ANTH Chapter 5 + ethnographic methods

what is ethnographic fieldwork?

* the practice whereby an anthropologist is immersed in the daily life of a culture to collect data
* Primary way of conducting research and collecting data

what is participatory action research?

* a mode of research in which the anthropologist and the community work together to understand the conditions that produce the community’s problems and to find solutions to those problems
* Involves local people in the applied research process

what is community based participatory research?

* a collaboration involving partners from within a community in all aspects of the research process.
* More importantly, CBPR begins with the research topic of importance to the community, and works toward achieving social change equitably.

what is qualitative data?

people’s words, actions, records, and accounts obtained from participants observation, interviews, group interviews, and relevant documents

what is quantitative data?

data that are counted and interpreted through statistical analyses

what are field notes?

 daily descriptive notes recorded by an anthropologist during or after an observation of a specific phenomenon or activity

what are the OCAP principles?

* principles of ownership, control, access, and possession that ensures Indigenous communities actively participate in ethnographic research
* Intended to ensure that Indigenous communities are involved in the collection of data about them, who had access to the information, and how it is used

what are the six stages of fieldwork?

1. selecting a research problem
2. formulating a research design
3. collecting the data
4. analyzing the data
5. interpreting the data
6. writing up and presenting the results

what is participant observation?

becoming involved in the culture under study while making systematic observations of what people actually do (most used method)

what is attitudinal data vs. behavioural data?

what people think or feel vs. what people do

what are three unique characteristics of an ethnographic interview?

* The interviewer and participant often speak different first languages
* Broad in scope because it elicits information about an entire culture
* Cannot be used alone, must be used in conjunction with other data-gathering techniques

what are unstructured interviews?

interviewees are asked to respond to broad, open-ended questions

what are semi-structured interviews?

relying on an interview guide covering the topics or themes needed to be addressed

what are structured interviews?

large numbers of respondent are asked a set of specific questions

what is census taking?

collection of basic demographic data, such as age, occupation, marital status, and household composition

what is ethnographic mapping?

 attempts to locate people, material culture, and environmental features in space

what is document analysis?

examination of data such as personal diaries, newspapers, colonial records, and so on

what is ethnohistory?

the use of historical documents, oral traditions, as well as other archaeological and ethnographic methods to understand the history of ethnic groups, both past and present

what is collecting genealogies?

an anthropologist interviewing individuals and asking them questions about their family / kin. Understanding how kinship works

what is proxemic analysis? (photography)

the study of how people in different cultures distance themselves from one another in normal interactions

what is event analysis? (photography)

documentation of who participates in events such as circumcision ceremonies, marriages, and funerals

what is reflexive (narrative) ethnography?

discusses the influence of their personal and cultural context on the ethnography, and which are co-produced and focuses on the interaction between themselves and their collaborators

what is situated knowledge?

anthropological knowledge that is influenced by the anthropologist’s age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, ethnicity, education, and historical and cultural context

what is intersubjectivity?

shared meanings constructed through the interactions of people from different perspectives

what is methodological pluralism?

uses multiple methods of data collection and analyses to help produce a richer and more accurate description of ethnographic reality

what is autoethnography?

* the ethnographer attempts to understand another culture through a description and analysis of their own fieldwork experience. The anthropologist is the topic of investigation. They engage in:
* Systematic sociological introspection: an examination of the ethnographer’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviours during fieldwork, and how they impact data collection

what are life histories?

The story of a collaborator’s life experiences in a culture that provides insight into their culture (interview)

what is multi-sited fieldwork?

* Fieldwork conducted in more than one location and united by a common research topic or theme
* Especially important in a modern hyper-connected world
* Looks at how globalization impacts local communities

what are some new information technologies?

* Internet search engines
* Research databases
* Programs for ethnographic analysis
* Internet reference pages (e.g., new york times)
* Internet survey research

what is biculturalism?

the capacity to think and perceive in the categories of one’s own culture as well as in the categories of a second culture

what are the three general ethnographic methods?

* Observation
* Participant observation
* Interviews (unstructured, semi-structured, structured)

what are the AAA’s code of ethics?

* Do no harm
* Be open and honest regarding your work
* Obtain informed consent and necessary permissions
* Weigh competing ethical obligations due collaborators on affected parties
* Make your results accessible
* Protect and preserve your records
* Maintain respectful and ethical professional relationships

what is the definition of ethics?

the moral principles and values, such as right and wrong, justice and virtue, that guide the collection of information. They are guidelines on how to act when faced with moral dilemmas