Fieldwork, Culture, Religion, and Tonga (Not Complete)

Anthropology 130 with Pendry at University of Tennessee - Knoxville

About this deck

By: Greg Lyon
Textbook:

Beautiful Flowers of the Maquiladora: Life Histories of Women Workers in Tijuana (Translations from Latin America Series)

Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors: Indigenous Models for International Development (Part of the Cultural Survival Studies in Ethincity and Change Series) (2nd Edition)

Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Voyages: From Tongan Villages to American Suburbs
Created: 2010-09-11
Size: 86 flashcards
Views: 516

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Class Lecture

Ethnographic Research Methods

Four methods of how to go about doing fieldwork being...

Quantitative/ Qualitative
Participant Observation
Interviews
Open/ Closed Questions

Quantitative/Qualitative

quantifiable data (objective properties) like statistics versus thoughts and feelings gathered. Avg. ratio in cultural anthropology 30%/70%
found in surveys versus interviews

Participant Observation

Become part of an activity, and later record data

Types of Interviews, and benefits

Informal Interviews (conversations): can take place at any time
Semi-Structured Interviews: good to narrow down to specific questions without limiting yourself to a structured interview
Structured Interviews: No confusion in way being asked, can be open ended
Survey Research: random samples + variables

Open/ Closed Ended Questions

Open- Who, What, When, Where, Why?
Closed- Yes or No

Genealogical Method (Variation on Interviews)

Uses kinship charts and analyzes meaning of family

Life Histories (Variation on Interviews)

Child birth, relationships, work, and illness

Ethnohistory (Variation on Interviews)

The study of ethnographic cultures and indigenous customs by examining historical records.

Key Cultural Consultants

The main point of contact to integrate the anthropologist into the target society.

Research Ethics

Informed Consent: (Milgrim shock treatment example)
One must be careful not to pressure sensitive information out of information
Pseudonyms are important to use to not reveal identities and associated confidential information that is in your report

Emic/ Etic

Emic: a description of behavior or a belief in terms meaningful comes from a person within the culture
Etic: same as above but with an outsider's view of the culture

Research Process

Formulate Research Questions
Obtain Funding
Conduct the Research
Interprete the Research
Publish your results

Subject Position of the Ethnographers

How the ethnographer decides to interpret the information gathered
Country of Origin- even region or community
Social Class
Race
Gender
Sexual Orientation
Age
Life Experiences, and many more

Types of Studies

Community Studies
Comparative Studies
Multi-sided (Several Research Sites)
Problem-Oriented Research
Longitudinal Research
Team Research

Theoretical Trends (Important!)

Historical Particularism
Structured Functionalism
Cultural Evolution/Ecology
Political Economy
Cultural Interpretation
Post-modern/ Colonial, Feminist, Diaspora Studies, etc.
Reflexive Ethnography

Historical Particularism

Figuring out what goes on in a culture, by systematically observing and living within a culture. A primary goal of this is to promote cultural relativism.

Franz Boas + Margaret Mead

Structured Functionalism

This sets out to interpret society as a structure with interrelated and integrated parts.

Bronislaw Malinowski (Father of Anthropology) created the one year field study standard on his stay in Australia during WWII.

Cultural Evolution/Ecology

This method concerns adaptions to the environment, and if they are adaptive or maladaptive. (The car gives good trans. but kills our air)

Leslie White: developed "culturology" the field of science which studies and interprets the distinct order of phenomena termed culture
Julian Steward a key part role in developing cultural ecology

Political Economy

This focuses on power relations + social inequalities based on class. This is heavily influenced by Marxist theory

Cultural Interpretation

This focuses on...

Reflections about the role of the ethnographer in conducting and writing up the research
Questions scientific claims to to objectivity and truth. Situates ethnography in history versus "Ethnographic Present" which made generalizations about groups

Post-modern/ Colonial, Feminist, Diaspora Studies, etc.

Methods which encompass...

Changes in the forms of modern society
Accounts for disparities among countries
Accounts for inequalities based on sex or race that weren't sufficiently covered by Political economy's emphasis on class

Reflexive Anthropology

"The ethnographer-writer puts his or her personal feelings and reactions to the field situation right in the text." (Kottak, 32)

Sub-fields of Anthropology

Biological/ Physical
Linguistic
Cultural
Archeology

Biological/ Physical Anthropology

The study of the human body, population variation, and how we have evolved. This also focuses on our close relative species such as chimps and other primates.

Linguistic Anthropology

The study of how language is formed, and the interplay of language and culture in a society.

Archeology

The study of past human societies and culture, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture.

Cultural Anthropology

The study of everyday life and traditions

Sub-fields of Cultural Anthropology

Folklore
Ethnomusicology
Urban
Rural Studies, etc.

Definition of Culture (Tylor, 1871)

"Complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society"

Characteristics of Culture

Learned: explicitly taught like lessons, and implicit habits such as personal space
Systems of Symbolic Meaning: like we give meaning to these letters you are reading
Culture teaches us how to express natural "urges" in particular ways
Not Stagnant: culture is always changing
All-Encompassing: everything that relates to life

Characteristics of Culture (More)

Integrated: different aspects of culture are interrelated, patterned systems
People use culture actively and creatively, culture should be seen as a process not a thing

Ideals

What people believe they should do, versus their actual actions.

Levels of Culture

International (Transnational) Cultures:
National Cultures: some shared beliefs, symbols, experiences, etc.
Subcultures (within nations)

Examples of Levels of culture in U.S., Tonga, and Mexico

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Kottak and Religion

Animism

The religious or spiritual idea that souls or spirits exist not only in humans but also in other entities of the natural environment (like animals, or even thunder and lightening)

The earliest form of religion

Religion

"Belief and Ritual concerned with supernatural beings, powers, and forces" It is the non-empirical and inexplicable in ordinary terms and must be accepted on faith.
One accepts a set of doctrines involving the relationship between individual and divinity
Religion both unites and divides

Edward Tylor's Theory of evolution of Religion (Defintion)

"Soul Theory" basis for the origin of all religions

This assumes a "psychic unity" of mankind and that all societies must pass through these stages of evolution

Edward Tylor's Theory of evolution of Religion (Stages)

"promiscuity," like primates in a wild state, with no family SHAMANIC
"savagery," nomadic, hunting and fishing, matriarchal society, magic and ANIMISM (communal)
"barbarism," patriarchal society, agricultural, sedentary village, pottery, religion, priesthood, POLYTHEISM (olympian)
"civilization," urban, state, literacy, history, with "church" and MONOTHEISTIC religion but eventually replaced with "science"

Mana

A sacred impersonal force existing in the universe; similar to our notion of efficacy or luck.

A successful hunter may have a charm or amulet that would be believed to make the next wearer hunt better too.

Magic

This refers to supernatural techniques intended to accomplish specific aims, Voodoo relies on magic

Contagious Magic: is based on the principle that things or persons once in contact can afterward influence each other
Imitative Magic: is based on the principle that "like produces like",

Taboo

A strong social prohibition, such as not not being able to touch the chief because commoners couldn't bear so much sacred current.

Collective Effervescence

A perceived energy formed by a gathering of people; can be religious or secular

Gathering at a sporting event or religious service

Communitas

This refers to an unstructured community in which people are equal, and gives a strong feeling of community.

Fasting with everyone else in a certain church

Shaman

These people are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds.

Totemism

This uses nature as a model for society. Animals, plants, and geographical features become symbols to tell stories.

Native Americans used totem poles to tell stories

Separation

The first step in a rite of passage, where one must disconnect from society to prove themselves.

Liminality

One does not belong to the society that they previously were a part of and they were not yet reincorporated into that society.

A chief may undergo a reversal of position to run for an office, and be insulted for a while before taking his high government position

Incorporation

One rejoins their society, but with a new rank and social status. This can be changing from a boy to a man, etc.

Analyzing Cultures

Universalities: Beliefs or practices found in every culture, like religion or currency
Generalities: Common beliefs or practices found amongst many cultures
Particularities: Beliefs or practices found only in one certain culture

Analyzing Cultures (Kottak's Description) and examples

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Small (Research Method)

Qualitative 99% and Quantitative 1%
Uses participant observation, and Key Cultural Consultants
Applies Conversations and some semi-structured interviews to extract information
Uses open ended questions (typically, unless just using a survey, this will be the case)
Longitudinal Research + Self-Reflexsive Ethnography

Reed (Research Method)

Same as Small, but less self-reflexsive and did more life history by reading through old books
Somewhat more quantitative because of his use of economic surveys

Pendry (Research Method)

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Practical Problems and Dilemmas (for Rabinow, Small, and Pendry)

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Ethnocentrism

The tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is of greater importance or more correct.

Cultural Relativism

The way of seeing human's beliefs and activities in terms of his or her own culture, not to apply your own cultures standards

Human Rights and Cultural Rights

Human rights challenges cultural relativism saying that there is a realm of justice and morality that cannot be broken
Cultural Rights give groups the right to preserve their culture (Ethnocide is the opposite: destruction of a culture)

Small's View on Cultural Relativism and Human rights

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Rituals

According to Kottak, rituals are formal- stylized, repetitive, and stereotyped. These are social acts.

Prayer is a typical ritual that religions such as muslims do together repeatedly throughout the day.

Rites of Passage

According to Kottak these are customs associated with the transition from one place or stage of life to another.

Such as fending for one's self in the wilderness until they see a spirit, then they go back to society in better standing.

Function of Religion in Society

According to Kottak it is a leveling mechanism to keep people in line; such as the ten commandments or golden rule.

Roles of Religion in social control and social change

According to Kottak it helps to cope with adversity and tragedy. It helps to mobilize emotions and keep society in line and existing peacefully.

Films

Brazilian Carnival (and how rites of passage, and religion with its functions affect it)

This version of Mardis Gras brings all the people together and temporarily flips all cultural standards.
Held forty days before Easter, marks the beginning of lent and is allowed as an expression of culture

Mayordomia film

Zapotec rituals and community celebration, which costs about 2-3 times the average annual income per party ($10,000) and the party lasts for about 5 days.
This is an important ritual to build prestige, pray to the patron saint of the town, and even give thanks to the patron saint of the town

Mayordomos (and How does guelaguetza help support it)

Guelaguetza allows these to be held, it is an old fashioned loan system that allows one family to be able to hold a massive event as such.

How films illustrate culture and religion discussed in class

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"They Call me Muslim" film

Samah Mazouni was 18 and couldn't wear headscarf because of new French law. 10% muslim in France, and although this is a sacred and necessary part of their culture, France banned it because of the safety issue. They didn't want girls beaten by husbands or fathers, or given a hard time by others at school for not wearing the scarf.

Why did the Syrian woman decide to wear the headscarf?

She wanted to to follow the Qur'an, and she felt that doing this strengthened her religious beliefs.

Roles of Men and Women in films

In the Mayordomia film, women do almost all of the work while men carry some heavy stuff then sit around most of the day.

Actions, dress, and interactions in films

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Amalgams of Cultural Influences in films

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Tongan Dance (Appearance and other's actions at family and public celebrations)

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How did migration affect religion in Teotitlan del Valle?

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Why did the French government prohibit scarfs in school?

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Tonga

Small's Subject Position (and the resulting relationships and results)

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Small's Research Techniques

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Daily life in Tonga in 1980's

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What were housing conditions like? What were daily activities?What were changes in tapa mat making and use of cash?

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What was tonga's original social structure? What are some major post european contact changes? What is the social structure now?

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Why were Tongans migrating? How did their lives change? What was life like in the U.S.?

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Compare experiences and views of Estea and Manu, their daughters, Malia and Atu, Palu/Emma, and Finau.

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What did being Tongan mean to these people?

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How did Eseta and Manu help other relatives?

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How did immigrants in the U.S. socialize and help each other?

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How did migration and remittance affect life, family, and religious celebrations in Tonga?

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Mechanisms of Change

Diffusion: borrowing of traits between cultures (can be direct or indirect)
Acculturation: exchange of cultural features through firsthand contact
Independent Invention: when humans solve similar problems in the same way
Globalization: change in the world because we are all interlinked

About this deck

By: Greg Lyon
Textbook:

Beautiful Flowers of the Maquiladora: Life Histories of Women Workers in Tijuana (Translations from Latin America Series)

Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors: Indigenous Models for International Development (Part of the Cultural Survival Studies in Ethincity and Change Series) (2nd Edition)

Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Voyages: From Tongan Villages to American Suburbs
Created: 2010-09-11
Size: 86 flashcards
Views: 516

About StudyBlue

“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj