Ethnographic Fieldwork and the Concept of Culture

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts discussed in the lecture on ethnographic fieldwork and culture.

Ethnographic Fieldwork

A research method used in anthropology for studying cultures through direct observation and participation.

Culture

Learned, shared, and symbolic system of behavior and practices unique to a particular group.

Subcultures

Groups within a larger culture that have distinct norms, values, or beliefs that differentiate them from the wider culture.

Thick Description

A term by Clifford Geertz that encompasses not only facts but also the interpretation and commentary related to those facts.

Holism

The idea that aspects of culture cannot be studied in isolation but must be understood as part of the whole.

Emic Perspective

An insider's viewpoint which captures how members of a culture perceive their own experience.

Etic Perspective

An outsider's viewpoint that analyzes cultural phenomena from an external standpoint.

Cultural Adaptation

The process of cultural change in response to changes in the physical environment or social stimuli.

Norms

Shared ideals or rules dictating how people should act within a society.

Values

Fundamental beliefs about what is desirable for individuals and their society.

Collective Understandings

Commonly held knowledge that allows individuals to interpret behaviors within a culture.

Worldview

How a people perceives and interprets reality, including their understanding of their relationship with the world.

Counterculture

A subculture that actively rejects and opposes certain elements of the dominant culture.

Cultural Knowledge

Comprises norms, values, collective understandings, classifications of reality, and worldviews.

Critical Ethnography

An approach in ethnography that emphasizes reflexivity and the representation of marginalized voices.

Commercialization of Culture

The process by which cultural products are transformed into commodities for sale.