Notes for first midtermHolism:- A characteristic of the anthropological perspective that describes, at the highest and most inclusive level, how anthropology tries to integrate all that is known about human beings and their activities.o Perspective on the human condition in which the whole is understood to be greater than the sum of its parts.Comparison- A characteristic of the anthropological perspective that requires anthropologist to consider similarities and differences in as wide a range of human societies as possible before generalizing about human nature, human society, or human past.Limit cases- Situations that are weird or extreme for humanso Ex. Teacher rubbing student instead of deskEmic vs. Etic:- Emic: the way in which ppl. Understand themselveso Ex. Tailgating party vs. christening- Etic: comparative “outsider” categorieso Ex. Tailgating and christening vs. doing laundryCulture:- Beliefs, behaviors, and symbolic systems, that are learned and shared by humanso Changes over timeo Not always a consensuso Not always conscious- Not: o Limited to particular peopleo Limited to particular groups- Intersubjective: meaning of beliefs and actions isn’t contained within isolated individualso Study meaning, values, and patterns that emerge between people in social situationsEthnography:- Description and analysis of what humans do- Thick description: rich in details- Ex. Deep play: notes on cockfighting- Focuses on time, place, group, or activity (also known as cultural anthropology)- Ethnography vs. First Persono Personal experience provides meaning- Textbook: an anthropologists written/filmed description of a particular cultureHabitus- Habits, preferences, and ways of doing things that are shared by members of a group without explicit awareness.o Ex. Sleeping alone is weird but natural to us- Often unconscious- Connected to other elements of culture- Why asking explicit explanations may not be enoughParticipant Observation- Become one with them and work with them- Gathering data while living for an extended period in close contact with members of another social groupo Anthropologists are participantsDeep Play- Play where the stakes are so high that it seems irrational for people to engage in ito Ex. Men spend a great deal of time, energy, and money on cockfightso Lots of time, cash, and emotion, no clear material benefitBalinese cockfight- Why fight cockso Cockfights don’t have obvious useo Statistics show fights are popularo Local answers aren’t satisfying Participants see it as obvious thing to do Geertz use an etic perspective- Not all fights are equally deepo Deep fightso Big bets: equally matched cockso Match meaningful social division- Fieldwork happen- Interpret what others do- Methods Geertz use to explain cockfightingCultural Relativism- Seeks to understand other cultures on their own terms- Assumes that others can be both different and same- Views behaviors and ways of thinking as comprehensible- Does not assume that they are ethical, moral, ideal- Hidden value is revealedEthnocentrism- Belief (often unconscious) that one’s own culture is natural and normal- Not a bad thing in everyday lifeCulture Shock- The feeling akin to panic, develops in people living in an unfamiliar society when they cannot understand what is happening around themSalimanders: A night at the Phi Delt house- Exotic ritual- Penn state 1982Azande belief in Witchcraft- Witchcraft doesn’t rule out other forms of causation- Witchcraft explains misfortune- Witchcraft as the “second spear”o Irrational more than a scientific reasonDescription as interpretationInformants- People in a particular culture who work with anthropologists and provide them with insights about their way of life.Positivist approach- Looking and studying the world scientifically- Studies observable reality- Separate facts from judgment- Separates research subjects from the research process- Explain how material world works using five sensesObjectivity- Objective research suspends judgment- All researchers will observe the same thing (assume)- Poor fit with participant observationDialogic-Researcho Fieldwork is dialogue/ between researcher and participantso Help direct the course of study-Fieldworko Culture is sharedo Meanings are created through dialogueo Fieldwork entails a conversation between researchers and subjectsIntersubjective-Fieldwork:o anthropologists interact with their subjectso Create conditions for studyo Our own lab equipment-Winking: o Eye movement can be a wink, twitch, parody of a winko Can mean flirtation, conspiracy, solidarity, friendlinesso Depends on contextual/ cultural cueso Cannot be done aloneo It is a social business -Cultureo Meaning of beliefs and actions aren’t contained with isolated individualso Not always conscious (meaning of beliefs and actions)o Study meaning, value, and patterns that emerge between people in social situationsReflexivity:- Critically thinking about the way one thinks; reflects on one’s own experience.o Understand the outside culture- Anthropologists consider themselves in what they studyo Describes their position and participation- Fieldwork is an event: don’t always blend inSituated Knowledge- Create info so informants can talk - Info shapes our research- Who we are will shape your research results- Admit their position and limitations (anthropologist)- Use them as “data” in their study- Ethnographic knowledge, shaped by the reflexivity of the ethnographerInterviewing as cultural- Not everyone is familiar with interviewing- Most are threatening- Great way to get info- Few people are used to being interviewed - Learned way of interacting- Assumption shape the answers people give- *why and whereDistributed Cognition- Thoughts and memories are linked to people and places- Ask in place- Bring objectsAmerican Tongues- Everyone speaks with an accent- Shaped by region, class, and other domains of experience- Shapes participationPhonology: sounds of language, their order, and change- Ex. Pat and bat differ in EnglishMorphology: minimal units of meaning, the construction of words- Ex. Chillaxo Draw on when creating new wordsSyntax: patterns governing the construction of phrases and sentencesSemantics: meaning in languageo Studies relationship of meaning to languagePragmatics: rules and forms governing language use.Language as Practice- The way in which we use language differently in the ways we practice it to other people - Ex. We would speak