Preview

Objectivity and Fieldwork

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1130 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Objectivity and Fieldwork
Objectivity and Fieldwork
Researchers throughout the world most often conduct practical work in a all natural environment outside their laboratory or office in order to experience in firsthand what it is to live outside the society they have been exposed to all their lives, and integrate into another civilization that imposes cultural traditions and policies that the researcher may have never been imposed to in the past. These types of works or studies that ethnographers conduct are called fieldworks; and they help researchers learn the ways and customs of a certain group or kin outside a society. The researcher’s method of fully understanding the culture of the group of individuals they study is by integrating into their assemblage or in other words living amid them for approximately two years. Cultural Anthropologist such as Malinowski and Lila Abu-Lughod’s, experienced a direct contact with individuals that maintain alive their own culture adopted from past generations of ancestors, by carrying out and conducting the practical work of fieldwork. The works of Malinowski’s ‘“Introduction” from Argonauts of the Western Pacific’ and Lila Abu-Lughod’s “Fieldwork of a Dutiful Daughter,” reflect their experiences and observations of living and interacting among the particular group they closely studied. Even do both of the researchers performed similar fieldwork studies; the works that were written based on their experiences and observations present audiences with two distinct approaches and perspectives to fieldwork and objectivity due to the certain positionality of the researcher in society; causing them to fall in the debate over objectivity and fieldwork that is described in John Monaghan and Peter Just “Social &Cultural Anthropology A Very Short Introduction.”
The authors of the anthropological works of research such as the “Introduction” from Argonauts of the Western Pacific,” and “Fieldwork of a Dutiful Daughter” present themselves and the purpose of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Driben, Paul. 1986. Aroland Is Our Home - An incomplete victory in Applied Anthropology. New York: AMS Press.…

    • 1782 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    ANTH Chapter Review

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Much of this chapter relates to many major points covered in the course Introduction to Anthropology. The most prominent discussed both by Barker and the course text itself is ethnographic fieldwork, which many anthropologists partake in. Both Barker and the course content describes the holistic perspective of understanding a culture as a whole. As explained in the text, Barker uses this participant observation to truly get inside the lives and minds of the Maisin people, which helps to provides more qualitative data. The observations Barker provides in chapter one are highly detailed. It consists of over 25 years of association and research, making the relation to theories…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    After reading the novel Nest in the Wind: Adventures in Anthropology on a Tropical Island, written by Martha C. Ward, I learned about a culture on an island that is much different but similar in many ways to ours. The Climate of the Island was tropical with heavy rainfall. The Island was known as a “tropical paradise”. Ward a female Anthropologist went to this Island to study its inhabitants . Some area she focus on was Family, Religion, sex, tradition, economics, politics ,medicine, death, resources and daily activities . Ward approach to getting this information as accurate as possible was to live among the Pohnpeians as . She got involved in their culture and community. She even , though unwanted gained rank in their society. Her and Her Husband lived in a tin hut, learned customs and manners. They were forced to do the daily chores , find food learn the language and be an active part of the community When the first arrived they had little idea what to expect. They went for information and what they got was a life changing experience. Their study is one of the few done on the traditional way of Pohnpei life recording everything from chores to beliefs.…

    • 1567 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    ANT 101 Week 2 Assignment

    • 578 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Similar to how different fields of study use distinct methodologies to collect data, each scholastic field also utilizes specific databases to locate scholarly articles. For this assignment, you will be locating articles and texts from a variety of databases that are all commonly used in anthropological research. In addition to being able to locate articles, it is very important to be able to identify the thesis statements of the articles or texts to make sure they will be useful in your research.…

    • 578 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Think about the two ethnographies we have read: Unity of Heart and In Search of Respect. How does each author go about writing their ethnography? How do they present the people they are studying? How do they place themselves into the ethnography?…

    • 2402 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anthropology is the study of humanity, nature and society in all places and throughout time. When anthropologists study far off exotic cultures, different people may hold different attitudes. One may criticize on a backward culture, and others may judge on it fairly. Like the authors of “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” and “Voodoo in Haiti”, they hold quite different attitudes and views to these exotic cultures.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    3. “An intriguing, spirit-lifting extraordinary exploration of two cultures in uneasy coexistence... A wonderful aspect of Fadiman’s book is her evenhanded, detailed presentation of these disparate cultures and divergent views-not with cool, dispassionate fairness but rather with a warm, involved interest that seems and embraces both sides of the issue...Superb, informal cultural anthropology-eye-opening, readable, utterly engaging” (Horn).…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    This may appear as a negative aspect of anthropology, feeling left out and alone. However, the fieldworkers expand on learning to exist in a world where they are able to appreciate all of the cultures around them. They often begin to look down on others around them who are naïve for they do not see the need to expand their horizons and learn about other cultures.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are very many countries out there, each with their own culture.A woman by the name of Elizabeth Fernea travels to one of these foreign countries. Her husband, Bob has taken B.J (Elizabeth Fernea) to accompany him on the journey of anthropology fieldwork. Although there are many cultures out there, there is no "right" culture. Elizabeth Fernea has immersed herself in the Iraqi culture and never once has had an ethnocentric view. In this ethnography, we see many trials and errors and we slowly see the author of Guests of the Sheik slowly acculturates herself into this new culture. The author really captures how it is to live in a foreign country. I will be touching many aspects in this paper, such as the position…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In his book Mad Dogs, English, and the Errant Anthropologist, Raybeck discusses his observations as he immerses himself in Wakaf Bharu, a city in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. Throughout the ethnography, he discusses the various differences that he observes with the Kelantanese culture and the American culture, while using his prior knowledge to explain the observations he takes note of. By using these observations, Raybeck proceeds to answer different Naturalistic Questions which explain how Raybeck gathers the information and in what ways his studies impact the culture. Then, he elaborates on the economical aspect of the culture he studies, explaining how relationships and activities affect the economics of the culture. Finally, I will share my thoughts regarding the ethnography and what types of ethnocentrisms were shown throughout the ethnography and some which I felt.…

    • 2009 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Few articles capture my attention like this one did. I found myself evolving in relation to the paralleled maturation of both cultures. Merely sitting on my bed, I developed a detachment from the tendency to contrast my knowledge of culture from the pure consideration of theirs. My affinity for this type of anthropologic study stems from my adoration of travel. Fortunate to travel from a younger age I have been enamored by being dropped in a stew of culture. I have vacationed to European and Caribbean countries with family and tapped into the tourism that runs the world of…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The controversy revolving the tribe of the Yanomamo and the professionals linked to anthropology has caught the world’s attention. Rapid and unforeseeable events have set the tone for the controversy. The study of these Amazonian Indians, who live in regions of the Venezuela and Brazil border, has turned in western exploitation. Accusations about of unethical anthropologist are abundant, but little facts about such accusations are evident. The grand attention that these events have attained has turned into a focus on larger issues in anthropological practices. By comparing the approach and relationships of other research projects, we can identify just ethical standards.…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this essay I will review the question of how the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down exemplifies the techniques of ethnographic research that we have studied in class. Also I will consider the question if there are ways in which Fadiman could have improved her methods to be a better anthropologist. In the essay I will look at the specific methods and techniques that Fadiman utilized. I will discuss where she conducted her research and also cover how she conducted her fieldwork. I suggest Anthropological studies on cultural difference would have a practical application to Lia’s study for the following fact that the Hmong do not completely believe in western medicine.…

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Culture is an abstract term used by anthropologists to describe a people's way of life. The book defines culture as "the sum total of the knowledge, ideas, behaviors, and material creations that are learned, shared, and transmitted primarily through the symbolic system of language" (Lenkeit 26). Culture is such an important topic that anthropologists have devoted a whole subfield to its study. This subfield, cultural anthropology, sets out to compare and contrast different cultures throughout the world. Cultural anthropologists accomplish this insurmountable task by using various field methods when they are performing their ethnographic research. These field methods can include participant observation, informal interviews, use of key informants, and the genealogical method. The purpose of this paper is to analyze four ethnographic studies, and the methodologies the anthropologists used to complete their study.…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cultural Competence

    • 1572 Words
    • 7 Pages

    There, I become more acutely aware of the importance of cultural differences vis-à-vis Aboriginal societies. Although I had been aware of these differences before, I now came to see that there were many cultural subtleties that require specialist knowledge and approach. According to Driscoll (2007:80) there is another kind of knowledge that can only develop when one has direct and deep experience of another cultural group. Cultural groups can be ethnic groups, or groups we sometimes refer to as sub-cultures (Driscoll & Yegdich 2007).…

    • 1572 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays