Lecture Notes on Fieldwork in Anthropology

Introduction to Fieldwork

• Definition:
  • Fieldwork is a term borrowed from the Natural Sciences, contrasting with lab work.
  • Involves talking, observing conversations, and participating alongside subjects.
  • Aims at connecting social and cultural aspects not automatically connected.

Purpose of Fieldwork

• Gather non-apparent information by being present and engaging regularly.
• Offers insights into people's lives by gaining trust and participating in their cultural practices.

Case Studies

Haitian Social Service Organization

• Location: Greater Boston area.
• Purpose: To study how Haitian refugees and immigrants adapt to new systems, cultures, and languages.
• Research Questions:
  • What does it mean to be an American or a citizen for immigrants?
  • How do Haitians establish new lives in a foreign country?

Farmstead and Artisan Cheese Making

• Location: Londonderry, Vermont.
• Focus: Culture and economy of cheese making in the US.
• Topics of Interest:
  • Learning processes of cheese making.
  • Definitions and characteristics of artisan cheese.
  • Role of sensory experiences and expertise in cheese making.

Marine Biology Fieldwork

• Activities:
  • Engaging in laboratory and fieldwork with marine biologists.
  • Participating in research cruises and diving with research submersibles.
• Objective:
  • Understand scientists' perspectives on the ocean amid environmental crises like global warming.
  • Study the production of authoritative knowledge about oceans.

Challenges in Fieldwork

• Health Information for Undocumented Immigrants:
  • Difficulty in providing adequate health information to undocumented individuals due to citizenship requirements.
  • Citizenship, legal knowledge, and rights are crucial for security and access to services.

Ethical and Moral Questions in Anthropology

• Focus Areas:
  • Law, health, power relations between sexes.
  • Discrimination against immigrants and their experiences in "gray areas" of legality.

Methodologies

• Participant Observation:
  • Engaging directly in activities like cheese making to understand the physical demands of work.
  • Using firsthand experience to inform research questions.

Evolution of Fieldwork Practices

• Integration of Lab and Fieldwork:
  • Iterative cycle of observing, predicting, and testing in field settings.
  • Similarities between ethnographic and oceanographic research in representing complex environments.

Conclusion

• Fieldwork allows researchers to uncover underlying aspects of social life.
• Establishing trust and experiential involvement are key to successful anthropological research.