FieldMethods2021

  IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF WRITING (1)  After watching the film, pick an aspect of "tradition" of the Toda and write detailed notes about it (2) watch the film again and take notes (3) Compare both sets of notes (4) compare your notes to others differences between writing (1) (field notes) from memory (lack of detail, and the potential to collapse events and time, among others) and (2) writing while actually in a place (noting more detail, movement of people throughout spaces, variations at different times of day, and other aspects of in-site descriptions).  the different possible perspectives on places and events, what anthropologists call positionality ;  the plethora of detail to be written about;  different writing styles;  differences in focus, writing more about people and their interactions versus writing more about the physical space.  all of these are important to consider when writing descriptive field notes, as well as the importance of writing during or as soon after

  Ethics   is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions of morality; ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.   The heart of ethics lies in the notion that every action generates a cause,  or consequence.  Consequentialism   is the idea that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action, regardless of the actors intentions (Anscombe 1958).  Ethics is a central concern in the field of anthropology because anthropological research investigates humans and the methods, results and conclusions produced by anthropological research can have a direct effect on living populations.   When designing a research project, the anthropologist, as the actor, must determine the potential consequences of the research action as well as the positive and negative outcomes that can emerge. Part of the challenge in making ethical decisions is the fact that anthropology has always been an activist discipline.  E. B. Tylor claimed that, “the science of culture is essent

                                                                      Chunky Marinara Drag as Inclusion/celebration: Sandy Beach : book newer queens to work with more experienced queens. The mentor thing, it is what we do. Mimi caused a bit of a stir…drag exploded. At the same time, Ru Paul has shoved drag into the mainstream. Its exploded now. Is Ru Paul’s drag race now setting the standard? Will it go back to being cookie cutter…marketting yourself for television instead of entertainment and performance. Cleophatra:  Drag is a celebration of everything, life, unity, inclusion…it should never be something that excludes. The only label I need is my name. Gender queer punk rock aret comedy, dance, camp, queens. Drag queens do not have to conform to a mold. The performance art community is very gender fluid in Philadelophia, in drag, burlesque everywhere. Drag can be cookie cutter or open. In AC, it is open Farrah: Its  our second high school…we were bullied in high school and now the dr

  What the hell do I do with all these fieldnotes? Discovering THEMES in your qualitative research: WORD-BASED TECHNIQUES (easy) TEXTUAL SCRUTINY (harder) ANALYZING LINGUISTIC FEATURES (not impossible) MANIPULATION OR THE TEXT (can't beat it- necessary) Word-based techniques  are typically a fast and efficient ways to start looking for themes, and are particularly useful at early stages of theme identification. These techniques are also easy for novice researchers to apply.  1. Word repetitions If you want to understand what people are talking about, look at the words they use. Words that occur a lot are often seen as being salient in the minds of respondents.  D'Andrade notes that "perhaps the simplest and most direct indication of schematic organization in naturalistic discourse is the repetition of associative linkages" (1991:294).  Anyone who has listened to long stretches of talk, whether generated by a friend, spouse, workmate, informant, or patient, knows how f

Assuming these widely-shared tales are not actually true, what makes them endure?  Urban legends are those fanciful tales that grip listeners and are spread widely across continents and oceans while repeated by individuals often claiming the facts reported in the tale happened to a “friend of a friend,” or are based on “facts” reported in news reports that the teller of the tale had allegedly read in the past.   A classic example of an enduring urban legend is the enduring tale of the blind, white alligators that inhabit the sewers of New York. In the legends, sun-seeking tourist return from Florida with pet alligators, small babies that quickly became unmanageable and their owners, unwilling to kill them, simply flush them down the toilet. In this environment rich in food (rats), but lacking in sunlight, the alligators became blind albinos, witnessed by the occasional unwary New Yorker of urban legend. they are not necessarily urban nor are they legends in the strict sense of the term