Doing Ethnography: Doing Ethnography: Cultural Anthropology Cultural Anthropology

Research MethodsResearch Methods

Part IIIPart III

Ethnographic Tools and Ethnographic Tools and Aids:Aids:

Anthropology is unique among the Anthropology is unique among the sciences in that a human being is the sciences in that a human being is the major research instrument, and other major research instrument, and other human beings supply most of the human beings supply most of the data. data.

A key consultant is a member of the A key consultant is a member of the society being studied, who provides society being studied, who provides information that helps researchers information that helps researchers understand the meaning of what understand the meaning of what they observe. they observe.

Data Gathering: The Data Gathering: The Ethnographer’s ApproachEthnographer’s Approach

Quantitative data consists of Quantitative data consists of statistical or measurable information, statistical or measurable information, such as demographic composition, the such as demographic composition, the types and quantities of crops grown, types and quantities of crops grown, or the ratio of spouses born and raised or the ratio of spouses born and raised within or outside the community. within or outside the community.

Qualitative data concerns non-Qualitative data concerns non-statistical information such as statistical information such as personal life stories and customary personal life stories and customary beliefs and practices. beliefs and practices.

Data Collection:Data Collection:

Taking surveysTaking surveys

Interviewing:Interviewing:– Informal interviews are unstructured, open-Informal interviews are unstructured, open-

ended conversations in everyday life.ended conversations in everyday life.– Formal interviews are structured Formal interviews are structured

question/answer sessions carefully notated question/answer sessions carefully notated as it occurs and based on prepared as it occurs and based on prepared questions. questions.

Data Collection (cont.):Data Collection (cont.):

Eliciting devices are activities and/or Eliciting devices are activities and/or objects used to draw out individuals objects used to draw out individuals and encourage them to recall and and encourage them to recall and share information. share information.

Mapping culturally relevant Mapping culturally relevant geographic features in the landscape geographic features in the landscape inhibited by the people they study is inhibited by the people they study is something that the anthropologist, something that the anthropologist, rather than a cartographer, would rather than a cartographer, would need to do. need to do.

Data Collection (cont.):Data Collection (cont.):

Photographing and Filming is a part Photographing and Filming is a part of most anthropological researchof most anthropological research– still shots: Franz Boas in the early 1880s still shots: Franz Boas in the early 1880s

– motion picture cameras in 1894 motion picture cameras in 1894 – portable video cameras in 1960 portable video cameras in 1960

Photographs and film are used in Photographs and film are used in varying ways, to aid in both the varying ways, to aid in both the research process as well as the research process as well as the relying of information post-research.relying of information post-research.