Doing Ethnography: Doing Ethnography: Cultural Anthropology Cultural Anthropology

Research MethodsResearch MethodsPart IVPart IV

The Problem of Subjectivity: The Problem of Subjectivity: Things are Not as They SeemThings are Not as They Seem

The people’s own understanding of their The people’s own understanding of their culture and the general rules they shareculture and the general rules they share

The extent to which people believe they The extent to which people believe they are observing those rules are observing those rules

The behavior that can be directly The behavior that can be directly observed observed

Ethnographic Reflexivity: Ethnographic Reflexivity: Acknowledging the Researcher Acknowledging the Researcher

as Subjectas Subject

Challenges in validating Challenges in validating ethnographic researchethnographic research– insufficient fundinginsufficient funding– logistical difficulties in reaching the sitelogistical difficulties in reaching the site– problems in obtaining permitsproblems in obtaining permits– and the fact that cultural and and the fact that cultural and

environmental conditions often changeenvironmental conditions often change

Putting It All Together: Putting It All Together: Completing an EthnographyCompleting an Ethnography

Ethnographies are, typically, written Ethnographies are, typically, written descriptions that the anthropologist descriptions that the anthropologist has broken down into chapters with has broken down into chapters with specific topics. specific topics.

Digital ethnography is the use of digital Digital ethnography is the use of digital technologies for the collection, technologies for the collection, analysis, and representation of analysis, and representation of ethnographic data. ethnographic data.

Ethnohistory:Ethnohistory: A kind of historical ethnography that A kind of historical ethnography that

studies cultures of the recent past studies cultures of the recent past through oral histories, the accounts through oral histories, the accounts of explorers, missionaries, and of explorers, missionaries, and traders, and through analysis of traders, and through analysis of records such as land titles, birth and records such as land titles, birth and death records, and other archival death records, and other archival materials.materials.

Ethnology: From Description to Ethnology: From Description to Interpretation and TheoryInterpretation and Theory

Traditionally the aim of Traditionally the aim of anthropological fieldwork was the anthropological fieldwork was the description of a total cultural pattern. description of a total cultural pattern.

Today, however, many Today, however, many anthropologists go into the field with anthropologists go into the field with the aim of focusing on specific the aim of focusing on specific theoretical problems. theoretical problems.

Human Relations Area File:Human Relations Area File: The goal of the cross-cultural comparison is to The goal of the cross-cultural comparison is to

test generalizations about culture, using test generalizations about culture, using statistical correlations of culture traits based statistical correlations of culture traits based on a wide survey of several different cultures. on a wide survey of several different cultures.

Human Relations Area File (HRAF). The HRAF Human Relations Area File (HRAF). The HRAF is a vast collection of cross-indexed is a vast collection of cross-indexed ethnographic and archaeological data ethnographic and archaeological data catalogued by cultural characteristics and catalogued by cultural characteristics and geographic locations. geographic locations.

Anthropology’s Theoretical Anthropology’s Theoretical Perspectives: A Brief OverviewPerspectives: A Brief Overview

Idealist perspective Idealist perspective is a theoretical is a theoretical approach stressing approach stressing the primacy of the primacy of superstructure in superstructure in cultural research cultural research and analysis. and analysis. – ethnoscience ethnoscience – structuralismstructuralism– postmodernism postmodernism

Materialist Materialist perspective is a perspective is a theoretical approach theoretical approach stressing the stressing the primacy of primacy of infrastructure in infrastructure in cultural research and cultural research and analysis. analysis. – MarxismMarxism– cultural ecologycultural ecology– cultural materialism cultural materialism

Informed ConsentInformed Consent Formal, recorded agreement to Formal, recorded agreement to

participate in researchparticipate in research

AAA Code of Ethics (central maxim):AAA Code of Ethics (central maxim):– ““Anthropological researchers must do Anthropological researchers must do

everything in their power to ensure that everything in their power to ensure that their research does not harm the safety, their research does not harm the safety, dignity, or privacy of the people with dignity, or privacy of the people with whom they work, conduct research, or whom they work, conduct research, or perform other professional activities."perform other professional activities."