Methods in cultural anthropology (ethnographic methods) Flashcards
ethnographic fieldwork
the ethnographer goes where the group they are interested in reside and spends time with them a substantial amount of time, considered the rite of passage to cultural anthropology
culture shock
profound feeling of alienation, confusion, anxiety, loneliness, etc… one experiences when found in a foreign culture for a long period of time
reverse culture shock
frustration one experiences when returning home after having spent a substantial time in a foreign culture
direct, first hand observation
ethnographer tries to be in as many context as possible and observe directly what people do, what they say, etc.
participant observation
ethnographer learns the culture by living within it and by participating in the daily activities of the group, signature method of ethnographers
verbal interaction
the ethnographer tries to talk to as many people as possible
work with key cultural consultants
people who are experts on their culture or a particular aspect of local life, provide a lot of info
genealogical method
recording blood and marriage relations
collection of life histories of older individuals of the group
provide a long term view of the culture under study
Longitudinal research
long-term study of a culture based on repeat visits
problem oriented ethnography
nowadays most ethnographers enter the field w/ the goal to investigate a specific topic
field journal
about the culture understudy, writes down EVERYTHING
personal diary
about the ethnographer and their feelings
the primal ethical responsibility of the ethnographer while in the field…
…is to cause no harm whatsoever to the community under study
emic approach
describes and explains specific practices and ideas from the natives’ perspective
