HZT3U7
Mr.Ko
Chapter 2: Field Methods (from: Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity)
*Notes
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Table of Content
Group # 1 ………………………………………………………….……………………….2
Group # 2 ………………………………………………………….……………………….3
Group # 3 ………………………………………………………….……………………….4
Group # 4 ………………………………………………………….……………………….5-6
Group # 5 ………………………………………………………….……………………….7
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Group # 1
• Anthropologists study biology, language and culture in past and present societies
• Founder of anthropology and sociology: Emile Durkein
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Ethnography: Anthropology’s Distinctive Strategy
Ethnography: First hand perspective and study of local settings
Ethnography emerged as a research strategy
Ethnographers tried to understand the whole of an alien culture
To pursue this holistic goal, they adopt a free-ranging strategy for gathering information
By expanding our knowledge of the ranger of human diversity, ethnography provides a
foundation for generalization about human behaviour and social life
Ethnographic Techniques
First hand participant observation
Formal/informal or structured/unstructured interviews
The genealogical method (explained later)
Interview schedules suiting everyone’s times
Work with well informed informants
Emic (actor oriented) and etic (observer oriented) approaches
Longitudinal research
Observation
• Ethnographers must observe individual and collective behavior
• Diary (used to record impressions) is kept separate from formal field notes
• Ethnographers should be accurate observers, reporters and recorders
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Participant Observation
Ethnographers take part in the community life while studying it
Anthropologists usually have similar field experience
Anthropologists DO NOT manipulate/control their subject’s environments
Anthropologists observing participants take part in many of the events and processes that they
are observing all for the purpose of trying to comprehend
Conversation: Interviews and Interview Schedules
• Liturgies: a set formal sequence of words and actions we can record and analyze later with a
local expert
• Interview Schedule: Ethnographers talk face to face with informants
• Questionnaire: Procedure that tends to be more indirect and in person
The Genealogical Method
• Deals with principles of kinship, descent and marriage
• In modern day North America most of our contacts outside of home are non-relatives
• In contrast, people in nonindustrial culture spend their lives mostly with relatives
• Marriage is important in organizing non-industrial society
Strategic marriage can create political alliance
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Group # 2
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Early ethnographers developed genealogical notation to deal with principals of kinship,
descent, and marriage, which are the social building blocks of non-industrial cultures
Non-industrial cultures spend their lives exclusively with relatives
Record genealogical data to reconstruct history
These links are basic to social life and political organization
Classify such societies as kin-based
Well Informed Informants
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Well informed informants- people from a community who by accident experience talent
or training, can provide useful information about particular aspects of life
Life Histories
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When we find something interesting we collect his/her life history
Provides a more intimate and cultural portrait
Reveals how specific people perceive, react to and contribute to changes that affect their
lives
Illustrates diversity since the focus is on how different people interpret and deal with
some of the same problems
To study cultures, anthropologists use two ways/approaches: Emic (actor oriented) and
Etic (observer oriented)
Emic and Etic Strategies
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Two approaches used by anthropologies:
1. Emic: instigates how natives perceive and categorize the world, their rules for
behaviour and thought, things that are important to them, the native viewpoint is
used here
2. Etic: the main focus is research from native
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Group # 3
Problem – oriented Ethnography
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Field research usually addresses specific questions
Ethnographers collect data about variables that are relevant to the question
Anthropologist gather information on factors, sometimes using direct measurements, also
consults government records and archives
Information of interest is not limited to what informants can and do tell us
- This is significant because we don’t have to rely on participant’s observation or
intensive local interviews.
Local informants lack knowledge about many factors that affect their lives
Longitudinal Research
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New system of transportation allows anthropologist to widen their field of research
Longitudinal research is the long-term study of a community, region, society, culture
usually based on repeated visits
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Group # 4
Pages 29-31
Key terms:
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Survey research : involved sampling, impersonal data collection, and statistic analysis
 Draws a sample from a larger population.
Sample: a manageable study group
Respondents: people who respond to questions during a survey.
Informants: the people Ethnographers study (work with)
Random sample: randomly chosen respondents or informants.
Variables: attributes that vary among members of a sample or population.
Predictor variable: a predictor
Dependant variable: any variable that is to be predicted or explained.
Studying a properly selected add representative sample, social scientists make accurate
inferences about the large population
It cannot help being more impersonal
Survey researchers call the people they study respondents.
Ethnographers work with informants
In a random sample, all members of the population have an equal statistical chance of
being chosen for inclusion
Sampling is common in Canada and the United States.
During sampling, researchers gather information about age, gender, religion, occupation,
income and political party preference.
These characteristics are called variables, and are known to influence political decisions
There are two types: predictor variable and dependant variable
predictor variable helps us guess how people think, fell or behave
 E.g.: gender in political party affiliation and votary behaviour.
Survey research is dispensable in the study of large population nations -> must pay
attention to variation.
Variables influencing social identity & behaviour increasing measure social complexity.
 E.g.: United states or Canada.
Social predictors: religion, region of country we grew up in, where we come from; town,
inner city… -> parents, professionals, ethnic origins and income levels.
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DIFFERNCES BETWEEN SURVERY REASRACH AND ETHNOGRAOPHY
Survey research
 Object of study & usually a sample
chosen
 No personal contacts with the
respondents
 Focus on small member of variables
 Work in modern nations
 Sample is mainly literature, permitting
respondents.
 Results must be analysed statistically.
Ethnography
 Firsthand fieldwork
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Personal contact
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Study whole, functioning communities
Strive to establish good rapport
Study people who do not read or
write.
Many have not acquired details
knowledge of statistics.
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Group # 5
Anthropological Research in Complex Societies
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Monograph: a book based on ethnographic field work
Malinowski was an ethnographer who used his field site (Arembepe) as a basis for
describing the Trobriand society as a whole.
This is okay because it is a small scale homogenous society.
Malinowski was just one of many ethnographers working in Brazilian communities
Compilation of those studies would help reveal the range of diversity of Brazil.
The range of variation encountered in any nation makes a social survey an obligatory
research procedure.
Complex studies: large and populous societies with social satisfaction and central
governments.
Anthropology Notes: Ethnography
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Ethnographies can help develop and fine-tune research survey questions.
There is much to a nation than small communities
Urban anthropology: the study of cities – Studied since the 1950’s – investigates urban
problems and lifestyles
Anthropologists can use field techniques such as participant observation and data
collection – gather physical data (social indicators).