Ethnographic Production: Fieldwork, Text and Audience.

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Ethnographic Production Fieldwork, Text and
Audience.

• The anthropologists long-term participation
  encourages
• grounded knowledge which is then used
  vicariously as a
• means of comprehending others experience
  (Hastrup and
• Hervik 1994 62).
• I begin to understand the other culture, not on
  the basis of
• accumulated data(that are by themselves empty
  understandings),
• but when I can relate to my informants
  dialogically, such that
• their actions make reasonable sense to me, as
  mine to them
• (Obeyesekere 1990 226).

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Overview of Ethnographic fieldwork

• History of fieldwork in anthropology
• 1. Participant observation
• A. Explicit Recorded or formal
• B. Tacit personal experience personal
  belief

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We all are participant observers of culture.

• Anthropologists
• 1. Systematic use of data
• A. Intentionality
• a. Theoretical inquiry

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The Ethnographic experience cannot be taken at
face value but must be studied in its sensational
depth (Hastrup and Hervik 1994 224).

• 1. Non-verbal knowledge
• 2. Embodied knowledge
• 3. Learning by doing and experiencing, comparing
• Through particular procedures recording
  observations

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Origins of Participant Observation

• Armchair Anthropologists
• .1. no clear methodology
• 2. detachment from subjects
• Malinowski
• 1. emphasis on everyday interaction
• 2. established relationship between theory
  and method

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Malinowskis three standard themes

• 1. Culture and context
• 2. Importance on Etic approach
• 3. Cultural particularism

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First Culture and context integration

• Aspects of culture cannot be study in isolation
• Put into proper context local
• Ethnographer needs to be present

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Two etic approach

• Scientifically verification of informal
  descriptions
• Emic Approach local-oriented approach to
  anthropological investigations.
• Etic Approach Scientific-oriented approach to
  anthropological investigations.

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Third cultural particularism

• When one put the primitive action into its
  proper context (cultural particularism) one would
  understand that his action is reasonable.
• Against racism and ethnocentrism

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Key elements of the method of participant
observation

• 1. Living in the context for an extended period
  of time
• 2. Learning and using local languages and dialect
• 3. Actively participating in a wide range of
  daily routines
• and extraordinary activities with people in
  that context.
• 4. Using everyday conversations as interview
  techniques
• 5. Informally observing during leisure
  activities)
• 6. Recording observations in the field notes
• 7. Using both tacit and explicit information in
  analysis and
• writing

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Contextualization of participants

• Positionality situated knowledge produced by
  positioned actors
• Context positionality and history
• Harowitzs example identities

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Participant observation and ethical issues

• Not full prof method
• One among others
• Problems with many types of audiences

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Overview of field research

• Beginning the fieldwork process Selection of
  project, funding Preparing for the field
• Working in the Field Site selection, gaining
  rapport Exchanges and gift giving, factors
  influencing fieldwork, culture shock
• Fieldwork techniques theoretical considerations,
  interviews and questionnaires
• Recording Culture field notes, tape recording,
  photography, videos and films
• Data analysis analysing data, writing process