ZeePedia

METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking

<< METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD >>
img
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 06
METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued)
Participant Observation
Anthropologists use this technique more extensively and frequently than other social scientists. Participant
Observation means becoming involved in the culture under study while making systematic observations
about what goes on in it.
Guidelines for Participant Observation Fieldwork
Before approaching the field, it is advisable to obtain clearance from all appropriate levels of the
political/administrative hierarchy. Local people at the grassroots level know their own culture better than
anyone else and their views need to be given due respect.
Advantages of Participant Observation
It allows distinguishing between what people say they do and what they actually do. The greater the cultural
immersion is, the greater is the authenticity of cultural data. It allows observation of non-verbal behavior as
well.
Disadvantages of Participant Observation
There are problems of recording observations while using this technique. The technique has an intrusive
effect on subject of study. Also, a smaller sample size is obtained through this technique than through other
techniques and the data obtained is hard to code or categorize, making standardized comparisons difficult.
Interviewing
Enables collection of information on what people think or feel (attitudinal data) as well as what they do
(behavioral data).
Ethnographic interviews are often used alongside other data gathering techniques.
Structured and Unstructured Interviews
In structured interviews, interviewers ask respondents exactly the same set of questions, in the same
sequence.
Unstructured interviews involve a minimum of control, with the subject answering open-ended questions in
their own words.
Guidelines for Researchers
To minimize distortions in collected data, researchers can check the validity of their findings by either
asking cross check information given by respondents or repeat the same question at a later time.
It is important to frame the questions neutrally. Instead of asking "You don't smoke, do you?" ask "Do you
smoke?"
Census Taking
Collecting basic demographic data at the initial stages of fieldwork is the least intrusive manner to begin
investigating the state of a given community.
15
img
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Document Analysis
Documentary analysis of administrative records, newspapers and even popular culture like song lyrics or
nursery rhymes is often surprisingly revealing about the circumstances, aspirations and values of different
people.
Genealogies
Mapping relations of informants, particularly in small-scale societies is very revealing, since they tend to
interact more closely with their families than people in more complex societies, which have a greater
number of institutions and professionals.
Photography
Cameras and video recorders allow researchers to see without fatigue, without being selective and provide a
lasting record of cultural events and physical surroundings. Some local communities, however, can object to
the use of cameras due to their conservative values or they consider it an intrusion on their privacy.
Choosing a Technique
Choice of technique depends on the problem being studied. Choice of a technique also depends on the
receptiveness of the community in question, to a particular technique. For example, if a given community
does not allow the anthropologist undertaking research to use cameras, the researcher will have to respect
the wishes of the community in question and document descriptions of relevant events instead of being able
to take a photograph, by which this information could have been captured more easily.
Undertaking Cross-Cultural Comparisons
For undertaking such comparisons, particular with the help of statistics, the following issues deserve
attention:
·
Quality of data being compared must be consistent and based on the same methodology
(information based on interviews conducted in one culture cannot be compared with information
obtained from questionnaires in another culture)
·
Units of analysis must be comparable, it's not possible to compare different levels of social systems
(a village cannot be compared to a city for example)
·
Contrasting cultural traits out of context from their remaining culture is problematic but useful in
identifying similarities across different cultures (which is an important objective for cultural
anthropology)
Useful Terms
Attitudinal: based on how people think or feel about something
Receptiveness: response to a particular action
Participation: being a part of something
Perspective: point of view
Cultural traits: particular features of a culture
Cross-cultural: comparison of differences between cultures
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
16
img
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Chapter 5 in `Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective' by Ferrarro and/or Chapter 14 and 28 in `Anthropology'
by Ember and Pergrine
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following website for this lecture:
Cultural Anthropology: Methods
http://www.qvctc.commnet.edu/brian/methods.html
Use the hyperlinks on the above website to read up on the following Methods of Research in Cultural
Anthropology for today's lecture:
Participant observation
Survey research
Interviews
(Document Analysis)
Archival research
Media analysis
Historical analysis
17
Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival