Deck 3: Fieldwork and Ethnography

Question 1

The author suggests that anthropology is unique among other disciplines such as economics or history because the anthropological perspective begins with

A) statistics.
B) trends.
C) people.
D) records.

Answer 1

people.

Question 2

Margaret Mead's talent for blending fieldwork with dynamic writing about gender roles provided her with the authority and opportunity to become an important ________ anthropologist.

A) synchronic
B) experimental
C) evolutionary
D) public

Answer 2

public

Question 3

The significant difference between quantitative and qualitative data is that qualitative data

A) is more difficult to obtain.
B) cannot be counted.
C) is subject to the bias of the ethnographer.
D) is only obtained via direct conversation.

Answer 3

cannot be counted.

Question 4

Annette Weiner

A) conducted a restudy of the Trobriand Islands.
B) researched social life among the Nuer of Africa.
C) studied the effects of colonialism in Puerto Rico.
D) examined sexuality in Samoa.

Question 5

The key difference between Henry Lewis Morgan and Edward Burnett Tylor,two early anthropologists,is that Tylor conducted his research

A) through careful examination of older literature and maps.
B) by publishing a large number of books that were widely read.
C) by applying statistical methods to the accounts of others.
D) in his favorite armchair.

Question 6

The author writes that the roots of cultural anthropology and ethnographic fieldwork lie in

A) biological models.
B) philosophical debates.
C) laboratory experiments.
D) late nineteenth-century globalization.

Question 7

What was Nancy Scheper-Hughes's role in Alto do Cruzeiro when she first arrived there?

A) social science research assistant
B) part of Doctors without Borders
C) Peace Corps volunteer
D) elementary school teacher

Question 8

Anthropologists conducting fieldwork may experience a particular kind of disorientation from the strangeness they discover,something that is often attributable to problems with

A) ethnographic dissonance.
B) culture shock.
C) anthropological competence.
D) fieldwork block.

Question 9

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard's approach to anthropology has been criticized for being ahistorical,and one of the major shortcomings of his work was due to

A) the people he studied being part of a larger preexisting colonial system.
B) his tendency to conduct experiments on people while in the field.
C) his failure to consider the impact of his work on the tribes he studied.
D) his lack of understanding of the forces of evolution.

Question 10

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard

A) conducted a restudy of the Trobriand Islands.
B) researched social life among the Nuer of Africa.
C) studied the effects of colonialism in Puerto Rico.
D) examined sexuality in Samoa.

Question 11

Bronislaw Malinowski was a strong proponent of the idea that ethnographers must

A) clearly document the economic system of the people being studied.
B) completely understand the local population by learning the local language.
C) carefully document the geographical setting of the people being studied.
D) clearly document the demographics of the people being studied.

Question 12

Making the strange seem more familiar is an overarching goal of

A) key interviews.
B) structured surveys.
C) ethnographic fieldwork.
D) experimental hypotheses.

Question 13

Franz Boas's attempts to document Native American cultures that were devastated by the westward expansion of settlers is called salvage ethnography and involves

A) collecting material goods and conducting some interviews.
B) rapid assessment of local conditions.
C) forced enculturation.
D) collecting only material goods that were considered trash.

Question 14

Fieldwork is often considered a rite of passage for students in part because it

A) forges a bond of collegiality with other researchers.
B) forces a special kind of mutual transformation.
C) is a key developmental stage for all social scientists.
D) develops a sense of deep empathy for others.

Question 15

Lewis Henry Morgan

A) conducted a restudy of the Trobriand Islands.
B) became an expert on Native Americans.
C) studied the effects of colonialism in Puerto Rico.
D) examined sexuality in Samoa.

Question 16

Margaret Mead

A) conducted a restudy of the Trobriand Islands.
B) became an expert on Native Americans.
C) studied the effects of colonialism in Puerto Rico.
D) examined sexuality in Samoa.

Question 17

In studying the very poor,our understanding of their lives may be difficult.As Nancy Scheper-Hughes discovered,one of the more useful ways to decode radically different cultures is through a careful examination of

A) relationships.
B) language.
C) patterns.
D) poverty.

Question 18

________ is fundamental to all research conducted by contemporary cultural anthropologists.

A) Participant observation
B) Archival research
C) Statistical analysis
D) Synchronic study

Question 19

Sidney Mintz

A) conducted a restudy of the Trobriand Islands.
B) researched social life among the Nuer of Africa.
C) studied the effects of colonialism in Puerto Rico.
D) examined sexuality in Samoa.

Question 20

Franz Boas (1858-1942)is credited with developing the concept of cultural relativism.At that time,this approach was quite radical because it called for a perspective of culture that considered each culture

A) as a variation of unilineal evolution.
B) in an ethnocentric manner.
C) on its own unique merits.
D) exclusively through comparative ethnology.

Question 21

Community members who guide,advise,and teach the ethnographer during fieldwork are called

A) local collaborators.
B) research aides.
C) key informants.
D) primary subjects.

Question 22

Ethnographers must work to establish trust and friendship with their research subjects and often build rapport,which helps them develop a(n)

A) reflexive perspective.
B) clear sense of who holds power.
C) understanding of local values.
D) understanding of how local people think.

Question 23

When we utilize many anthropological studies to examine activities,trends,and patterns of power across cultures,it is called ethnology,an activity that relies heavily on

A) comparison.
B) social network analysis.
C) mapping.
D) statistical analysis.

Question 24

Sometimes anthropologists use a novel ethnographic approach,and this might include a fictionalized account.What would distinguish such a work from a novel?

A) the inclusion of census data
B) the inclusion of maps
C) the inclusion of field notes
D) the inclusion of photographs

Question 25

The American Anthropological Association mandate of "Do No Harm" came about because of

A) early anticolonialist ideas.
B) the loss of life during the Human Terrain Systems program.
C) the increasing awareness of loss of Amazonian rain forest populations.
D) ethical and moral lapses in the late twentieth century.

Question 26

One of the ways that ethnography is written in the twenty-first century has to do with native voices.In general,compared with the past,there has been ________ emphasis on including native voices.

A) less
B) more
C) about the same
D) no

Question 27

Two different anthropologists write about the same people at different times.The first makes detailed field notes and conducts surveys.The second also makes good notes and talks to a lot of people,but does not do any surveys.When they publish their results,the first anthropologist's book has every single detail of his or her work,and the second anthropologist's book has a lot of the raw interviews as part of the text.The second book can be said to be more

A) polyvocal.
B) reflexive.
C) relative.
D) readable.

Question 28

Similar to the trafficking of human organs discussed in the text,the problem of young girls in Nepal being abducted or forced from their homes and forced into the global sex trade is an example of the impacts of

A) colonialism.
B) imperialism.
C) participation.
D) globalization.

Question 29

Upon arrival at a new site for ethnographic research,your curiosity leads you to spend large amounts of time walking through the small village complex where you live.In doing so,you begin to discover

A) who the most friendly people in the area are.
B) a spatial awareness of where people live.
C) who in the village likes to sit around drinking at night.
D) how the history of the village developed over time.

Question 30

Ethnographers' awareness that they should engage in critical self-examination regarding the role they play in the research process is known as

A) polyvocality.
B) reflexivity.
C) relativity.
D) authority.

Question 31

Ethnography written today often is read online by the very subjects that were researched,which tends to make anthropology a more ________ enterprise.

A) unethical
B) reflexive
C) public
D) experimental

Question 32

How has the anthropological practice of sharing ethnographic information on particular communities with nonanthropological institutions such as the military been characterized in the discipline of anthropology?

A) as a form of economic development
B) as a form of foreign aid
C) as a form of clinical health improvement
D) as a directive called to do no harm

Question 33

During the planning stages of a fieldwork project,it is typical to

A) identify key informants.
B) establish rapport.
C) chart kinship networks.
D) conduct a literature review.

Question 34

How does the problem of organ thefts from the poor,as documented by Scheper-Hughes's work,mirror the plight of poor people in other,different countries (where she has not worked)?

A) The poor are a population to whom anything can be done.
B) The poor are a reliable source of organs.
C) The poor have too many children and are thus a rich resource.
D) The poor do not draw the attention of the local authorities.

Question 35

Franz Boas's "anthropologist's toolkit" certainly had notebooks and other ways to record data.One of the things Boas did not have enough of,however,was

A) a good set of maps.
B) adequate food stores.
C) film for his camera.
D) time.

Question 36

Expansion of ________ networks in the late twentieth century has allowed anthropologists to continue research even after leaving the field.

A) transportation
B) social
C) economic
D) communications

Question 37

One recent development in ethnography includes a kind of "full disclosure," which can include discussing length of fieldwork and even intimate details about the relationships with research subjects.This is done to clarify the nature of

A) ethnographic orientation.
B) ethnographic loyalties.
C) the personal framework.
D) ethnographic authority.

Question 38

Because she has been a community activist and advocate for her research subjects,and founded Organs Watch as a watchdog organization,Nancy Scheper-Hughes's research could be considered a form of

A) experimental anthropology.
B) public anthropology.
C) charity work.
D) medical anthropology.

Question 39

Sydney Mintz conducted research on the nature of sugar production in Puerto Rico in the 1970s and 1980s,which looked at the way local communities were affected by capitalism.His work also helped to illustrate the problems arising from

A) small-scale communities as a subject of research.
B) banking systems as the central power in global economies.
C) globalization.
D) racism.

Question 40

How would you describe the problems pertaining to the vulnerability of research subjects involved in a potential study of Facebook groups?

A) The study population might be self-selecting,and therefore nonrepresentative.
B) The researcher would not be able to establish meaningful connections.
C) Those in the population would not have the chance to say things in their own words.
D) They would not have anonymity.

Question 41

The author argues that unlike a number of other academic disciplines,ethnography is both a social science and an art.Provide a concrete example of how ethnography is scientific,as well as a concrete example of why Guest considers it an art.

Question 42

Explain how ethnographers can explore global phenomena by conducting fieldwork at the local level.

Question 43

Define three fieldwork strategies anthropologists use to research their ethnographies,and describe the context in which each is used.

Question 44

In writing about her findings in a Brazilian shantytown,Nancy Scheper-Hughes's account of Alto do Cruzeiro provides a window into the terrible toll of nonconsensual organ harvesting among the poor,as well as how she herself changed over time.How might an anthropologist justify the publication of this ethnographic research when considering the problem of ethnographic authority?

A) All of the poor must be given an equal voice,thus polyvocality is justification.
B) Anthropologists are themselves changed in fieldwork,and so honest reflexivity is justification.
C) The horrific conditions made it impossible to ignore,and since she obtained informed consent,this is justification.
D) Authoritative writing asks us to consider what right we have to report,thus a moral challenge is justification.

Question 45

Consider an assembly of thousands of people,all screaming,yelling,and drinking,while a smaller group in the center of the assembly area fights over the remains of a dead pig.Why might this be seen as significant in anthropological terms if it were part of the research described in Horace Miner's interpretations of Nacirema culture?

A) It illustrates mass ritual effectively.
B) It is a powerful example of participant observation.
C) It helps to understand how to avoid judgment about cultural beliefs and practices.
D) It affords a window into the nature of spectacle.

Question 46

One consequence of increased migration is that anthropologists conduct ________ ethnography,collecting data in two or more locations.

A) narrative
B) extensive
C) public
D) multi-sited

Question 47

What are the core moral and ethical concerns of anthropological research? Why are they necessary?

Question 48

Compare Nancy Scheper-Hughes's early ethnographic fieldwork in Alto do Cruzeiro with her current research and work with Organs Watch.How has globalization affected her fieldwork?

Question 49

Evaluate the merits of the long-term participant observation advocated by Bronislaw Malinowski relative to merits of the methods of "armchair" anthropology.

Question 50

How did early twentieth-century anthropology differ from the anthropology practiced in nineteenth-century Europe?

A) Twentieth-century anthropologists' research focused on kinship and religion,whereas nineteenth-century anthropologists were more interested in economics and politics.
B) Whereas twentieth-century anthropologists took a four-field approach to understanding culture,nineteenth-century anthropologists were mostly interested in material culture.
C) Nineteenth-century anthropologists were mostly interested in present-day cultures as they existed,but twentieth-century anthropologists were interested in the processes by which cultures changed.
D) Nineteenth-century anthropologists conducted long-term fieldwork,but twentieth-century anthropologists tended to rely on explorers' accounts.

Question 51

In an age of intensifying globalization,ethnographic research continues to provide deep insight and understanding of the myriad parts of our informants' everyday lives and cultures,due in large part to the continued use of

A) conducting surveys.
B) videotaping rituals.
C) participant observation.
D) recording field notes.

Question 52

In his study of everyday "Body Rituals among the Nacirema," Horace Miner

A) argues that the Nacirema view the body as healthy and beautiful.
B) identifies courts as the most important institution in society.
C) focuses on public rituals rather than everyday,mundane activities.
D) makes the familiar seem very strange.

Question 53

A multi-sited ethnography might be used to understand the nature of an urban legend-a repeated variation of some bizarre event around the world-by visiting many different countries and conducting interviews with participants.An anthropologist seeking a similar answer,but lacking the resources to move about easily,might also conduct a multi-sited ethnography through the use of

A) careful library research.
B) government Web sites.
C) the Internet.
D) tourist accounts.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a reason for ethnographers to conduct long-term fieldwork?

A) understand connections between local and global processes
B) establish rapport with community members
C) gain a perspective on complex systems of power and meaning
D) reinforce ethnocentric attitudes about cultural superiority

Question 55

Evaluate the El Dorado controversy around anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon.You must demonstrate that you know when and where the contested activities occurred and how the population was allegedly affected.Conclude by stating why this might have been seen to violate ethical standards and what the American Anthropological Association ultimately found upon review of the evidence presented.

Question 56

Anthropologists make great efforts to protect informants' anonymity

A) when writing about sensitive topics within a community.
B) for communities,but not when discussing lives of community members.
C) when working in their own societies,but this is not necessary if working abroad.
D) when referring to individuals in both research notes and publications.

Question 57

Define zeros and explain their significance for ethnographers.

Question 58

It is essential that ethnographers map communities because this

A) facilitates learning the local language.
B) documents the randomness of the built environment.
C) provides a deep immersion in the rhythms of daily life.
D) illuminates how use of space influences social interactions.

Question 59

Explain why ethnography is considered both a science and an art.

Question 60

Discuss Horace Miner's ethnography "Body Rituals among the Nacirema." What is the content of the ethnography? What was Miner's purpose in writing it,and how did he approach that purpose?