Culture and Ethnography What is Culture? “The more or less integrated systems of ideas, feelings, and values and their associated patterns of behavior and products shared by a group of people who organize and regulate what they think, feel and do.” – Paul G. Hiebert

Culture and Ethnography What is Culture? An integrated system

Culture and Ethnography

Culture and Ethnography What is Culture? A system of ideas, feelings, and values

Culture and Ethnography

Culture and Ethnography What is Culture? Patterns of behavior and products shared by a group of people

Culture and Ethnography What is Culture? Organize and regulate what they think, feel and do

Culture and Ethnography Challenges to Learning About Cultures

Culture and Ethnography Challenges to Learning About Cultures We tend to focus on the most obvious things.

What do you see?

Culture and Ethnography Challenges to Learning About Cultures We tend to focus on the most obvious things. We tend to jump to conclusions, make quick interpretations for behavior, and make value judgments about behavior.

Behavior is just the “tip of the iceberg” of culture

What is the relationship between the things that are below the surface and the things that are above the surface?

Culture and Ethnography Terminology: Enculturation: The process a child goes through learning his/her own culture. Inculturation: The process of an outsider learning a new culture. Acculturation: Normally used of the effect of one culture on another culture but some anthropologists seem to use it in place of Inculturation as well.

Culture and Ethnography Terminology: Ethnocentrism: Interpreting and evaluating customs of another culture by the standard of one’s own culture. Cultural Relativism: Interpreting and evaluating customs of a culture by standards within that culture.

Culture and Ethnography Two key perspectives on culture: Emic: The insider's perspective of a culture. Etic: The outsider's perspective on a culture.

Culture and Ethnography Worldview and Culture: “Worldviews are part of cultures. They are the substructures on which cultures are built.” - Paul G. Hiebert, Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008, 80.

Culture and Ethnography “A worldview is the most fundamental and encompassing view of reality shared by a people in a common culture. It is their mental picture of reality that ‘makes sense’ of the world around them. This worldview is based on foundational assumptions about the nature of reality, the ‘givens’ of life, and clothes these belief systems with an aura of certainty that this is, in fact, the way reality is. To question worldviews is to challenge the very foundations of life, and people resist such challenges with deep emotional reactions. There are few human fears greater than a loss of a sense of order and meaning. People are willing to die for their beliefs if these beliefs make their death meaningful.” - Hiebert, 2008, 84.

Culture and Ethnography

Culture and Ethnography What is Ethnography? http://vimeo.com/3248398

Culture and Ethnography What is Ethnography? “Ethnography is the work of describing a culture. The central aim of ethnography is to understand another way of life from the native point of view.” – James Spradley, Participant Observation, New York: Rinehart and Winston, 1980, 3.

Culture and Ethnography What is Ethnography? Ethnography is a form of research focused on the qualitative properties of observation. Subjective and less focused on numbers and statistics.

Culture and Ethnography What is Ethnography? Ethnography is a form of research focused on the qualitative properties of observation. Subjective and less focused on numbers and statistics. Ethnographic studies focus on compiling data about human cultures and societies around the world.

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation Long-term engagement in the field setting or place where the ethnography takes place

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation Long-term engagement in the field setting or place where the ethnography takes place Participates in life of setting they are observing

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation Long-term engagement in the field setting or place where the ethnography takes place Participates in life of setting they are observing Describes what they experience in a “detached” way

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation Non-Participant Observation

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation Non-Participant Observation data is collected by observing behavior without interacting with the participants

Culture and Ethnography Types of Ethnography Participant Observation Non-Participant Observation data is collected by observing behavior without interacting with the participants researcher stays uninvolved and conducts research from an outside perspective

Culture and Ethnography Two basic phases: Observation: descriptive of social situations one observes and/or participates in. Interpretation: analyzing what you have observed. These two phases cycle – interpretation leads to more focused observation and more focused observation refines the interpretation.

Culture and Ethnography Observation vs. Interpretation (Inference) Observation: using one or more of your five senses to know or determine something.

Culture and Ethnography Observation vs. Interpretation (Inference) Observation: using one or more of your five senses to know or determine something. Interpretation: making an explanation for the observation.

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Observation

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Observation Take notes during the observation if you can. If this isn’t possible record observations as soon as you can.

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Observation Take notes during the observation if you can. If this isn’t possible record observations as soon as you can. Be detailed and specific.

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Observation Take notes during the observation if you can. If this isn’t possible record observations as soon as you can. Be detailed and specific. Resist urge to interpret what you see at this point.

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Interpretation

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Interpretation Interpretation involves finding patterns and lessons in what you observed.

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Interpretation Interpretation involves finding patterns and lessons in what you observed. Ask questions about your observations – as many as you can think of.

Culture and Ethnography Guidelines for Interpretation Interpretation involves finding patterns and lessons in what you observed. Ask questions about your observations – as many as you can think of. The questions are endless!

Culture and Ethnography Questions to Ask How does the group use spoken language? How does the group use written language? Why does this group meet? What is their purpose? What does one get from being a member? What beliefs, values, or tastes does this group share? Do their specific actions demonstrate those beliefs, values or tastes? How does this group act towards each other? Do they treat each other differently than they would in other circumstances? How does this group see its place in the larger community? How do they define themselves in relation to other groups?

Culture and Ethnography Questions to Ask See Descriptive Question Matrix in “Participant Observation as a Culture Learning Tool

Culture and Ethnography Tools/Methods How to Map a People COATS Participant Observation as a culture learning tool

Culture and Ethnography Fast Food Society 4 Culture Game Muslim Community Visit Ethnic Church Visits

Culture and Ethnography Fast Food Society