In this module, Assistant Professor Astrid Oberborbeck Andersen takes you through some basic Techno-Anthropological methods ranging from participant observation, interviewing and fieldwork conducted in virtual reality spaces such as social media. She likewise talks about some of her current research interests, including virtual reality spaces for doing ethnographic fieldwork in future scenarios; and fieldwork in Greenland, where together with an interdisciplinary group of Techno-Anthropologist and biologists are working to produce knowledge about Muskox and the technologies and skills hunters engage in new kinds of hunting.
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Introductory literature
Introductory literature
We have chosen the next three papers that can take you on a journey of the history of cultural anthropology and Ethnographic methods and their relevance to interpreting what you are evidencing from the field. Then you will be introduced to the basics of designing your research and key concepts to have in consideration to do fieldwork. After reading them, please answer the questions formulated below.
Descola, P. (2005). On anthropological knowledge. Social Anthropology, 13(1), pp. 65-73
Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2007). Research design: problems, cases and samples, in Ethnography: Principles in practice. Routledge, pp. 20-40 **Please find it through your University´s library**
Spradley, J. P. (1980). Doing Participant Observation, in Participant observation. pp.53-62
Advanced optional reading, available through your University´s library:
Schnitzler, A. (2013). Travelling Technologies: Infrastructure, Ethical Regimes, and the Materiality of Politics in South Africa. In Cultural Anthropology, Vol. 28, Issue 4, pp. 670–693. DOI: https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cuan.12032
Litterature task 2.1
Litterature task 2.1
How can you explain the traditional domain of Anthropology?
The traditional domain of antropology can be explained as focusing on the study of institutions and beliefs of societies considered primitive or non-modern.
This view encompass: the analysis of kinship systems, rituals, myths, and other cultural practices of indigenous peoples encountered during colonial expansion mainly.
Over time this has expanded to include a broader range of subjects closer to home, examples being airports, political institutions etc.
What can be a new definition of Anthropology after reading this paper?
A new definition could be one that emphasizes a qualitative approach to understanding social phenomena, it would acknowledge the capacity for change and the incorporation of diverse fields of empirical research beyond the traditional domain.
The redefined definition would focus on the multiple of methods of investigation available to researchers and highlight the importance of participant observation and ongoing conversations as key tools in understanding human behavior and social systems.
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