1. Ethnographic Methods

2. Learning Objectives
1. Identify major ethnographic techniques & what type of information is gained from each technique.
2. Describe ethnographic techniques by identifying specific anthropological examples.
3. Summarize the methods used by anthropologists to study human populations.
4. Identify the anthropological sub-discipline that most commonly employs ethnographic methods.

3. Outline of lecture Review of Scientific Method Ethnography
Techniques
Survey Research
Ethical Issues

4. Scientific method Four basic steps: Ask a question
what this question be based off of?
Formulate a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
Come to a conclusion – accept or reject the hypothesis
Accept hypothesis = theory

5. Fieldwork
The collection of data ___ ________________________ _____________________
Ethnographic process - fieldwork

6. Types of fieldwork Single-Sited Fieldwork __________________
Multi-sited Fieldwork
______________________ ____________________
Movement between _____
Tracing a _____________
____________________________________

7. El Barrio Anthropologist: Philippe Bourgois
Award-winning ethno-graphic account of selling crack in El Barrio
Spanish Harlem – 1995:
Single-sited: ___________________
Multi-sited: ______________________ ________________________________

8. Participant Observation
_________________________
________________________
Basic research method
Live in the same housing
Eat the same food
Wear similar clothing
Learn the language
Regular activities AND special events
‘Walk the walk, talk the talk’

9. Participant Observation
Best way to ___________________________
____________________________
Allows for mental, emotional and physical contact with the individuals

10. Participant Observation
Benefits 1. 2.
The Hawthorne effect:

11. Observation Look at everything:
Housing, interactions, leaders, work, organization, activities…
Holism
Obtain data – how is this done?

12. Interviews Interviews 1. 2.
What information can be gained from these types of interviews?

13. Dialectic of fieldwork
Process of building a bridge of understanding
Between anthropologist & informants
Why is this important for successful fieldwork?
Example: Komachi, nomadic people in Iran
__________________
And

14. Different types of data
Qualitative 1. 2.
Quantitative 1. 2.

15. Risks associated with fieldwork
Social violence
Disease
Culture shock
_________________________________ _________________________________
Unlikable subjects

16. Ethics and Responsibility in Cultural Anthropology
Why did it come about?
Dangers for the subjects
AAA standard code of ethics
________________________
____________________