Rationale for Program in Cultural Anthropology Research Methods

The Research Methods in Anthropology program is designed for current anthropologists and those seeking to become anthropologists, who are looking to strengthen their skills in research methods. The emphasis in each course is on skills for collecting and analyzing the many kinds of data that anthropologists work with. The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Anthropology Department believes that social researchers should be fluent in the full range of methods for collecting and analyzing data. This online graduate certificate program aims to help researchers choose the right tools, emphasizing the integration and complementary applications of qualitative and quantitative data and analysis. Courses in this online program were developed with support from the National Science Foundation's Program in Cultural Anthropology.

The University of Florida offers online courses on research methods in cultural anthropology. The distance learning courses carry graduate credit and are open to upper division undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. This is an off-book distance learning program. Some slots are reserved for UF students and can be taken for UF credit at regular tuition rates.

For 2013, the courses were: Text Analysis (May 13 - June 21); Social Network Analysis (May 13-June 21); Geospatial Analysis (July 1- August 9); and Video Analysis (July 1- August 9).

Courses for summer 2014 are Ethnoecology, Behavioral Observation, and a class in Cultural Anthropology Statistical Methods.

Once six online courses have been developed and assigned permanent course numbers, a certificate in research methods will be proposed. The online certificate program provides instruction in research methods for cultural anthropologists. Many cultural anthropology students and professionals want training in research methods but the instruction is not available in most anthropology departments. We are offering this instruction through a program of 6-8 courses that can be taken by students and colleagues anywhere in the world. The courses all involve 45 contact hours, including 12-15 hours of lecture and 30-33 hours of online instruction. All the courses in the program will be offered during the summer sessions and are either 9 hours per week for 5 weeks or 7.5 hours a week for 6 weeks.

UCC1: New Course Transmittal FormDepartment Name and Number

Recommended SCNS Course Identi�cation

Transcript Title (please limit to 21 characters)

Pre�x Level Course Number Lab Code

Amount of Credit

Repeatable Credit

Contact Hour: Base or Headcount

Course Description (50 words or less)

Prerequisites Co-requisites

Degree Type (mark all that apply) Baccalaureate Graduate Other

Introductory Intermediate Advanced

Department Contact

College Contact

Name

Phone Email

Name

Phone Email

Rev. 10/10

Rationale and place in curriculum

Category of Instruction

E�ective Term and Year Rotating Topic yes no

S/U Only yes no

yes no If yes, total repeatable credit allowed

Variable Credit yes no If yes, minimum and maximum credits per semester

Professional

Full Course Title

Methods for the Observation of Behavior

H. Russell Bernard

Course Description: This asynchronous on-line course provides instruction on the use of a variety of behavior observation methods to answer of questions of anthropological interest. Many of these approaches are used in the behavioral and social sciences. They range from traditional direct observations to time diary techniques to newer Internet-mediated recordings and storage. ANG5xxx Section xxxx Summer 2014 Meeting Periods: on-line Classrooms: on-line Instructor: Dr. H. Russell Bernard Online Office Hours: TBD Course Overview and Objectives:

The goal of this course is to instruct graduate students in the use of a variety of behavior measurement methods employed in a field setting that are useful in empirically answering a variety of questions of anthropological interest. Many of these approaches are commonly used in the behavioral, educational, medical, marketing, and social sciences. Methods range from traditional direct observations to time diary techniques to newer Internet-mediated recordings and storage. Research questions to which such methods have been applied include shifting patterns of gender-related work and leisure, classroom behavior, infant and caretaker interactions, consumer choice, doctor–patient interactions, conversational topics, food and labor exchanges, and subtle but important behavioral variations according to different social and locational contexts. Our goal is to familiarize participants with fundamental methods used, the kinds of behavior data produced, and the sorts of research questions to which such data are relevant or required.

Students taking this course will: (1) gain comprehensive familiarity with the uses to which behavior observations have been put in the behavioral sciences with a special emphasis on ethnographic approaches; (2) learn the basic techniques of behavior observations and their variable utility for answering specific research questions; (3) acquire hands-on experience by constructing behavior classifications and by using three major techniques for data collection; and (4) apply these skills to their own independent projects.

Textbook and Readings: The primary text for this course is Measuring Behavior. An Introductory Guide (3rd edition) by Paul Martin and Patrick Bateson, Cambridge University Press. Numerous readings will be posted in PDF format on the course website.

Software: Any standard social science software such as SPSS, SAS, or SYSTAT.

Exams and Grading

Grading policies: Each week, students will read assignments, listen to narrated Power Point presentations (PPTs), and submit written reactions to course materials, methodological exercises, and assignments. These exercises will help students develop hands-on experience and a practical understanding of how observational methods work. In the last week of the course, students will apply their new skills to their own projects.

Late Assignments and Makeup Work: Assignments must be turned in on or before the due date, unless excused for university-approved absences with university-approved documentation. Students without a legitimate excuse will lose one-third grade for each day late.

Grading Summary:

32% Six assignments dealing with issues brought up in readings (600 points) 38% Seven methodological or hands-on assignments using different methods (700 points) 30% Final project and presentation (550 points)

Grading Scale:

A. 100–93. A-. 92.9–90. B+. 89.9–87. B. 86.9–83. B-. 82.9–80. C+ C 76.–73. C- 72.9–70. D+ 69.9–67. D 66.9–63. D- 62.9–60. F Below 60

For most lessons, students will be required to make two discussion posts: (1) an initial 350-word response to a discussion question related to the lesson (e.g., “What are the strengths and weaknesses of a time diary approach compared to one based on instantaneous observations?); and (2) a 50-word response or commentary on another student’s post on the same question. Students will be encouraged to draw on their own theoretical or research interests and experiences in these discussion exercises. There will be 6 discussion and 7 methodological assignments posts (see below; each will be worth 100 points (initial post=75 points and commentary=25 points).

Course Evaluations:

Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given

specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu.

Course Policies and Procedures

Classes, Readings, Assignments, Homework, and Attendance Policy:

For each lesson, there is either a reading or methodological assignment. All assignments will be posted on the course bulletin board. For Reading assignments students will post an initial 350-word response to discussion questions related to the readings (e.g., intrusiveness and accuracy trade-offs in recording behavior) and; (2) a 50 (minimum) word constructive response or reflection to another student’s post. The response is due at the time of the next assignment. Methodological assignments, on the other hand, are hands-on assignment requiring students to collect data and/or code and analyze data using one of the observational methods. There are a total of 13 assignments for the course and each is worth 100 points. In responding to your fellow students comments, observations, and reflections should be constructive and collegial.

Final Project: In the final assignment, students will write a research proposal that appropriately matches a research question with a particular method for data acquisition. Students must justify the method they are using by comparing it to alternative methods they have learned in class (see below in class schedule). In some cases, a student will use more than one method. The template for the final paper will strongly focus on research design. This assignment will integrate the process of hypothesis formulation, sampling, methods, and analysis acquired through course readings and practical assignments.

Classroom Behavior Rules:

Academic Honesty: Unless it is specifically connected to assigned collaborative work, all work should be individual. Evidence of collusion (working with someone not connected to the class or assignment), plagiarism (use of someone else’s published or unpublished words or design without acknowledgment), or multiple submissions (submitting the same paper in different courses) will lead to the Department’s and the University’s procedures for dealing with academic dishonesty. All students are expected to honor their commitment to the university’s Honor Code (available online at http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/students.html).

Disability Accommodations: If you are a disabled student in need of special arrangements for exams or homework, we will do all we can to help. Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Disability Resource Center (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/). The DRC will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide

documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation. Please make any requests by the second week of class.

UF Counseling Services: Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals that interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:

1. University Counseling and Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Road, 392-1575, personal and career counseling

2. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling

3. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling 4. Reading & Writing Center, Broward Hall, 392-0791, writing assistance, study skills, test

preparation

Course Schedule

Overview

This is an intensive five-week online course. Students should read all materials and complete the methodological assignments following the course schedule.

There are 45 contact hours. 12–15 of those hours are recorded lectures. 30–35 of the hours are a combination of direct (synchronous) and indirect (asynchronous), online interaction. This comprises synchronous and asynchronous online discussion forums devoted to each of the lecture topics, asynchronous and synchronous question-and-answer sessions, and critiques of students' regularly posted assignments. One or two hours a week are devoted to synchronous discussions, with everyone in the class invited to be present. Those sessions are archived so that students who cannot attend at a particular hour (because they are working or because they live in a time zone that makes it inconvenient for them to participate in a live session) can access the materials.

Each lesson will begin with a narrated PPT describing the assignments and readings for that lesson. The course will begin with an overview of direct and indirect behavioral approaches focusing on their strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for answering specific research questions. We then will turn to lessons dedicated to survey methods, sampling issues, time diaries, systematic spot or instantaneous sampling of behavior, continuous monitoring of behavior, and computer-assisted and Internet-based approaches to collecting behavioral data in the field. In each of these approaches, we will consider the problems of subject reactivity, observer intrusiveness, and subject and observer accuracy. We will also consider the issue of behavior classification and coding.

Dividing a behavior stream into discrete kinds of behavior is not a task to be taken lightly. Therefore, we will familiarize students to a variety of standard behavior classifications from anthropology, education, sociology, and psychology and the kinds of research questions on which they are based. During the course, participants will collect their own behavioral data using the methods of recall, survey and direct observation (spot and continuous), construct behavior classifications or codes of the collected data, and practice analyzing their data using a statistical program of their choice.

During the final week of the course, students will also be asked to produce a formal presentation in which they outline a specific behavioral research project they anticipate investigating in the future, using one or a combination of the approaches presented in the course. These presentations will be made available to all students.

All readings indicated below will be available on-line except for the main text by Martin and Bateson.

Class Schedule

Module 1: An Indirect Focus on Behavior

We will begin with student introductions and presentation of their interests in studying behavior through course bulletin board services or email. We will discuss research that directly compares behavior observations and questionnaires and diary methods. Such comparisons help one decide whether one should use direct observation or other less costly methods. Interview surveys have been the most productive and efficient approach used to collect representative time use and behavior data. They are widely used in the social sciences, widely accepted by policymakers, and represent (fairly or not) the benchmark or standard by which other researchers and policymakers interpret and understand ethnographic observational studies of behavior. Discussion will focus on the range of issues or questions being addressed by current time use surveys, the methodological strengths and weaknesses of survey approaches, and the significance of this research to anthropological interests in time and behavior. We will also focus on coding schemes used by various researchers, stress the importance of operational definitions, and show how and why the classification employed depends on the question asked.

Lesson 1

Reaction Assignment: discussion of individual student interests in behavior observations in relation to the readings below in terms of how behavior methods may be more useful than traditional approaches. Readings: overview of the range of conceptual approaches and methods

• Gross, D. (1984) “Time Allocation: A Tool for the Study of Cultural Behavior.” Annual Reviews in Anthropology 13:519–558.

• Johnson and Sackett (1998) “Direct Systematic Observation of Behavior.” In: Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology. H.R. Bernard, ed. Pp. 301–330. Walnut Creek, CA: AltiMira Press.

• Time Diary template and instructions.

Lesson 2 Methodological Assignment: Time Diary Interviews. Students will interview four individuals following a time diary format. They will transform the raw data into the hierarchical scheme

specified in the USTA format and prepare a two-page analysis and post it on the course website (see “Time Diary template and instructions” above). Readings:

• Paolisso, M. and R. Hames. (2010) “Time Diary versus Instantaneous Sampling: A Comparison of Two Behavioral Research Methods. Field Methods 22:357–377.

• Robinson, J. P. (2002) “The Time Diary Method.” In: Time Use Research in the Social Sciences, W. E. Pentland, ed. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Pp. 47–89.

Borgerhoff Mulder, M. and T. M. Caro. “The Use of Quantitative Observation Techniques in Anthropology.” Current Anthropology 26:323–335. Lesson 3

Methodological Assignment: discussion of time diary results collected by students and the problem of validity and reliability of behavior observations.

Readings:

• Stange, K. C. et al. (1998). “How Valid Are Medical Records and Patient Questionnaires for Physician Profiling and Health Services Research?” Medical Care 36:851–867.

• Williams, R. L., S. A. Flocke, and K. C. Stange. (2001). “Race and Preventive Services Delivery among Black Patients and White Patients Seen in Primary Care.” Medical Care 11:1260–1267.

Lesson 4

Reaction Assignment: discussion of coding decisions in relation to general (time diary) to specific (patient–doctor interactions) in previous readings.

Readings:

• Bianchi, S., M. Milkie, L. Sayer, and J. Robinson. (2000). “Is Anyone Doing the Housework? Trends in the Gender Division of Household Labor.” Social Forces 79:191–228.

• Kahneman, D. et al. (2004) “A Survey Method for Characterizing Daily Life Experiences: The Day Reconstruction Methods (DRM) Science 306:1776–1780.

Module 2: Direct Behavior Observation

In this module we will transition from DRM (day reconstruction methods) to direct observations. The goal will be to assess problems inherent in informant-based approaches and how they are overcome by researcher-based approaches. Students will use the DRM instrument (see Kahneman above) to collect time allocation data on four individuals. Of course, observational

approaches introduce new problems (small sample size and reactivity) that are explored in Module 3.

Lesson 1

Reaction Assignment: students will post and respond to assigned readings on complex uses of behavior observations (interaction, geographic location, good and services exchanges, etc.)

Readings:

• Fouts, H. N., B. S. Hewlett, and M. E. Lamb (2005) “Parent-Offspring Weaning Conflicts among the Bofi farmers and Foragers of Central Africa.” Current Anthropology 46:29–50.

• Hames, R. (1987) “Garden Labor Exchange among the Ye’kwana.” Evolution and Human Behavior 8:259–284.

• Flinn, M. V. (1988) “Parent-Offspring Interactions in a Caribbean Village: Daughter Guarding.” In: L. Betzig, M. Borgerhoff Mulder, and P. Turke, eds. Human Reproductive Behavior. A Darwinian Perspective. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 189–200.

Lesson 2

Reaction Assignment: students will discuss readings on recording non-target individuals (i. e, alters) and other problems in survey design.

Readings:

• Winkler, A. E. (2002) “Measuring Time Use in Households with More than One Person.” Monthly Labor Review February: 456–52.

• Schwartz, L. K., D. Herz, and H. Frazis. (2002) “Measuring Intrahousehold Allocation of Time: Response to Anne E. Winkler.” Monthly Labor Review February:53–59

• Stinson, L. L. (1999) “Measuring How People Spend Their Time: A Time-Use Survey Design.” Monthly Labor Review August:12–19

• Martin and Bateson: Chapter 1–2

Lesson 3

Reaction Assignment: student will discuss methodological issues in the previous readings (e.g., whether or not and how to code interactions) and whether the “gold standard” is most accurate and worth the cost.

Readings:

Wells, W. D. and L. A. Lo Sciuto (1966) “Direct Observation of Purchasing Behavior”. Journal of Marketing Research 3:227–233.

Claremont Graduate School Class in Marketing Research (1967) “Note on Direct Observation of Purchasing Behavior.” Journal of Marketing Research 4:402–404.

Stange, K., S. Zyzanski, et al. (1998). "How Valid Are Medical Records and Patient Questionnaires for Physician Profiling and Health Services Research?: A Comparison with Direct Observation of Patient Visits." Medical Care 36(6): 851–867.

Module 3: Spot or Instantaneous Observations

A major contribution of anthropology to the study of human time use and behavior in naturalistic settings has been the development and cross-cultural application of approaches to holistically sample moments of time or acts of behavior. Equally important has been efforts by anthropologists to develop cross-cultural coding schemes that balance ethnological interests with ethnographic validity. Known most commonly as spot or instantaneous observations, these approaches have demonstrated the power of ethnographically informed and tested methods. We will focus on the range of these methods, the types of problems or questions they can address, and the types of analytical trade off that surface in the coding and analysis of spot/instantaneous data. Discussion will include such practical issues such as adding new codes in the middle of a study, practice runs (trying the method out to see how the study participants react), physical layout of a settlement, recording issues (pencil & paper, check-list, tape recorder, PDAs), quality control (cleaning data and error checking), collection of demographic data (age, sex, household membership, location), random sampling strategies, block sampling, and observer effects on subjects.

Students will practice collecting instantaneous observations by working in a public space such as a recreational area (beach, playground, park), public building, or shopping mall where those you observe have no expectation of privacy. Please see “data template” below. The collected observations will be coded using a standardized coding scheme (e.g., HRAF time allocation codes). Coded data will be entered into a statistical program and analyzed for particular time use and behavioral patterns. Selected demographic, location, and supplemental context information will also be collected along with the time/behavior data, thus allowing students to investigate behavior and time patterns by other relevant variables.

Lesson 1

Methodological Assignment: students will collect behavior observations in a public place (park, beach, open mall food court) where subjects can be repeatedly and unobtrusively observed. Click here for data template and instructions.

Readings:

• Baksh, M. (1989) The Spot Observation Technique in Time Allocation Research.” CAM: Cultural Anthropology Methods Newsletter 1(2):1–3

• Hames, R. (1992). “Time Allocation.” Evolutionary Ecology and Human Behavior. In E. A. Smith and B. Winterhalder, eds. Chicago, Aldine de Gruyter: 203–236.

• Martin and Bateson: Chapters 3–5.

Lesson 2

Methodological Assignment: students will present a descriptive statistical analysis of their instantaneous observations.

Readings:

• Paolisso, M., S. Gammage, and L. Casey. (1999) “Gender and Household Level Responses to Soil Degradation in Honduras.” Human Organization 58:261–273.

• Viera, A. J. and J. M. Garrett (2005) “Understanding Interobserver agreement: The Kappa Statistic.” Family Medicine 37:360–363.

Lesson 3

Reaction Assignment: comparison of behavior codes used in anthropological, sociological, and educational research.

Readings:

• Pianta, R., J. Belsky, et al. (2007). "Opportunities to Learn in America’s Elementary Classrooms." Science 315:1795–1796. (the readings immediately below are the manuals used by the observers containing clear operational definitions of the behavior)

• Belsky, J. (2000). “First Grade Classroom Observation System. The NICHD Study of Early Child Care. Chapter 44, Operations Manual. The NICHD Study of Early Child Care.

• ATUS behavior codes: http://www.bls.gov/tus/lexiconnoex0310.pdf • HRAF Time Allocation Series Behavior Codes

Module 4: Continuous Observations

Students will be introduced to focal and continuous observations. These approaches have involved continuous observation of behavior for limited periods of time. These approaches generate fine-grained data that complements spot observations and surveys. They also produce a high volume of data and are labor and time intensive. Importantly, one can acquire real measures of behavior duration. Narrated lectures and student activities will focus on how continuous

observation data enrich ethnographic understanding of behavior. Students will record continuous observations on someone in their own household or in a household of a friend or acquaintance where two more subjects are present. For instructions, see below. Finally, students will be introduced to the Noldus Observer© system, a widely used computer based system for recording continuous behavior.

Lesson 1

Methodological Assignment: students will continuously record the behavior of single and multiple individual for five bouts of three minutes each. Click here for data template, codes, and instructions.

Readings:

• Konner, M. and M. Worthman (1980) “Nursing Frequency, Gonadal Function, and Birth Spacing among !Kung Hunter-Gatherers.” Science 207 (4432):788–791.

• Martin and Bateson: Chapter 6–8

• Koster, J. 2006. “The Use of the Noldus Observer 5.0 and Psion Handheld Computer in a Remote Fieldwork Setting. Field Methods 18:430–436.

Lesson 2 Methodological Assignment: students will record conversational topics of a conversational group of three–five people following the typology in Dunbar et al. above.

Readings:

• Martin and Bateson: Chapters 9–11.

• Chick, G. (1994) "Experience Sampling in Anthropological Research." CAM: Cultural Anthropology Methods Newsletter 6 (2)(2):4–6.

Lesson 3

Methodological Assignment: Use Survey Monkey to create daily behavior reports from classmates. Instructions will follow.

Reading:

• Gravlee, L. et al. (2006) “Handheld Computers for Direct Observation of the Social and Physical Environment.” Field Methods 18:382–397.

• Shiffman, S., A. A. Stone, and M. R. Hufford (2008) “Ecological Momentary Assessment.” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology 4:1–32.

Module 5: Integrating Observations into Research Design and Student Presentations

Students will submit a 6,000 word research proposal to use one or more of the behavior observation research methods to investigate a research problem of their choice. Each proposal must have a clear research design and set of explicit hypotheses to be tested. Students will clearly justify why they selected the methods they plan to use and compare those methods to other observational methods and traditional survey or interview methods. A detailed format of the proposal will be posted. Finally, students will be randomly assigned to comment on two of the research designs written by other students. Each commentary will be 250 words long.

UCC: Syllabus Checklist

Rev. 10/10

All UCC1 forms and each UCC2 form that proposes a change in the course description or credit hours must include this checklist in addition to a complete syllabus. Check the box if the attached syllabus includes the indicated information.

Instructor contact information (and TA if applicable)

Course objectives and/or goals

Policy related to class attendance

Policy related to make-up exams or other work

Statement related to accommodations for students with disabilities

Information on current UF grading policies for assigning grade points

Syllabus MUST contain the following information:

It is recommended that syllabi contain the following information:

1. Critical dates for exams and other work

2. Class demeanor expected by the professor (e.g., tardiness, cell phone usage)

4. Contact information for university counseling and mental health services

The University’s complete Syllabus Policy can be found at:

3. UF’s honesty policy

http://www.aa.u�.edu/policy/SyllabiPolicy.pdf

A topical outline (at least tentative) of subjects to be covered

Required and recommended textbooks

Methods by which students will be evaluated and their grades determined