Fieldwork Flashcards
Agnatic
Related through the male kinship line
Age grade
A social category of people who fall within a particular culturally distinguished age range; age range often undergoes life cycle rituals as a group
Chiefdom
A society more complex than a tribal society, characterized by social ranking, a redistributive economy, and a centralized political authority
Cultural relativism
The principle that all cultural systems are inherently equal in value and, therefore, that each cultural item must be understood on its own terms
Levirate
The practice by which a man is expected to marry the wife or wives of a deceased brother; commonly found in patrilineal descent systems
Polygyny
A common form of plural marriages in which one man is married to two or more women
Socialization
The development, through the influence of parents and others, of patterns of thought and behavior In children that conform to believes and values of a particular culture
Cultural values
Ideas, beliefs, values, and attitudes learned as a member of a social group
Economy
The production, distribution, and consumption of resources, labor, and wealth within a society
Egalitarian society
A society that emphasizes the social equality of members and makes achieved statuses accessible to all adults
Hunter-gatherers
People’s who subsist on the collection of naturally occurring plants and animals
Reciprocal gift
A mechanism of establishment or reinforcing social tied between equals involving a “present” which is repaid at a later date
Authenticity
The quality of being genuine
Diviner
A practitioner of divination. One who uses a traditional rituals or practices to foresee the future or to communicate with the supernatural
Emic
Describing or understanding a specific culture from the subjective point of view of someone living within that culture
Etic
Describing or understanding a specific culture from an outsider/external (sometimes neutral) point of view
Waganga
Diviners of healers who, according to giriama (Kenya) spiritual beliefs, can harness supernatural powers and win favors from ancestors. They are specialists who mediate between the visible and invisible worlds
Stroll
Particular area or territory where prostitution occurs
Gatekeeper
Influential person on the scene, whose approval must be granted before others will be willing to participate
Participant observation
Joining in on the activities of those one is researching as an additional way to gain knowledge, and see what people really do, watching them do their activities
Culturally constructed
A particular culture thinks of something as natural or normal, but it Is not shared cross-culturally; it is conventional with in that particular culture
Cultural broker
Person with detailed cultural knowledge about different cultural systems, who can translate each for the other to give the others perspective accurately
Open ended interview
Questions have no set answers, but can be answered in paragraphs or pages. Leaves it open to the informant to show what is important
Cultural relativism
Temporarily suspends judgement based upon ones own culture to the to understand another culture from its own internal system of logic
Moral relativism
Anything that in culture is moral and ok; should be embraced; go native
Key informant
Someone with in-depth cultural knowledge of a particular aspect of interest, who is willing to share that knowledge with the researcher at length
Ethnographic fieldwork
First hand experience researching among the group of interest, living among them, spending a great deal of time among them to learn about them and preferably learning their language. In depth research of a qualitative nature
Ethnocentric
Judging another culture based upon the standard of ones own culture and finding that another culture lacking and ones own culture superior
Holism
Evaluating something from within its own cultural conText, as it interrelated with all other parts of culture; examining from every angle
