ANTHRCUL 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Participant Observation, Trobriand Islands, Nudity

• School: U of M
• Department: Anthropology, Cultural
• Course: ANTHRCUL 101
• Professor: Holly Peters- Golden

Document Summary

Ethnography: firsthand, long term study of a local setting. To which we travel, opposed to a lab. Referred to as natural experiments : things happen and they are studied. Earlier fieldwork entailed isolation (little to no communication) All of this is guided by holism, the totality of the system. Many anthropologists have to hire help to do seemingly. Even if it is covered in dirt. This is an important principle because they are trying to make bond with the people they are researching. Ex: vegetarian went to poland and couldn"t stay a vegetarian. All anthropologists encounter differences especially with food. Think about the social complexities of food for different cultures. Fieldworker is doing something that would be illogical to natives. Who would pay you to write a book about me? . Can be an uphill battle to explain to others what you are doing. Observations in familiar settings can be tricky. They think they know the rules" already.