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SOCI 102/122
Diversity of Peoples and
Cultures
Session 11 – METHODS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL
INQUIRY
Lecturer: Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, UG
Contact Information: [email protected]
College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
2014/2015 – 2016/2017
Session Overview
Introduction
In one sense the course Diversity of Peoples and Cultures can be regarded an introduction
to a sub-discipline of Sociology called Social Anthropology, also known as Cultural
Anthropology. Therefore, in this final two sessions we want to introduce you to Methods of
Anthropological Inquiry. There are many methods which anthropologists use to study
different cultures, communities and societies. In studying other peoples who are usually not
part of us and our world, we must make sure that we respect them and their views; we
don’t violate their world, their sacred places; we tell the truth about them, we protect
them from harm, and we leave them with goodwill that others can also come and study
them. These considerations are captured under the term ethical issues. As researchers we
need to understand these issues.
Goals and Objectives
• At the end of the session, the student will be able to:
• explain why cultural anthropologists (American) or social anthropologists (British) and
indeed social scientists have to conduct research
• what specific methods cultural and social anthropologists adopt in the field
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 2
Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:
• Topic One: Social and Cultural Anthropologists and Research
• Topic Two : The Field Work
• Topic Three: Methods of Gathering Data in the Field
• Topic Four: Anthropological Approaches to Analyzing Culture
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 3
Reading List
•
Assimeng, M. (1999), Social Structure of Ghana, Tema, Ghana Publishing
Corporation.
•
Kottak, C. P. (2004), Cultural Anthropology, Boston, McGraw Hill Corporation.
•
Kottak, C. P. (2004), Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity, Boston,
McGraw Hill Corporation.
•
Nolan, P. & G. Lenski, (2004 or any of the newer editions), Human Societies: An
introduction to macrosociology, Boulder Paradigm Publishers.
•
Nukunya, G. K. (2006), Tradition and change in Ghana: An introduction to
sociology, Accra, Ghana University Press.
•
Sanderson, S. K. & A. S. Alderson (2005 or its newer editions), World societies:
the evolution of human life, Boston, Pearson Education Inc.
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 4
Topic One: Social and Cultural Anthropologists and
Research
Research on other people and cultures is a central activity of all cultural or social
anthropologists
• In order to understand how diversify peoples and cultures are, it is important to
have fieldwork through which researchers studies in detail holistically and
comparatively different peoples and cultures.
•
Because they have traditionally been interested in earlier forms of society, that is,
simple or traditional societies, social and cultural anthropologists have built
distinctive research methods.
•
These methods are mainly fieldwork and the comparative method.
•
In recent times, however, they also do surveys as they enter into the study of
modern and large-scale societies, including urban environments.
•
It is also important that the studies are compared cross-culturally to bring
similarities and differences .
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 5
Topic Two: The Fieldwork
The Fieldwork is the basic tool anthropologists irrespective of specializations, employ to undertake their
studies.
•
Fieldwork is a study that involves firsthand detailed observation, in a natural setting of whatever is
under investigation: people and cultures, etc. Because of this, field work takes a relatively long time
to accomplish.
•
Traditionally, anthropological researchers spend many years on the field—two to four years on the
field, learning the languages and cultures of the people to be able to communicate and understand
them firsthand.
•
The report from such detailed investigation is called an ethnography and the researchers are called
ethnographers.
•
Fieldwork also involves cross-cultural comparison: that is, the examination of the varied ways in
which some aspect of human life or culture of a people under investigation is viewed or treated in
other cultures
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 6
Topic Three: Methods of Gathering Data in the
Field
The specific methods for gathering data during the
fieldwork include:
• Observation
• Participant Observation
• Conversation
• Interviewing
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 7
Topic Three: Methods of Gathering Data in the
Field Survey Research (cont’d)
The other methods for gathering data in the field are:
• Genealogical Method
• Life Histories
• Key Cultural Consultants
• Longitudinal Research
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 8
Topic Four: Anthropological Approaches to
Analyzing Culture
The main goal of the ethnographer is to discover and describe local
beliefs and perceptions of other societies. In this endeavour, the
researcher analyzes his or her study from two comparative angles. The
etic and emic perspectives
• Etic perspective: This is the research approach in which the
ethnographer’s rather than the locals’ explanations, categories and
criteria, are used for analyzing the culture and life of the people
being studied (etic: the scientist’s perspective)
• Emic perspective: This is the opposite of the Etic perspective. It is
the research approach that focuses on the interpretations,
explanations and criteria of the local people (the local people’s
perspective).
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 9
Conclusion
In this session you have:
• Learnt about the importance of research in other
cultures to social and cultural anthropologists;
• Learnt about the Field Work as the main research
approach of these scientists;
• Leant a wide range of methods of gathering data in the
field
• Distinguish between emic and etic perspectives for
analyzing and interpreting cultures and practices
Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG
Slide 10