What I Learned About Anthropology And Learned Valuable Lessons

Anthropologists have reasons for entering a field of work just like any other person has reasons for Choosing science over music or medicine over business. The reason a person may enter a particular career can be from stumbling upon a field that they knew little. Once discovering it they have ambitions of being the best they can be. It could also stem from a desire as a child to know more about a specific subject. Reasons may be distinct or similar to another person's in the same field. I will compare various anthropologists to how they started in anthropology and how they are different from one another.

One thing I did find interesting was the cultural differences down in the Bayou Country. Cajuns, Creoles and everything in between. I have no doubt a cultural anthropologist could obtain plenty of research material in that area! It rather shocked me that part of my welcome briefing at my recruiting station included information on voodoo and hoodoo. Naturally the Army was not condoning the practices, but trying to instill an understanding among the new recruiters that people within the local population do hold those beliefs.

For Miner, he was writing from his years of personal observation of American homes, but often the anthropologist is not already a member of the community to be studied and must develop a rapport within a community. This relationship must be created without being deceptive and creating a negative impression so that members of the community will act naturally and not suppress their habitual or instinctive reaction to life issues (Kawulich, 2005). This method collects data not only from personal observation but also includes interviews, natural conversations, checklists, and surveys. The effective use of this method includes having a nonjudgmental attitude, being aware of culture shock tendencies, wanting to learn more about others, and practicing good listening skills (Kawulich, 2005). When the anthropologist properly explores the organized routines and ritualistic behaviors of the group, they become becomes a part of the community and reports the information about how the group is operating from a holistic understanding of the viewed events.

1. Based on reading this selection, how is ethnographic research different from other social science approaches to research?

The interviews in Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and Joshua Reno’s Waste Away both have their fair share of barriers to overcome, even though their research could not be more different. Anne Fadiman conducts interviews in two drastically different topics, Hmong culture and medicine. Joshua Reno favors a landfill in Michigan; interviewing residents living next to Four Corners Landfill. However different these two areas of research may be, both books show that interviewing individuals is a research method incredibly valuable when working to determine a person or group’s feelings and ideas. Both anthropologists use interviewing as a method to gain information, but are careful to align with the culture of each of the

An anthropologist usually, at the beginning of their career, conduct ethnographic research in a foreign country or remote location to validate themselves as a “bonafide anthropologist” (Brondo 43). Eventually however, the anthropologist will return home often to conduct research around their own familiar ethnic group. Tsuda refers to the anthropologists return to familiar territory as an “Ethnographic homecoming” (Brondo 44). The use of ethnographic methods in the anthropologist’s home or familiar environment is what Tsuda means by “native anthropology”.

To establish rapport, I made contact with the head of the Native American student council at EOU and attended one of the Speel-Ya Club meetings on campus to get to know some of the native students. The project was explained and discussed with them through e-mail. They were particularly helpful in informing me of the Speel-Ya Club meetings and sending word to native students about my project. My subjects were interviewed face to face via digital voice recorder or email interview if they felt uncomfortable with having their voice recorded. I kept in mind that “it may be surprising when Native Americans are reluctant to engage in a proposed research project, even if the outcome is anticipated to be beneficial” (Harding, et al.

The purpose of this reading was to introduce what ethnography is and what exactly do anthropologists do. Ethnography is based on the fact that in order to fully understand a culture, it is best to observe the culture itself and to interact with them over a long period of time. The authors, Monaghan and Just, do fieldwork. Fieldwork is commonly done in small communities with very simplistic lifestyles so to say. In the first chapter, Peter Just did his fieldwork in the Village of Dorro Ntika. In order to be successful with this research, Peter had to build trust and create a good relationship with the people of the native tribe. Meaning Peter was able to learn well beyond the superficial facts. To be an ethnographer one must commit to years

New discovery in science often comes from researcher’s outstanding curiousness and strong passion. Many researchers and scientists has barely achievements and publishes might due to their lack of the will of exploration and not willing to take risk to override the majority. In the time when “trimates” in primatology and African “trailblazers” in paleoanthropology discovered their own unique observations that the majority will disagree undoubtedly, as a passionate researcher, they continue their studies at their own risk and even risk their lives for their studies. An outstanding passion and a pure desire of knowledge are what drives them to make such sacrifice and risk taking. Even though some of individual

Within anthropology there are two main schools of thought. These different views shape the philosophies of anthropologist who are classified as materialist, idealist, or falling in between. The materialist approach focuses on positivistic knowledge and empirical truths. Materialists’ use science and material elements within society to explain the basis for human culture and life; they consider anthropology one of the sciences. On the other hand, idealists consider anthropology one of the humanities. Idealists view culture and behavior as a pattern of interpretation of beliefs and ideas by the participants. This paper will discuss anthropologist Marvin Harris, a materialist, Clifford Geertz’s idealist point of view, and Eleanor Leacock’s approach

Before an anthropologist is to set foot in another man’s land; research is first to be done. An anthropologist will read up on previous studies and articles done by past anthropologists.

Participant observation is by far the most effective way an anthropologist can use to learn about new cultures. Someone can only learn so much an individual can learn from books but if one truly wants to learn being a part of it is truly the only way. Participant observation has laid the foundation of applied anthropology, because the anthropologist now having learned about a new society can apply and opinionate in his own to improve their society. Based on the observations and methods learned from the other cultures.

1. In which region and in what country is San Basilio located? What is the language of the linguistic minority in this region? What are the cultural advantages of being in this linguistic minority?

Anthropology, as a discipline in the field of human sciences, is based on certain ethical principles to guide its practitioners through their research. This creates a stable framework on which to start any research project. Avoiding deviation, however, can be complicated. Anthropologists have a responsibility to their field,

The environment, family, and community I have grown up in has shaped me as a person. So far, I grew up in the same house all seventeen years of my life. My personality has grown and molded over the years of middle school and high school based off the lessons I have learned and the things I’ve been through.