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Theme 2 Summary APY1501 - Anthropology In A Diverse World (APY1501)
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
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THEME 2 NOTES – APY1501The Anthropological Way
INTRODUCTION:
Fieldwork in anthropology involves experiencing something of other people’s
lives, and becoming familiar with their activities in their context.
The anthro “field” has grown far beyond the original remote “tribal village” to
include a great diversity of settings.
It can be any place or context where human beings are working, functioning,
interacting or living.
ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELDWORK:
Anthro is a discipline that studies human origin, adaptation, distribution and
the way people love throughout the world.
Ethnography is the method anthro’s use to collect information or date and
document and record the lives and culture of human societies in the field.
Involves first-hand, direct face-to-face contact with the people being studied.
The important aspect of ethnography is spending a prolonged period of time
with a study group, writing down (recording) their findings and reporting on the
data collected.
Through comparing the similarities and differences from ethnographic studies,
anthros gain a deeper understanding of their subjects group.
Want to answer is both descriptive, comparative and analytical.
To be aware of how the people, themselves, perceive their world and what
has meaning for them, is knowns as the emic or insider approach.
This stands in contrast with an approach that studies the sociocultural system
from the “outside”, as a scientist.
The latter is known as the etic approach.
Experience has shown that interaction between these two approaches
produces a more meaningful and accurate representation of peoples’
sociocultural systems.
Representation:
o The act of speaking, describing or portraying something on behalf of
someone or something.
Ethnocentrism:
o The inclination of people to regard their own sociocultural system or
way of life as superior.
o They use the values and practices of their own system to judge
behaviour and beliefs of others.
o Although it enhances sociocultural solidarity and a sense of community
among people who share similar traditions, it encourages the belief hat
people, who behave differently, are strange, immoral, primitive or even
barbaric.
, Some anthropologists try to negate ethnocentrism by spending extended
periods of time in different sociocultural systems among the people
themselves.
They experience, through direct and personal experience, that “different”
people are no less human.
Counteracting ethnocentrism is the notion of cultural relativism:
o This suggests that behaviour in a specific sociocultural system should
not be judged by the values and norms of another system.
o In other words, a group, community or society’s behaviour, ideas,
beliefs and customs should be studied and understood within their own
context and judged as equally valid.
METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUES:
Participant observation:
o Is fieldwork done by an anthropologist, who studies the way of life of a
group of people by sharing in and observing their activities.
Malinowski believed that participant observation would enable anthro’s to
“grasp the native’s point of view”.
As a participant observer, the anthropologist takes part in community life,
while studying it. The “participation” part implies that the researcher commits
his or her thoughts, emotions, feelings, and so on, to the real-world fieldwork
setting.
The “observer” part implies that the researcher records his or her
observations in an objective, scientific and systematic manner.
The participant observer is not seeking concise answers to specific questions.
Anthropologists obviously have to keep a record of their impressions,
observations and information gained throughout this process.
To be a participant and an observer simultaneously, is a skill not easily
mastered.
The combination of these two roles requires a very delicate balancing act.
Participant observation demands a “peculiar combination of subjectivity an
objectivity, adventure and work, romanticism and pragmatism”.
Qualitative Research:
In the process, the anthro often identifies certain persons who are specifically
knowledgeable about the research topic.
The obvious route is to opt for prominent and knowledgeable individuals:
community leaders; government administrative or tribal officials; “outsiders”
who, through long and intensive involvement with an organisation or group,
have become well informed; and persons who have become conversant with
certain areas of activity such as politics, region education or food production.
The conventional anthropological inclination, to go to the people at grassroots
level, often produces the best results.
The value of interviews with focus or other groups is that participants
contradict or corroborate information provided.
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