Anthropology 410a: 10686D
Ethnographic Field Methods & Practicum
Tuesday 4:00 – 6:50
GFS 107
Clifford Geertz
Professor: Joseph Hawkins
Office: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, 909 West Adams e-mail: jrhawkin@usc.edu
Office Hours: By appointment. I am at ONE Archives most days and you can make an appt at: (213) 741 0094
Course Materials will be placed on Blackboard whenever possible .
Texts (Required):
Anthropology 410a Reader. Bibliography is on Blackboard.
Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz, and Linda Shaw. 2011. Writing
Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago: Chicago University Press, Second Edition.
O’Reilly, Karen, 2012. Ethnographic Methods . London: Routledge, Second
Edition.
Course Description and Philosophy
Anthropology is in its essence a phenomenological discipline that seeks to obtain knowledge inductively. Anthropologists strive to understand what others think and feel by participating in their subjects
’ lives and experiencing through observation and participation. We write about our observations for others to read and this process of participant observation and the writing that accompanies it comprises the central activities that are ethnographic fieldwork. Ethnographic fieldwork is perhaps the most important methodology that the discipline of anthropology has created for the social sciences. Indeed ethnographic methodology is so successful that it is has been adopted by many other disciplines from occupational therapy, to sociology, and even among travel writers and reporters.
This process of “
Being There,
” as Clifford Geertz called the ethnographic experience, is often exhilarating, sometimes frightening, and always fraught with an intra-subjective struggle for compassion and understanding, resistance and acceptance. The challenge of leaving behind our own culture-bound prejudices and preconceptions can be difficult. However ethnographic fieldwork is not only about fieldwork; it also uses methodologies such as archival research, interviews, musicology, forensics, archaeology, the daily experience of popular culture and a range of other activities to develop the fullest understanding possible of the culture bearer.

The goal of this course is to confront culture-bound ideas while encouraging a kind of constructive disequilibrium that produces understandings of human beings who are in some ways unlike one’s self. The challenge is to leave behind your own assumptions and predispositions and to see the world from an alternative perspective. However, there are ethical concerns in this process. What is your responsibility to those you study? How can you best pull yourself outside your comfort zone and see the world in (an)other way? How do you get information without being subversive and how do you write about it while avoiding the betrayal of confidences? These and other questions will shape your own wellbeing and ability as an ethnographic fieldworker throughout the semester.
Attention will be paid to the traditional and newer more innovative approaches to the practice of ethnography including but not limited to: “entering the field,” data collection, and especially the writing and interpreting one’s findings.
Each week will consist of a lecture and discussion portion about a general topical of concern with regard to methodology and ethnographic fieldwork. We will also use the readings as a way to generate a discussion of the assigned readings. It is expected that you will come to class prepared to discuss the readings for that week.
Course Requirements
This course is designed for upper-level undergraduates, in many cases anthropology majors, who may be interested in graduate work in the discipline. In other words, students who are already serious about the study of anthropology.
Ideally students should have an understanding of anthropological theory as the use of theory informs practice and the organization of the writing of research results. This course is the first in a two-part yearlong series that is central to the discipline. Students should be proficient writers, disciplined readers and dedicated to the practice of learning the methodology of ethnographic fieldwork.
The thing about fieldwork is that you must write it up for it to have meaning to anyone other than yourself. So a good amount of the emphasis in this course will be on reading and writing and using the written word to convey your fieldwork. There is a good deal of writing required and a good deal of reading.
Readings are to be completed the day of class in the week when they are assigned. Some of the readings are difficult. To that end, get out in front of the readings as much as possible.
Class Participation- 15%
Given the paragraph above, this is still not a course that can be read about or experienced through distance learning. You must attend class, as much of what is important in the learning process will be gleaned not only from the professor, but also from your classmates as you hear about their struggles and triumphs. As such, more than three un-excused absences without proper documentation of illness or a family emergency will be grounds for failure of the course. Attendance will be taken at every meeting.

Abstract of Fieldwork Project 5%
This is a short document graded largely on the ability to follow instructions, which have been included in the syallbus. This will also be the first pass at a statement of your fieldwork proposal. The re-editing of this will allow us to arrive at some ideas about what makes a field project.
Written Fieldwork Practicum 20 (4 X 5)
There will be four fieldwork practicum assignments. These are designed to give you practical experience with ways of surveying field sites. These assignments are entitled Mapping the Block, Alienated Linguistics, Body Language, and a
Ritual Observation. Detailed instructions follow separately.
Written Fieldwork Journal 30% (4 X 7.5)
Throughout the semester you will be asked to write four essays about your progress on your fieldwork project. Your essays are essential as they allow for me to have an understanding of your progress. The essays are described in detail below.
Research Presentation 10%
Each of you will be asked to present to the rest of the seminar your progress and findings at the end of the semester. We will cover this in detail closer to the date of presentation.
Research Proposal 20%
The culmination of this course will be a formal paper that describes your research and this is an elaboration of the Presentation above. This should discuss research design, your decision about a topic or field. A review of the previously written essays on the field area and topical concerns is essential to an understanding of what has gone before. It should also include how you will use theory in the final project and a justification for that process.
Week 1 Course Introduction: Introduction of ourselves to each other. I
8/27 even have a Powerpoint about my crazy life.
Week 2 The Practice of Ethnography
9/3 O’Reilly: Chapters 1-3
Assignment: Please write an abstract of a potential field research project. (You are welcome to write more than one if you have multiple ideas.) It should be 250 words or less. Your name is at the top (first line) in all CAPS. Second line is the Title in Italics.
And the body of the abstract is the 250 words, not including the title and name. After I have graded the essay we will meet individually to discuss ideas and ways to move ahead or to move on to another topic.

Week 3
9/10
Week 4
9/17
Week 5
9/24
Field Assignment: Mapping a Block (See Handout)
Readings: deCerteau (CR), Partridge (CR)
Emerson et al. Section 1
The Meanings of Place and Space in Ethnography
Readings:
Section 2
(1 st
Appadurai (CR), Anderson (CR), Emerson et al.
Journal Turn-in)
, O’Reilly: Chap. 4
Field Assignment 2 Alienated Linguistics (See Handout)
A Discussion of Language and the Field
Readings: Polari (under assignements), O’Reilly, Chap. 5,
Emerson et al. Section 3.
Week 6
10/1
Week 7
10/8
Archival Research and the Past in the Present
Readings:
O’Reilly Chap. 6, Emerson Section 4.
Class will meet this day at ONE Archives, address above.
(2 nd Journal Turn-in)
Field Assignment 3 Body Language (See Handout)
Readings: O’Reilly Chap. 7, Emerson Section 5.
Week 8
10/15
Lecture on Ritual, Spago Lecture
Readings: Turner (CR), Hawkins (CR), Sacred Striptease (CR)
O’Reilly Chap 8.
(3 rd Journal Turn-in)
Week 9
10/22
Field Assignment 4 Ritual Observation (See Handout)
Readings: Kondo (CR), Emerson Section 6.
Week 10 Talk about writing up ethnographic fieldwork
10/29 Readings: Clifford (CR) O’Reilly Chap 8, Emerson Section 7.
(4 th Journal Turn-in)
Week 11 Talk about Theory
11/5 Readings: Bourdieu (CR)
O’Reilly Chap 9.
Week 12 Presentations
11/19
Week 13 Thanksgiving Week (No Class)
11/26
Week 14 Presentations
12/3

Fieldwork Journal Assignments
These should be 4-5 pages in length minimum. Ideally you can turn in many more pages that document your field research on a given topic. I am not averse to reading many pages of field notes. In these field notes, talk to about your strategies for designing your research and your frustrations or successes in establishing a rapport. Speak of your review of materials on the field of study.
More specifics to follow.