Chapter 3

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Riverside City College *

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Anthropology

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Oct 30, 2023

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1. If you were to conduct anthropological fieldwork anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would you study? Why? Which ethnographic techniques would you use? What kinds of ethical considerations would you likely encounter? How would you disseminate your research? 2. What is unique about ethnographic fieldwork and how did it emerge as a key strategy in anthropology? 3. How do traditional approaches to ethnographic fieldwork contrast with contemporary approaches? 4. What are some of the contemporary ethnographic fieldwork techniques and perspectives and why are they important? 5. What are some of the ethical considerations in doing anthropological fieldwork and why are they important? 6. How do anthropologists transform their fieldwork data into a story that communicates meaning? How are reflexivity and polyvocality changing the way anthropologists communicate their work? 1. I would like to conduct anthropological fieldwork in Guatemala because of the mystery of the abandoned Mayan civilization. In a deeper context, I would like to study how Mayan descendants preserve their culture today despite their disappearance thousands of years ago and the social and political challenges they experienced from the Guatemalan government. I would utilize ethnographic techniques such as interviews and participant observation to obtain first-hand accounts of how these descendants have been impacted. By conducting this research and obtaining consent from the studied group, I would disseminate my findings through an informative research paper, so that future generations could read and analyze my results and can further contribute or dispute certain topics. 2. Ethnographic fieldwork is unique because researchers can engage with a particular community through first-hand observation; therefore, this strategy significantly assists anthropologists by allowing them to understand complex cultures, beliefs, and practices among the people being studied compared to general theorization. 3. Contemporary ethnographic fieldwork differs from the traditional method since modern anthropologists study communities through a holistic approach in comparison to collecting information from existing published research. 4. Participant observation and autoethnography are contemporary ethnographic fieldwork techniques that allow anthropologists to immerse themselves in the community they are studying and will enable them to reflect on how the community's culture impacted their reflection. These techniques are important because different perspectives from anthropologists can foster a deeper understanding of cultures we are not familiar with.

5. Informed consent from the participants and respecting the cultural practices and beliefs of those involved in the study are crucial when conducting anthropological fieldwork. These procedures are necessary because, as an outsider, we must respect all aspects of the participants' lives because we observe their fundamental practices. 6. Fieldwork can become a story by transforming the data into one that engages with the reader by incorporating multiple perspectives and reflections.

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