Cultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology -- an academic discipline

Viewing Culture as Successive Levels

An iceberg as an analogy of culture

An Iceberg as an Analogy of Culture

Culture Culture consists of: 1. Learned concepts and behavior 2. Underlying perspectives (worldview) 3. Resulting products nonmaterial (customs and rituals) material (artifacts)

Cultural Anthropology Concerned with culture as a complete system instead of the individual parts. It has two approaches Etic Perspective (Outsider’s Point of View) Emic Perspective (Insider’s Point of View) It includes Field Work Field Notes Participant-Observation Interviews/Surveys

Our Way: Writing Ethnographies How Do We Study Cultures?

Ethnography The study and recording of human cultures and the descriptive work produced from such research Roots traced back to late 19 th century when anthropologists engaged in participant observation in the field. Derived from the words “ethno” which means folk and “graph” derived from writing.

Why do we conduct ethnographic research? People learn more from direct experience than second-hand experience (books, lectures) Narrative helps us reflect on the experience Collect evidence without hypothesis or conclusion Analysis explains what you have learned

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Qualitative DataQuantitative Data Study where data is gathered in the form of words, narratives and impressions. Ex. Interview Your ethnographies include mostly Qualitative Data! /watch?v=jSdxYb2IVwg /watch?v=jSdxYb2IVwg Study where data is translated into numbers Ex. Survey

Emic and Etic Perspective Emic ApproachEtic Approach Investigates how people in the group we are studying perceive and categorize the world What has meaning for them Shifts focus to the interpretations of the anthropologist. Members of a culture often are too involved in what they are doing to interpret their cultures impartially.

What can we study? What can we Study?What Kind of Data? Formal and Informal Groups Subcultures Organizations Field Notes Texts Participant-Observation Surveys Interviews

Ethnographers Adopt a stance both distanced (observing) and interactive (participatory) Study cultures through the relationship of individuals, the rituals, values, and habits they share. Spend lots of times with cultures and participate in their activities

Writing of an Ethnography Pre-Writing: Reflections on what you know about the group you are studying Questions you are interested to answer Introductions/Consent Forms Consent Letters to group members explaining your project (if needed) Provide Privacy if members ask for it. Journal Your thinking throughout the project. Write ideas, observations, etc. Drafts and Revisions

Basic Stages of Field Research 1. Selecting a research topic 2. Formulating a research design 3. Collecting the data 4. Analyzing the data 5. Interpreting the data 6. anthropology anthropology

Select a Research Topic Don’t rush on this step! Brainstorm research questions you would like to answer Choose a topic you are interested in.

Check the Existing Literature See if someone has already done some of the work for you or answered the questions you are researching about Can you add to their study? Is your study still necessary? How much information can you find about the topic you are willing to study?

Collecting Data Look for Key Informants Respondents who have special knowledge about a group or an event Look for a Representative Sample of the Population you study Difficult, but you must try

Field Notes Accounts describing experiences and observations the researcher has made while participating in an intense and involved manner Subject to memory of observer Subject to bias of the observer

Observation

Interviews Structured Interviews: Questions tend to be closed questions requiring: yes/no answers, use of scales or other forms of ranking. Semi – structured interviews are those that incorporate both closed and open ended questions Surveys can be semi-structured Unstructured Interviews ask open-ended questions Allows interviewees to respond at their own pace in their own words. Resembles a normal conversation

Guidelines for Ethnographic Interviewing 1. Obtain informed consent before interviewing. 2. Maintain neutrality by not conveying to the interviewee what may be the “desired” answer. 3. Pre-test questions to make sure they are understandable and culturally relevant. 4. Keep the recording unobtrusive. 5. Make certain the conditions under which the interviews are conducted are consistent. 6. Use simple, clean, and jargon-free language. 7. Phrase questions positively. 8. Keep the questions and the interview short. 9. Save controversial questions for the end. 10. Interviews can go wrong! Manage the situation!

Focus Groups A Focus Group is a Group Interview

Participant-Observation The researcher spends time with the research participants interacting with them and participating, as much as possible, in the activities that are of interest. A complex data collection method, participant observation involves taking field notes or other recordings, and unstructured interviews.

Participant Observation Phases 1. Establishing Rapport Get to know the members of the community. Be accepted by the community in order to obtain quality data. 2. In the Field “Do as they do”. Show a connection with the population in order to be accepted. Moderate your language and participate in daily activities. 3. Recording Observations and Data You can record personal feelings about experiences. Includes field notes, interviews, and journals. 4. Analyzing Data Look for recurrent themes found in interviews, observations, etc. Construct a cohesive story worth being told.

Example Ethnography on Sports Fans