Chapter 1: What are the challenges in ethnographic fieldwork, and how is ethnographic research changing?
Ethnographer
lives with the study group for an extended period; the field anthropologist is a stranger in a strange land
Public anthropology
presenting anthropological knowledge to the general public & generic public discourse
Transmedia
telling a story using multiple platforms (e.g., hardcover novel, social media)
Inequality
unequal access among individuals, usually to wealth, power, & status, but also on the basis of gender, class, & so on
Collaborative and participatory approach
working with a community to solve problems, e.g., egalitarian health care
Gender
a cultural construct that gives us our social identity, status, & roles in society based on our sexual identity (e.g., male or female) & expected gender roles in society
Culture shock
a feeling of disorientation, confusion, & irritability that results from living in an unfamiliar foreign environment
Key informant
a knowledgeable member of a culture who supplies information to an ethnographer
Ethical dilemma
a problem in the decision-making process between two possible options, neither of which is absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective
Participant observation
a research method whereby an anthropologist lives with the study group, learns its language, & participates in its daily activities
Fieldwork
involves an anthropologist moving into the study group & beginning the long process of collecting descriptive data on the group's daily activities; essential to anthropology
Multi-sited ethnography
research that is carried out in more than one place, often following the transnational flow of people, & may involve a comparative approach
Rite of passage
rituals that mark important stages in an individual's life, for example, puberty
Sex
the biological distinction between people, based on genitalia & reproduction
Ethnography
the end result is a written description of the people & their way of life; a detailed descriptive account of the daily lives of a cultural group
Quantitative research
the gathering of statistical & measurable data
Applied anthropology
the practical application of anthropological knowledge, expertise, & skills to help solve societal problems
Cultural relativism
the principle that each culture & its practices are unique & valid in their own right & must be viewed within the context of that culture
Ethics
the rules that anthropologists follow when conducting research. The primary rule is to "do no harm". Anthropologists have an obligation to protect the privacy of their study group, uphold the integrity of anthropology, & meet the needs of their funding agency, which may cause conflicting loyalties or an ethical dilemma
Virtual ethnography
the study of online communities
Qualitative research
the use of interviews, documents, & participant-observation data, rather than statistics & other quantifiable data. This type of research is most often used to explain human social behavior