4 SUBFIELDS OF
ANTHROPOLOGY
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BIOLOGICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
LINGUISTIC
SOCIO-CULTURAL
CHIEF MEANS OF
ADAPTATION FOR
HUMANS IS CULTURE
SOCIO-CULTURAL
ANTHROPOLOGY IS
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HOLISTIC—all the sub-systems of a
culture are related as a single system
COMPARATIVE-understand each
example in terms of all the others
ETHNOGRAPHIC-know by doing
fieldwork
PRINCIPLE METHOD IS
ETHNOGRAPHY
FIELDWORK
PARTICIPANT-OBSERVATION
CULTURAL RELATIVITY
ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND IDEAS,
PRACTICES, AND VALUES OF OTHER
PEOPLES IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR
OWN CULTURES RATHER THAN OUR
OWN
1)Descriptive relativity – suspending judgement to impartially
report
2) Ethical relativity – viewing a culture through their perspective
3) Epistemological relativity – all ways of knowing are equal
---OR ARE THEY?
ETHNOCENTRISM
Thinking your own culture is the best
Figure 1.1 – U.S. Fast Food System
Important Terms
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Agency
Variable
Independent variable
Interdependent variables
Self-intensifying loops
LISU
SHAN
Anthropology of Iceland
Images of Contemporary
Iceland
Icelandic Essays
Iceland
Dynamics of Medieval Iceland
PROCESS OF FIELDWORK
(utilizing the scientific method)
1.
THINK OF A HYPOTHESIS IN TERMS
OF A THEORY
E.G. SHAN PEASANTS PRODUCE
ENOUGH FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLDS
BUT NOT MUCH MORE-THEORY OF HOUSEHOLD
PRODUCTION
E.G. STUDIES OF FISHERIES
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SHOW THAT
THE LESS CENTRALIZED THE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS, THE MORE
PEOPLE PARTICIPATE AND THE MORE
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT IS.
HYPOTHESIS: IN LESS CENTRALIZED
UNIONS, PEOPLE PARTICIPATE MORE
AND THE UNION IS MORE EFFECTIVE
2.
3.
4.
WRITE A PROPOSAL IN WHICH YOU
EXPLAIN THE THEORY, THE
HYPOTHESIS, AND WHY EACH ONE IS
IMPORTANT AND EXACTLY WHAT
YOU PROPOSE TO DO [EVEN THOUGH
YOU KNOW AND THEY KNOW IT
NEVER HAPPENS THAT WAY]
DEVELOP A BUDGET AND TIME-LINE
SEND THE PROPOSAL TO GRANTING
AGENCIES SUCH AS NSF
5.
6.
7.
8.
GET APPROVAL FROM IRB
WAIT
IF THE GRANTING AGENCY LIKES
THE IDEA, THEY GIVE YOU SOME
MONEY
DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU’D DO—AS
CLOSELY AS YOU CAN—E.G. YOU MAY
NOT BE ABLE TO GET RANDOM
SAMPLES—IMPROVISE—LISTEN TO
PEOPLE; UNDERSTAND WHAT
THEY’RE SAYING IN THEIR TERMS
9.
REVISE THE THEORY AND
HYPOTHESES TO FIT WHAT YOU
OBSERVE
—EMPIRICISM MEANS YOU MAKE
YOUR IDEAS CONFORM TO THE
FACTS; YOU DON’T MAKE THE FACTS
CONFORM TO YOUR IDEAS
--DEVELOP NEW METHODS TO FIT
THE SITUATIONS YOU FACE
10.
WRITE ABOUT METHODS AND
FINDINGS AND TALK ABOUT THEM
AT MEETINGS OF ANTHROPOLOGISTS
AND OTHER INTERESTED PEOPLE
— FOR INSTANCE, FISHERIES
MANAGERS, FISHERS, UNION
MEMBERS, UNION LEADERS
11.
12.
13.
13.
LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER
ANTHROPOLOGISTS ARE SAYING
ABOUT THEIR WORK
PUT YOUR FINDINGS IN WIDER
COMPARATIVE CONTEXTS OF OTHER
FINDINGS FROM OTHER CULTURES
INCORPORATE NEW THEORIES AND
METHODS
REPEAT FROM BEGINNING
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
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IS SELF-CORRECTIVE—IF
OBSERVATIONS DON’T MATCH OUR
IDEAS, WE CHANGE OUR IDEAS UNTIL
OBSERVATIONS DO MATCH OUR IDEAS.