Fieldwork in Anthropology Sample Essay.
Fieldwork in Anthropology
Bestor and Brown used various techniques to do fieldwork and meet the people in the films Fieldwork in Neighborhood Tokyo (1992) and Can’t Go Native (2010) Japan. They included interviews, use of questionnaires, participant observation technique, analysis of historical documents and holding focus groups.
Anthropologists face various dilemmas during research. Among these is the issue of confidentiality. Various confidentiality issues arise during fieldwork. Anthropologists need to be aware of them to avoid conflicts with the participants and ensure that they collect enough and reliable information. The anthropologists must have consent from the participants he or she wishes to study. The research must avoid causing harm and exploiting the dignity and privacy of the participants. They should also inquire from the participants if they wish to remain anonymous or not.
Keith Brown talked about the westernization of Japan after the Second World War. The resultant culture was not identical to that of the USA in totality but rather a mixture of the two. They retained their core cultural practices and way of life but also adopted a new western language, way of dressing, education system and western foods. They copied these from the soldiers who invaded various parts of their country and from the mass media such as radio and television that the Americans brought.
The Japanese adopted American music and movies. They incorporated the artistic features of these movies and music in the creation of their own art. The resultant entertainment industry was largely a product of the two cultures. These modes of entertainment were important in spreading the western culture across Japan. Keith ends his video by explaining that historical perspective is important in fieldwork because it enables us to understand how the culture of people changes over time and how this change affects interactions with the outside world.