographers, but it becomes, in a piecemeal way, integral to and embedded in discontinuous,
multi-sited objects of study” (Marcus, 1995, p. 97).
“Indeed, what goes on within a particular locale in which research is conducted is often
calibrated with its implication for what goes on in another related locale, or other locales, even
though the other locals may not be within the frame of the research design or resulting
anthropology” (Marcus, 1995, p. 110).
“The circumstantial commitments that arise in the mobility of multi-sited fieldwork provide a
kind of psychological substitute for the reassuring sense of ‘being there,’ of participant
observation in traditional single-site fieldwork” (Marcus, 1995, p. 114)
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
-
Have the methods of multi-sited ethnographic research presented in this text been
outdated? What are the new methods if any?
-
What are the practical steps to approach multi-sited ethnographic research? How do you
go about choosing the sites, interpreting data, and being a circumstantial activist?
-
Is multi-sited ethnographic research only applicable in the field of anthropology or are
there similar instances in other fields?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
-
Checked out some of the references and examples cited of the different kinds of multisited ethnography.
Yu 29
-
Went more deeply into the history of the evolution from single to multi-sited
ethnographic research. What key events and figures were influences?
-
Looked more into what is subaltern and its relation with ethnography. I did not quite
understand this section.