Ethnography Midterm

Armchair anthropology

a practice in anthropology where researchers draw conclusions based on secondhand reports and literature rather than conducting fieldwork or direct observation.

Anthropology

the study of human cultures, societies, and their development through various perspectives, including qualitative and quantitative methods.

Autoethnography

a research method that combines ethnographic techniques and personal narrative to explore the relationship between personal experience and cultural context.

Behavior: Ideal, Believed, Actual

A framework used in anthropology to analyze the discrepancies between what individuals aspire to do, what they claim to do, and what they actually do in social contexts.

Bronislaw Malinowski

A pioneering figure in anthropology known for establishing participant observation as a key research method in studying societies, particularly through his fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands.

Clifford Geertz

An influential anthropologist recognized for his work on interpretive anthropology, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultures through thick description and symbolic meanings.

Collaborative Ethnography/Collaborative Research

A research approach that involves the active participation of both the ethnographer and the community being studied, allowing for shared knowledge production and power dynamics.

Cultural Relativism

The principle of understanding cultures on their own terms without judging them by the standards of another culture. It emphasizes that beliefs and practices should be viewed in their social context.

Culture

The social behavior, norms, values, and practices shared by a group, influencing their worldview and interactions.

Derek Freeman

An anthropologist known for his critique of Margaret Mead's work on Samoan culture, advocating for a more objective and empirical approach.

Emic (vs. Etic) Research

Emic: Studying a culture from the insider’s perspective, focusing on how members of the culture understand and interpret their own beliefs and behaviors.

Etic: Studying a culture from an outsider’s perspective, using external theories or comparisons to analyze behaviors.

Empirical Research

Research based on direct observation, experience, or data collection (such as experiments, surveys, or fieldwork) rather than theory or opinion

Epistemological Frameworks

The theories or assumptions about how knowledge is created, understood, and validated in research

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one’s own culture is superior to others, and judging other cultures based on the standards of one’s own culture

Ethnographic Present

Writing about a culture in the present tense as if it never changes, even if the observations were made in the past

Field Notes

Detailed written observations and reflections recorded by a researcher while studying people or cultures in the field

Fieldsite or “The Field”

The location or setting where a researcher conducts ethnographic research and collects data about a culture or social group

Franz Boas

An anthropologist known as the father of modern anthropology, who promoted cultural relativism and fieldwork to understand cultures on their own terms

Gatekeepers

People who control or influence a researcher’s access to a community, group, or research setting

Hawthorne Effect

When people change their behavior because they know they are being observed in a study

Historical Particularism

The idea that each culture must be understood based on its own unique history and context, rather than by generalizing or comparing it to other cultures

Holistic Research

Studying a culture or society by looking at all aspects of life (social, economic, political, religious, etc.) and how they are connected

In Situ

Studying or observing something in its original or natural place or setting

Inductive (vs. Deductive) Research

Inductive Research: Starts with specific observations or data and develops broader patterns or theories from them.

Deductive Research: Starts with a theory or hypothesis and tests it using observations or data.

Insider Ethnography

Ethnographic research conducted by someone who is already a member of the culture or group being studied

Interviews (Semi-Structured vs. Structured, Informal vs. Formal)

Interviews: A research method where a researcher asks participants questions to gather information.

• Structured: Fixed set of questions asked in the same order.

• Semi-Structured: Some prepared questions but allows follow-up questions.

• Formal: Planned and organized interview setting.

  • Informal: Casual, conversational questioning that happens naturally.

Key Informants

Individuals in a community who provide important information and insights to researchers because of their knowledge or position within the group

Kula Ring

A ceremonial exchange system in the Trobriand Islands where people trade shell necklaces and armbands in a circular network to build social relationships and status rather than economic profit

Margaret Mead

An American cultural anthropologist known for her ethnographic research in Samoa, especially in Coming of Age in Samoa, where she argued that adolescence and gender roles are shaped largely by culture rather than biology

Material Culture

The physical objects and artifacts created or used by a society that reflect its cultural beliefs, values, and practices (such as tools, clothing, art, and buildings)

Multi-Sited Ethnography

An ethnographic research method where the researcher studies a cultural phenomenon across multiple locations or communities instead of focusing on just one site

Naiive Realism

The belief that people see the world objectively as it really is, assuming that their own perceptions and interpretations are the correct or natural ones

Participant Observation

An ethnographic research method where the researcher actively participates in the daily life of a community while observing and recording behaviors, practices, and interactions

Participants/Informants/Subjects

The people being studied in an ethnographic project who share information, experiences, and perspectives with the researcher about their culture or community

Positionality

The recognition that a researcher’s identity, background, and social position (such as race, gender, class, or culture) influence how they conduct research and interpret a culture

Qualitative Research (vs. Quantitative Research)

Research that focuses on understanding meanings, experiences, and social behaviors through non-numerical data like interviews, observations, and field notes, rather than numerical data and statistics

Reciprocity Versus “Extractive” Research

Reciprocity involves conducting research in a way that benefits the community being studied, sharing findings or resources, while “extractive” research takes information without giving back, treating participants only as sources of data

Reflexive Research

A research approach where the ethnographer reflects on their own biases, assumptions, and influence on the research process, acknowledging how their presence shapes data collection and interpretation

Reflexivity

The practice of critically examining one’s own role, perspective, and impact as a researcher on the study, including how personal beliefs and social position influence observations and interpretations

Ruth Benedict

An American cultural anthropologist and student of Franz Boas, known for studying patterns of culture, writing Patterns of Culture, and emphasizing that cultures have unique value systems that shape behavior

Salvage Anthropology

The practice of recording and preserving cultural traditions that researchers believed were disappearing due to outside influences

Sampling Criteria

The specific characteristics or requirements researchers use to choose participants for a study

Scientific Racism

The use of misinterpreted or biased scientific methods to claim that some races are biologically superior or inferior to others

Situated Research (vs. Generalizing) Research

Situated Research: Research that focuses on understanding knowledge within a specific social, cultural, or historical context.

Generalizing Research: Research that aims to apply findings broadly across many groups or situations.

Studying Up / “Elite” Interviewing

Studying Up / Elite Interviewing: Research that focuses on studying powerful or high-status individuals or institutions (such as politicians, executives, or leaders) instead of marginalized groups

Subjective (vs. Objective)

Subjective: Based on personal opinions, feelings, or perspectives.

Objective: Based on facts, evidence, and observations that are not influenced by personal beliefs

Tactic vs. Explicit Culture (Under The Iceberg/Above The Iceberg)

Tacit Culture (Under the Iceberg): Hidden cultural beliefs, values, and assumptions that people may not openly express but that influence behavior.

Explicit Culture (Above the Iceberg): Visible aspects of culture, such as language, clothing, food, and customs.

Thick Description

A detailed explanation of cultural behaviors that includes context, meaning, and interpretation, not just what happened but why it matters within the culture

Triangulation

Using multiple methods, sources, or perspectives to study the same topic in order to improve the accuracy and credibility of research

Unilineal Cultural Evolution

The theory that all societies develop through the same stages of progress from “primitive” to “civilized.”

Worldview

The set of beliefs, values, and assumptions through which people interpret and understand the world

Zora Neale Hurston

An anthropologist and writer who used insider ethnography to document African American culture and folklore in the United States