Participation Observation

598 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cultural anthropology Study

Human interactions, behaviors, languages, structures, art, society as a whole is incredibly fascinating. Each society has its own way of living, or culture, that has been developed over the years with a plethora of influences such as the geography, food, and ideologies of the society’s people. As the book Cultural Anthropology states, “Culture shapes everything that humans do, and a particular culture is conventionally attributed to a particular people and a particular place.”
Religion is a significant aspect of culture, as the people are inspired to create beautiful art, rituals, eat/cook certain food, music, dances, and unusual behaviors that had originated from religion. A compelling enigma that is fueled by religion lies within the Amazon rainforest, Brazil. A particular tribe had captivated my interest, the …show more content…

A successful anthropologist, while on fieldwork at an artisan cheesemaker in Vermont, says “We participate, we watch, we use our own subjective and firsthand experience. So when I’m helping make cheese, that’s participant observation which is an important part of fieldwork.” Fieldwork is defined as “the anthropological method of traveling to the society one wants to study and living there for a prolonged period of time to collect data first-hand.” As I continue participating at the fieldsite during rituals and other religious traditions, I would become curious and naturally become inquisitive instead of strictly doing a structured

Show More
Related

  • The Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Miller-Thayer, Jennifer. “Religion and Belief Systems.”Class Lecture. Anthrology 3: Cultural Anthropology. Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga. 06 March. 2014

    Read More

  • Culture Baggage By Barbara Ehrenreich Summary

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    Culture often means an appreciation of the finer things in life; however, culture brings members of a society together. We have a sense of belonging because we share similar beliefs, values, and attitudes about what’s right and wrong. As a result, culture changes as people adapt to their surroundings. According to Bishop Donald, “let it begin with me and my children and grandchildren” (211). Among other things, culture influences what you eat; how you were raised and will raise your own children? If, when, and whom you will marry; how you make and spend money. Truth is culture is adaptive and always changing over time because

    Read More

  • Yanomamo Tribe

    1267 Words  | 3 Pages

    My name is Eric Dunning and this is my proposal to go and study the Yanomamo tribe in the rain forests of Brazil. I have compiled a historical outline of the Yanomamo tribe and some of their religion and culture, ranging from marital status to the type of food they eat. I have chosen this tribe because according to many anthropologists the Yanomamo are perhaps the last culture to have come in contact with the modern world.

    Read More

  • Gardens In The Dunes: An Analysis

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    Often it seems that in our day and age religion has taken a back seat to science and reason. Many see religion in the same context as folklore, mythology, or as merely moral philosophy. I think this is especially true in the United States of any religion that is not mainstream Protestant Christianity. Even Christianity is not as strong as it once was. However, it does bear relevance in our lives, because the majority of people in the United States still practice some form of Protestantism. However, the focus of this paper is Native American religion as presented in Gardens in the Dunes as a counter to the progress of Protestantism and science. Specifically, I will be looking at the scene of the coming of the Messiah. What is interesting about

    Read More

  • Theme Of Social Structure In The Journey Of Ibn Fattouma

    1748 Words  | 4 Pages

    The culture of a community invariably determines the social structures and the formation of a society. Developed over time, culture is the collection of beliefs and values that a group of people maintain together. Culture is never constant, and thought to be continually renewed over years as new ideas and concepts become mainstream. It ranges from how people live, day to day topics for conversations, religion, and even entertainment. It is analogous to guidelines, or the rulebook of the said group of people. Society, on the other hand, emanates from the social structure of the community. It is the very institutions to which create a regulated and acceptable form of interaction between peoples. Indeed, culture and society are so perversely intertwined in a

    Read More

  • Participant Observation in Anthropology

    1760 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of the major advantages of participant observation is the ability of the anthropologist to gain access to events, locations and intimate situations where outside observers would not be allowed. DeMunk and Sobo (1998) describe some benefits of the observation method over alternative methods of anthropological data collection including the fact that it allows admission to the “backstage culture” (DeMunk and Sobo 1998 p.43), it allows for intimately detailed description, and provides the anthropologist with opportunities to be a part of all events. DeWalt and DeWalt (2002 p.92) also suggest that it increases the quality of the data that has been collected and the interpretation of the anthropologist, as well as analysis of that data and assisting in the development of new research questions and hypotheses. However, DeMunk and Sobo (1998) also address some disadvantages of using the particip...

    Read More

  • Native American Religion Essay

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    Their convictions were not comprehended and the intricacy of their religion was not seen. This was somewhat the aftereffect of not having a composed arrangement of rules. In the place of ministers and pastors were shaman and medicine men. These men were sometimes said to speak with the divine beings. They were astute and experienced and they delighted in a larger amount of status among their groups. They had essential parts in choices, functions, and customs. "The culture, values and traditions of native people amount to more than crafts and carvings. Their respect for the wisdom of their elders, their concept of family responsibilities extending beyond the nuclear family to embrace a whole village, their respect for the environment, their willingness to share - all of these values persist within their own culture even though they have been under unremitting pressure to abandon them(Berger, paragraph

    Read More

  • Participant Observation In Anthropology

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anthropologists conduct fieldwork by studying people, their behaviours, and their culture. This is done in the field by actively striving to interpret and understand the world from the perspective of those studied (Powdermaker, 1968, Keesing 1981). Anthropological participant-observation includes a “deep immersion into the life of a people” (Keesing, 1981 p.16) with an aim to produce an ethnography that accurately details the experience in a holistic and valuable style (Powdermaker, 1968, Keesing 1981). Generally, full participation in a culture is thought to reduce the interference the researcher has on the behaviour of the informants (Seymour- Smith, 1986). Participant-observation is still widely used by anthropologists as it offers deeply insightful real world accounts which are difficult to achieve using other methods (Seymour-Smith, 1986, Li,

    Read More

  • Social Observation Essay

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thinking about normal social interactions and normal social behaviors, I think of comfortable. When I sit down with a friend, a usual routine is followed, “Hey, how are you, what’s new?” (e.g. My turn, your turn). These questions between my friend and I include eye contact, attention, and facial expression. Usually, I feel that I give my friend my undivided attention. Other normal characteristics include: remembering what the person has just said so a comment can be made, as well as each comment is appropriate and in relation to the current topic. Moreover, the duration between each question or comment is short.

    Read More

  • Indigenous Religions of the World

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    Indigenous religions exist in every climate around the world and exhibit a wide range of differences in their stories, language, customs, and views of the afterlife. Within indigenous communities, religion, social behavior, art, and music are so intertwined that their religion is a significant part of their culture and virtually inseparable from it. These religions originally developed and thrived in isolation from one another and are some of the earliest examples of religious practice and belief. The modern world; however, has taken its toll on these groups and many of their stories, customs, and beliefs have been lost to, or replaced by, those brought in as a result of popular culture and the missionary work of Christians and Muslims.

    Read More

  • The Concept Of Culture In Kluckhohn's What Is Culture

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his essay, “What is Culture?”, Kluckhohn explains the differences and similarities amongst world’s peoples. To support his explanation of the differences and similarities he provides the concept of culture. It is difficult to give this concept a precise definition because the word “culture” is a broad term. Kluckhohn allows the reader to understand the concept of culture by providing examples of cultural differences along with some anthropological evidence to support his views.

    Read More

  • Relativity In Anthropology

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    Clifford Geertz once said: “Cultural analysis is intrinsically incomplete. And, worse than that, the more deeply it goes the less complete it is.” I recently spent a short amount of time at a busy 5-way traffic circle near my residence. While sitting in one spot for about 25 minutes, I observed many people doing many different things (mainly driving). Observing the various people made me think of what their particular cultures may have been, and from there, I began thinking of culture in and of itself. What is culture? Culture is defined as: Ideas and behaviors that are learned and transmitted. Nongenetic means of adaptation (Park, 2008). Culture plays a vital role in anthropology. After all, anthropology is the holistic, scientific study of humankind (Park, 2008). One cannot study humans as a whole without studying and understanding their cultures as well.

    Read More

  • Audience Analysis Participation

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Audience Analysis and Participation Communication is a critical thinking process done in a variety of ways across different cultures settings using various channels to convey a message. Communication is the exchange of information using both verbal and nonverbal demonstrative langue. A message involves a sender and channel for the delivery and a receiver. Communication is a form of passing information from one person to the next and from one place to another by acknowledging the sender’s intent, comprehending the context of the message, and acting upon it to be able to create shared understanding.

    Read More

  • Culture And Socialization

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society. Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to society's shared values, and contribute to society. Thus, culture includes many societal aspects: language, customs, values, norms, mores, rules, tools, technologies, products, organizations, and institutions. Sociologists define society as the people who interact in such a way as to share a common culture. The term society can also have a geographic meaning and refer to people who share a common culture in a particular location. For example, people living in arctic climates developed different cultures from those living in desert cultures.Culture and society are intricately related. A culture consists of the “objects” of a society, whereas a society consists of the people who share a common culture.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Impact Of Globalization On Culture

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects and behavior. It includes the ideas, value, customs and artifacts of a group of people (Schaefer, 2002). Culture is a pattern of human activities and the symbols that give these activities significance. It is what people eat, how they dress, beliefs they hold and activities they engage in. It is the totality of the way of life evolved by a people in their attempts to meet the challenges of living in their environment, which gives order and meaning to their social, political, economic, aesthetic and religious norms and modes of organization thus distinguishing people from their neighbors.

    Read More

More about Participation Observation

Open Document