AN101 Lecture Notes - Ethnocentrism, Cultural Anthropology, Scientific Method
Document Summary
Fieldwork not only broadens anthropological understandings of cultural worlds but also transforms the self-understandings of anthropologists and the people whom they world. Before and after anthropologists enter the field, researchers consult published literature and archives relevant to their research. Sometimes the use questionnaires and psychological tests, but they never rely solely on such methods because, by itself, the information they produce cannot be contextualized and may be highly misleading. Therefore, anthropologists generally engage in methods of participant observation. It involves direct, face-to-face interaction between the researcher and their local research partners, as they go about their daily lives. It is the most productive method available to anthropologists who seek a holistic understanding of culture and the human condition. A projects success often depends on the researcher s ability to obtain authorization to work in a particular place and acceptance from the people who will be participants in the study.
