ANTH 1002 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Barbara Myerhoff, Salvage Ethnography, Franz Boas
Guest, Chapter 3, Fieldwork and Ethnography
I. What is unique about ethnographic fieldwork, and why do anthropologists conduct this kind of research?
A. Ethnographic fieldwork: a primary research strategy in cultural anthropology typically involving
living and interacting with a community of people over an extended period to better understand
their lives
B. Fieldwork begins with people
C. Fieldwork shapes the anthropologist
C.1. The Nacirema: a group in North America studied by Horace Miner that has
developed elaborate and unique practices focusing on care of the human body
D. Fieldwork as a social science and as art
E. Fieldwork informs daily life
II. How did the idea of fieldwork develop?
A. Early accounts of encounters with others
B. Nineteenth century anthropology and the colonial encounter
C. Professionalization of social scientific data gathering and analysis
C.1. Franz Boas: Fieldwork and the Four-Field approach
C.1.a) Salvage ethnography: fieldwork strategy to collect cultural, material,
linguistic, and biological information about Native American populations being
devastated by the western expansion of European settlers
C.1.b) Cultural relativism: understanding a group’s beliefs and practices
within their own cultural context, without making judgements
C.2. Bronislaw Malinowski: The Father of Fieldwork
C.2.a) Participant observation: a key research strategy involving both
participation in and observation of the daily life of the people being studied
C.3. E. E. Evans-Pritchard and British Social Anthropology
C.4. Margaret Mead: Fieldwork and Public Anthropology
C.5. The People of Puerto Rico: A Turn to the Global
C.6. Annette Weiner: Feminism and Reflexivity
C.6.a) Reflexivity: a critical self-examination of the role the anthropologist
plays and an awareness that one’s identity affects one’s fieldwork and
theoretical analyses
C.7. Barbara Myerhoff: A Turn to Home
D. Engaged anthropology: applying the research strategies and analytical perspectives of
anthropology to address concrete challenges facing local communities and the world at large
III. How to anthropologists get started conducting fieldwork?
A. Preparation
A.1. Anthropologist’s toolkit: the tools needed to conduct fieldwork, including
information, perspectives, strategies and equipment
B. Strategies
B.1. Quantitative data: statistical information about a community that can be
measured and compared
B.2. Qualitative data: descriptive data drawn from non-statistical sources including
personal stories, interviews, life histories, and participant observation
B.3. Key informants/cultural consultant: community member who advises
anthropologist on community issues, provides feedback, and warns against culture
miscues
B.4. Life history: a form of interview that traces the biography of a person over
time, examining changes in the person’s life and illuminating the interlocking network of
relationships in the community
B.5. Survey: an information-gathering tool for quantitative data analysis
B.6. Kinship analysis: a fieldwork study of examining interlocking relationships of
power built on marriage and family ties
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Document Summary
The nacirema: a group in north america studied by horace miner that has developed elaborate and unique practices focusing on care of the human body: fieldwork as a social science and as art, fieldwork informs daily life. How did the idea of fieldwork develop: early accounts of encounters with others, nineteenth century anthropology and the colonial encounter, professionalization of social scientific data gathering and analysis. Salvage ethnography: fieldwork strategy to collect cultural, material, linguistic, and biological information about native american populations being devastated by the western expansion of european settlers. Cultural relativism: understanding a group"s beliefs and practices within their own cultural context, without making judgements. Participant observation: a key research strategy involving both participation in and observation of the daily life of the people being studied: e. evans-pritchard and british social anthropology. Reflexivity: a critical self-examination of the role the anthropologist plays and an awareness that one"s identity affects one"s fieldwork and theoretical analyses.
