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 ...

  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.  ...