History and Methods of Anthropology Flashcards
What is fieldwork?
Living among the people you are studying, interacting with them and recording down observations which may answer your questions.
Want to make the cultures “strange traits” seem familiar and familiar traits of your own culture seem “strange”
What is an “off the veranda” anthropologist
Early anthropologists that travelled to the country/culture they were studying, but did not properly interact with the locals much, and rather studied people from accommodations provided to them by a western host (colonial official, businessman or missionary).
What is an arm chair anthropologist?
Early anthropologists that used artifacts and evidence brought back by missionaries to do their research. Often times leading to racist or inaccurate conclusions.
Ex. Wilhelm Schmidt, E.B. Tylor
Why is “cultural evolution” an inappropriate term?
Implies that some cultures are more primitive than others. That eventually the cultures will “evolve” and grow out of that.
What is the difference between etic and emic perspectives?
Emic - explanations from perspective of studied culture. How people experience, imagine and do things/ Usually result from interacting with and having discussions with members of community.
Etic - explanations from perspective of observer. Usually scientific, usually as a result of discussions between ethnographer and anthropological community
What is the difference between field notes and a personal journal?
Field notes are detailed documentations of observations of literally everything you experience in the field
Personal journals are personal accounts about how the anthropologist may feel about what’s going on.
Define ethnocentrism.
The belief that your culture is better or “superior” to others.
What is a “thick description”
The result of ethnography - detailed description of a studied group at a particular time and location. Explains behaviour/cultural event and the context in which that occurs in, allowing for understanding of why that event/behaviour happens.
What is the deductive approach?
Selection of a particular problem for anthropologist to focus their research on.
What is participant observation?
A study technique of a different society/culture where you record your observations while participating in their day to day lives.
What are rich gaps?
Moments where you understand that you had a gap in your knowledge about the culture, presenting a moment to learn/further research
What is French Structuralism/ Interpretative Anthropology
Based on Claude Levi Strauss’ work -
Symbols can teach us a lot about cultures, as they let us see what people may think about when looking at a particular thing. Shows us what is important to others.
Define reflexivity.
The idea that someone’s identity may influence the type of research they are able to do and actually may show bias towards their own culture.
Ex. Bronislaw Malinowski’s analysis of Kula system
Define situated knowledge.
Idea that knowledge reflects the cultural, geographic, linguistic identity of individual. There are no “universal” truths.
Define feminism, why is it important in anthropology?
The idea of balancing gender roles, allowing women to have equal opportunities as men.
Important to specifically write women’s experiences, as they otherwise may be misinterpreted or not reported at all.
What is structural functionalism?
Looking at what holds societies together, how they are held together. How they function.
What is cultural shock?
When coming to a new culture, and it seems as though what you know as common sense where you came from is gone.
Common sense no longer working, scared, anxious.
What is reverse cultural shock?
The cultural shock experienced when going back to your own culture after being away from it for a long time.
What is a key informant?
A local that can be a guide to help navigate the new culture.
Must be weary as these relationships can be not what they seem??
Who is Julian Steward and how did he impact anthropology?
American anthropologist that worked with the US State Department.
In his findings, wrote that the Indigenous Shoshone people were more “primitive”
Caused the undermining of indigenous right to land as they were not as technologically “advanced” as the rest of America.
What is Marxism?
A theory based on the work of Karl Marx that aims to create a classless society. States that class struggle impacts social and cultural changes.
What is polyvocality? Give an example.
The use of more than one person’s voice and words in a study, so that a range of perspectives can be stated without the author rewording and generalizing.
Ex. Ruth Behar’s book “Crossing the Border with Esperanza” where much of the book is in Esperanza’s own words
Who is Annette Weiner and why is she important to anthropology?
Corrected Bronislaw Malinowslki’s analysis of the Kula (gift giving) system. He stated that the population was male dominated, however he was just projecting his own cultural standard onto his research (reflexivity)
Annette found that women actually had roles equal to men in this society.
What is a positivist mode of field work? What paradox did it create?
The search for an “objective” truth.
Though, in the search of this “objective truth” anthropologists became close with the people studying, therefore cannot be completely objective.
What is an inductive approach?
Field work being done with no set, predetermined research topic.
Simply exploring the people, culture and land, giving general ethnographic descriptions. Day-day observations.
What is post modernism?
A perspective of anthropological thinking that can influence their perception of cultural events.
Usually very subjective and allowing of multiple voices to be heard, which is why they reject overarching theories (Marxism).
Brought in reflexive methodology
What is reflexive methodology?
The idea that anthropologists must reflect on their position and how it allows them to have access to certain cultural practices
