On the Conduct of Inquiry in Anthropology Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

Major method of research Fieldwork, or Participant observation Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

On Participant Observation “If our understanding of other societies has improved over the last century, it is not because we have ‘sat around a table exchanging ideas’ but because we have collected a ‘special kind of evidence by a special method.’ . . . Understanding is gained not just by observation, but by participation (being, in a way, a Nuer), interpreting not just with the mind, but with the heart and ‘the whole personality.’” ----George Stocking, reviewing a book on fieldwork(1992), p. 400

Previous methods of research Armchair anthropology Verandah anthropology

Bronislaw Malinowski 1884 - 1942 http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth1604/video/Verandah.html Miller, B., (2007). Cultural Anthropology. Pearson Education: Boston. Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded. Malinowski, B. (1964). Argonauts of the Western Pacific. London.

Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded. Malinowski, B. (1964). Argonauts of the Western Pacific. London.

Long-Term Participation Pros Enhances rapport Enters a particular social position Overcomes Hawthorne effect, in which participants change their behavior to conform to the perceived expectations of the researcher Allows “way of life” to be deeply felt and understood (in the bones) of the ethnographer Allows one to become fluent in the local language Cons One cannot be everywhere, so one needs to choose where to be One’s role opens and closes possibilities Difficult to obtain standardized comparable data Takes a lot of time Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

Observation An ethnographer needs to find out how much his or her own experience is true for others An ethnographer needs to take notes and record conversation (something that regular participants wouldn’t do) Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

Looking for patterns What is present here? (descriptive pattern of central tendency) Why is this pattern present here? (associational patterns) What is the range of variations? Examples: city and countryside, government and politics, and gender relations Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.

In addition to participant observation…. Talking with people (informal conversations) Life history Photography and video Collecting songs, speeches, jokes, myths, and stories Archival or historical sources Census data Genealogies Maps Letters and columns in newspapers Triangulation of data Not to be reproduced, copied or forwarded.