Field Ethnography: A Manual for Doing Cultural Anthropology

For undergraduate-level courses in Ethnographic Field Methods and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.

Unlike other ethnographic field manuals — which are either written for the graduate or professional levels or are narrowly restrictive in their methodological approach — this manual focuses specifically on the needs of introductory-level students. It takes them by the hand and leads them step-by-step through the entire process — through tasks that range from simple to complex and that invite students to use their own lives as tools to understand various categories of culture. This task-oriented and reflective approach makes this the first field manual to emphasize the investigative instrument (the ethnographer) as well as the cultural situations, informants, and techniques of analysis.

INTRODUCTION.

THE SMALL FIELD ASSIGNMENTS.

A Changing Block in Standale, Heather Danielkiewicz.In the Cracks, Evan Hill.The Block of Española, Adán Trujillo.
Tree Huggers, Jenny Irving.A Study of Automobile Terminology, Colleen Ximenes.“Oh American,” Brad Beall.Fighting the Bear, Tony Muñoz.
Isolation and the Pickup, Chris Lawler.A Drug Buy, Paul Thompson.Eyes to Heaven, Gay Boyer.
Roman Catholic Mass, Dana Curtis.In the Line of Duty, Alan N. Stewart.The Formal Farewell, Joshua Keilty.Leaving the House, Carla Miller.Psyching Up, Tony Muñoz.Friday Night, Bill Dunbar.The Family Breakfast, Renato Rosaldo.

THE BIG ETHNOGRAPHY.

Ethnography of Police Work in An Affluent Community, Otis Jeffrey White.North Elementary School, Jenny Irving and Michael Allen.Intensive Care: An Ethnography of a Critical Care Unit, Christopher Goodwin.Ethnography of a Greyhound Track: A Study on Social Stratification and Die Hards, Stephanie Smith.Women of the Night: An Ethnography of the Women Who Work at Kitty's, Elizabeth Cunningham and Kathryn Hayes.The Dale House: Finding a Family in the System,Jennifer Sands.Bijou House, Andrew D. Lewis.Denny's: A Discovery of the Night People, Jack Denman.Bibliography.

• Offers a task- and student-centered, reflective approach that is deliberately low on theory but substantive in experience, insight, creativity, and critical thinking.

  • Encourages student ethnographers to seek topics which relate to their past experience and their hopes for future careers, and to be reflective without mistaking “navel-gazing” for ethnographic description.

• Provides five graded field assignments — class-tested over many years — that help students develop skills cumulatively.

  • Assignments build from one that is exceptionally easy, through those at an intermediate level, to one that will challenge the most gifted students.

  • Assignments include Small Field Assignments (Map of a Block, Private Language, Body Language, Ritual) and The Big Ethnography (Choosing a Scene, Working with Informants, Analysis and Interpretation, Writing the Paper).

• Illustrates assignments with student papers (Illustrated Ethnographies).

• Highlights Pitfalls to Avoid.

  • Describes false leads which the author and his students have followed and from which they have learned.

• Contains Further in the Same Direction sections — a statement about the part of ethnology to which each assignment relates, with bibliographic leads.

• Lists Rules for Breaking the Rules — indicating ways to succeed in interpreting assignments creatively, even at the expense of violating the procedures described.