ANT 102 Lecture 4: ethnography
21 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Fieldwork is the defining method of cultural anthropology. Done in places where people actually life. Can be a remote village or a busy city. Involves studying people as they live their daily lives. Can spend years studying the same community. Until the late 19th century, most scientists only read what explorers or missionaries wrote instead of doing their own research. In the 1800s franz boas spent a year with the inuit people. During ww1 bronislaw malinowski spent several years with islanders in the south pacific. Can see for yourself what people do. Emic perspective - insiders view of culture. Etic perspective - outsiders view of culture. Is it important to understand how our research may impact the people we are studying. Our research questions and methods are influenced by the theoretical models we follow. Cultural systems viewed as adaptive interactive systems between people and the environment. Cultures function by various systems working together.
