Introducing Anthropology. Laura Pountney

in which assimilation occurs; it is also often hastened by intermarriage and by de-emphasizing cultural and or biological differences

      covert observation When a study is carried out ‘under cover’: the researcher’s identity and purpose of research are concealed from the group

      digital anthropology The anthropological study of relationship between humans and the digital era technology

      digital ethnography This is an approach to ethnographic practice that accounts for the relationship between the digital, material and physical elements of human activities, experiences and environments

      empirical Verifiable through the senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste), either directly or through extensions (reliance on observable and quantifiable data)

      fieldwork The first-hand observation of human societies

      gatekeeper A person who controls access to a research site

      informal (unstructured) interviews An unstructured question-and-answer session in which the informant is encouraged to follow his or her own train of thought, wherever it may lead

      informant A person who provides information about his or her culture to the ethnographic fieldworker

      interviewer bias When an interviewer’s opinions or approach to questioning direct the discussion, steering the conversation away from what the interviewee wants to talk about

      participant observation When a researcher takes part in the everyday life of the group while observing it

      reflexivity The process of reflection on the research process

      social media ethnography Ethnography that engages with internet practices and content directly, but not exclusively

PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

      Conduct a mini-fieldwork project on places of worship within your own religious or other community. Religion often guides human behaviour and regulates interactions between human beings and their environment. Because religion is a complex mix of behaviours, material items, beliefs and people, places of worship can be ideal settings for the study of the total integration of culture, settings in which you can bring your own knowledge and background into your observations.

      In order to gain an idea of regular practices at the place of worship you have chosen, you should attend for at least three services and also conduct an interview with a religious leader. It is essential to ask consent of this leader before attending services and clearly explain your role as a student observer rather than as a potential member.

Guidelines for observation

      Record the following information:

      1 The physical layout and material culture of the service:If allowed, take photos of the place of worship and any rituals observed.

      2 The human dimension of the service:What is the ethnicity of the people attending?Are there more male or more female participants? Are they young/old?Are there any majority or minority groups?Are people clustered in groups by age or sex?

      3 The service itself:What kind of music is used, if any?Who is leading the ceremony?What is the time of day?What is the style of audience participation?

      1 The following are some questions to ask the leader of the place of worship:What are his/her reasons for becoming a minister/imam/priest?What is her/his education and training for this position?What is her/his experience of being the leader of the particular place of worship?

      Using your field data, write a descriptive narrative essay on both the place of worship and the community of which it was a part. Include some ideas of your methodology. How did you get the information you needed? How did you start making connections with people? How did you portray your research to them? Did you use questionnaires, open interviews, etc.? What sorts of questions did you ask?

Suggested further sources

       Books and articles

      Abidin, C. (2018) Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Emerald Publishing Limited.

      Abidin, C. and L. B. Megan (2018) Microcelebrity Around the Globe: Approaches to Cultures of Internet Fame. Emerald Publishing Limited.

      Aull, D. C. (2008) Reflexive Ethnography: A Guide to Researching Selves and Others, 2nd edn. Routledge.

      Coates, J. (2017) ‘So hot right now: Reflections on virality and sociality from transnational digital China’, Digital Culture and Society 3(2): 77–98.

      Gershon, I. 2017. Down and Out in the New Economy. Chicago University Press.

      Hammersley, M. and P. Atkinson (2007[1990]) Ethnography: Principles in Practice, 3rd edn. Routledge.

      Horst, H. and D. Miller (2012) Digital Anthropology. Berg Publishers.

      Jeffrey, S. A. and A. Robben (eds) (2007) Ethnographic Fieldwork: An Anthropological Reader. Blackwell.

      Kutsche, P. (1998) Field Ethnography: A Manual for Doing Cultural Anthropology. Prentice-Hall.

      Leaver, T., T. Highfield and C. Abidin (2020) Instagram: Visual Social Media Cultures. Polity.

      Marvin, G. (1994[1988]) Bullfight: A Study of Human and Animal Nature in Andalusia. University of Illinois Press.

McDonald, T. (2016) Social Media in Rural China Social Networks and Moral Frameworks. UCL Press.

      Miller, D., E. Costa, N. Haynes, T. McDonald, R. Nicolescu, … X. Wang (2016) How the World Changed Social Media. UCL Press.

      Morris, B. (2000) The Power of Animals: An Ethnography. Routledge.

      Murakami, H. (2003) Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. Vintage.

      Nardi, B. (2010) My Life as a Night Elf Priest: An Anthropological Account of World of Warcraft. University of Michigan Press.

      Ntarangwi, M. (2010) Reversed Gaze: An African Ethnography of American Anthropology. University of Illinois Press.

      Pertierra, A. (2017) Media Anthropology for the Digital Age. Polity.

      Pink, S. et al. (2015) Digital Ethnography, Principles and Practice. Sage.

      Postill, J. (2018) The Rise of Nerd Politics Digital Activism and Political Change. Pluto Press.

      Pype, K. (2016) ‘“[Not] Talking like a Motorola”: Mobile phone practices and politics of masking and unmasking in postcolonial Kinshasa’, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 22(3), 633–52.

       Ethnographic film

      Mobail Goroka (2018), directed by Jackie Kauli

       Websites

      Alan Macfarlane, anthropological fieldwork – a personal account: www.alanmacfarlane.com/FILES/films.html

      Anthrodendum: https://anthrodendum.org

      Anthropology of Smartphones and Ageing: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/assa/

      ASSA blog: