Overview
Applied Anthropology Capstone 1: Ethnology
This assignment asks you to apply the methods of cultural anthropology or ethnology to create an analysis. You will engage in participant observation of a place and practice where you can observe a cultural practice. In order to do this, you need to identify a cultural group of any kind, and find a place where you can take part in and observe a practice. Some places you might consider are: sporting events, clubs, restaurants, performances, gatherings at parks or other public venues, meetup groups, or local events around a particular interest such as genealogy, crafting, outdoor recreation, etc. Find an event you can participate in comfortably. After the event, you will do some research, formalize you field notes, and carry out an analysis.
Objectives:
- Effectively use the concept of culture to identify a cultural practice (ACE 6)
- Employ the methods of cultural anthropology to make detailed observations (ACE 6)
- Analyse cultural practices to identify similarities and differences across cultural groups in their shared practices (ACE 9)
Assignment Breakdown:
- Field Notes (2-4 pages of a variety of media): your notes, pictures, and impressions. Your field notes can be bullets, video, sketches, or other forms. Make sure you include:
- Event name and brief summary
- Date, time, place
- How do you identify the participants
- Any explanations that were provided, including if you asked questions of group members about the things you were observing
- Observations to include at least some of the following, plus other things that stand out to you
- Greetings
- Clothing or adornment
- Rituals or practices such as songs, celebrations, etc
- Communication norms like slang, jargon, tone, style of speech, etc
- Shared knowledge needed to participate
- Shared beliefs or norms of behavior
- Analysis (~800-1200 words): In your analysis, discuss what your familiarity with the group and event was before your fieldwork, what you observed, and how you can understand some of what ties together the members of this group through a shared culture. What did you see that stood out as shared, learned knowledge and behavior? Also share how additional research on the group, their history, or the history of the event helped you better understand what you were seeing. Provide a brief summary of what cultural traits and values are exemplified by this event or activity of the cultural group and how they may be similar or different from other cultural practices you know or have read about.
- Bibliography: List 2-4 sources that you consulted to provide better history and understanding of the group.