ANT 252 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Zora Neale Hurston, Philippe Bourgois, Trobriand Islands
Document Summary
Accidentally did long-term ethnographic research in the trobriand islands during wwi. Wwi presented a problem for malinowski because he wasn"t allowing to travel due to his immigration status, so he had to stay on the trobriand islands. From then on he encouraged others to participate in extended research. Like boas, emphasized holistic approach, cultural relativism. Argued that we aren"t in the position to label cultures as primitive vs non. Argued you should try to see things from the perspective of the people you"re studying. Zora neale hurston), early 20th century anthropologists focused on the cultural contexts that were radically unfamiliar to them and their audiences. Hurston studied other african american people in the south - similar to herself. Philippe bourgois: anthropology in east harlem in the late 20th c. Methods used similar to those of boas and malinowski. Nowadays many anthropologists work close to home . Common goal: to learn from people and the informal logic of their everyday lives.
