Anthropological Field Methods

Anthropology 4011

Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30-4:50

Place: Environmental 190

Instructor: Andrew Nelson

Office: 330N Chilton Hall
Office Hours: Mondays 1-3; or by appointment
E-Mail: [Link]@[Link]

Course Description:

In this course students learn the methodology of cultural anthropology by both

thinking about and doing ethnography. The course is structured to give students a
working knowledge of participant observation, qualitative methods, project design,
interviewing skills, and ethnographic data analysis and writing. While reading and
discussing different approaches to ethnography in the classroom, students will also
conduct an ethnographic research project outside of the classroom. Students will work
on their projects in class workshops and present their findings at the end of the
course.

Kitchen Stories (2003, Norway)

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will gain an understanding for the central methods and concepts of
ethnographic fieldwork.
2. Students will select a field-site and design a research project suitable for
conducting ethnographic research.
 3. Students will learn the methodological tools of participant observation by
conducting ethnographic research.
4. Students will learn how to analyze ethnographic data and convert it into a
written ethnography.
5. Students will present the results of their research at a class conference and
class publication.

Required Texts:

1. Warren, Carol A.B. & Karner, Tracy X. (2015) Discovering Qualitative Methods:
Field Research, Interviews, and Analysis (3rd Edition). Oxford University Press.
2. All other course material can be downloaded from the course’s Blackboard
webpage under the tab “Course Material”.

Course Requirements & Grading:

I. Attendance & Participation

Students will be expected to attend every class and engage in class
discussion. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class.
Attendance and participation will count towards 15% of the final grade.

II. Discussion Leader

In groups of three, students will be asked to lead one class discussion on a
pre-assigned topic with some additional readings or viewings. Discussion
leaders will be expected to: 1. Provide a 5 minute presentation on the
background of a certain person or topic; 2. Come prepared with a set of
questions to inspire and manage a 10-15 minute discussion. All three
students will receive the same grade. The quality of their led discussion will
determine their grade which will count towards 5% of the final grade.

III. Assignments
Students will be asked to submit short assignments based on their research
project: site selection, question statement, observations, and interviews.
These exercises will count for 20% of the final grade (each assignment will
be worth 5% of final grade).

IV. Quizzes
Students will take two quizzes during the course which will assess their
knowledge of course material. The quizzes, counted together, will count for
25% of the final grade.

V. Workshops
Periodically (4 times), we will have ‘workshop classes’ in which students will
meet with just half of the class for half of the time to discuss the status of
their projects.
 VI. Published article & Conference Presentation
Based on analysis of research data, students will write a concise final paper
of their project which will be published in a collection of articles devoted to
the topic: ‘The Anthropology of North Texas’. Students will present an
abridged version of their article at a ‘conference’ devoted to the same topic.
Together, the paper and presentation will count towards 35% of the final
grade (25% for the article; 10% for the presentation).

Grade Makeup

Attendance & 15%

Participation

Discussion 5%
Leader

Assignments 20% (4 x 5%)

Quizzes 25% (2 x 12.5%)

Article & 35% (25% for article, 10% for

Presentation presentation)

All grades will be assigned based on the following scale:

90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
59-under F

COURSE POLICIES

1. Withdrawal: If you are unable to complete this course you must officially withdraw
by the University-designated date (for a “W” with instructor approval). Withdrawing
from a course is a formal procedure that YOU must initiate. I cannot do it for you. If
you simply stop attending and do not withdraw, you will receive a performance grade,
usually an “F.”

2. Acceptable Student Behavior: Student behavior that interferes with an

instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is
unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at
UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the
classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Dean of Students to
consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The
university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums,
including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc.
The Code of Student Conduct can be found at [Link].

In this classroom, “acceptable student behavior” specifically means:

A. No cell phone or computer usage. I will ask you to leave the classroom if
I see you using your phone and ask you to turn off your computer.

B. Maintain one classroom conversation. Sometimes topics in

anthropology classes can get socially controversial and emotionally
exciting, but please contribute only to the central conversation.

C. Always be respectful of other students’ thoughts, opinions, and

perspectives.

D. Do not come to class late. If you arrive more than 5 minutes after the
start of class (3:35), you will be considered absent.

3. Submitting Course Work: All coursework must be submitted physically in class. I

will NOT accept work via email, so please do not send it. Late work will be accepted for
reduced points. Late work will only be accepted for full credit if accompanied by a note
from a medical professional. No other exceptions will be considered. If you cannot
attend class on the due date, you can submit the work early.

4. Quiz Policy: There will be two quizzes in this course that will assess knowledge of
course material. If you do the readings and attend class, you should have no problem
earning an A on these quizzes. They will be relatively short 30 minute quizzes
consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions. They will be open-note/book
(but not open computer/phone). Quiz make-ups will not be granted unless students
provide documentation signed by a medical professional attesting to their inability to
attend class.

Mark your calendar:

Quiz 1: February 24th (covering Intro unit and Units 1-2)
Quiz 2: April 21st (covering Units 3-5)

4. Academic Misconduct: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,

cheating, plagiarism, forgery, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, sabotage
and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student. Any suspected
case of Academic Dishonesty will be handled in accordance with the University Policy
and procedures. For information on the University’s policies regarding academic
integrity and dishonesty, see the UNT Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities,
[Link]

5. ADA: The Anthropology Department does not discriminate based on an individual’s

disability, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our program provides
academic adjustments or help to individuals with disabilities, and attempts will be
made to meet all certified requirements. Please see me if you have a documented
disability so that appropriate arrangements can be made to help you get the most out
of this class.

6. Extra Credit: There are two opportunities for extra credit. If you submit a SETE
evaluation (April 20 – May 8), you will receive one percentage bonus point on your final
grade. Additionally, if you attend a relevant (which needs to receive the approval of the
professor before you attend) event (lecture, film, seminar) and write a 200 word
synopsis, you will gain one bonus percentage point.

7. Course Communication: I expect you to check your UNT email on a regular basis
as this will be the only format for all course communication outside of the classroom. I
require 24 hours to respond to any emails sent between Monday and Friday. Over the
weekends and on holidays I require 48 hours to respond. Please include the name of
the course you are taking with me in the body of your email. I have over 300 students,
and cannot remember which class each individual student is in. If you email me with
a question that the syllabus answers, I will not reply to you. If you are writing an email
from a mobile device, please remember to use a formal tone (salutations, full
sentences, correct spelling and punctuation, signature).

8. Personal technology use in the classroom: During the class, I expect students to
have computers and phones turned off. This is a small class and I expect everyone to
engage with each other/not their digital devices!

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments

Intro Unit: Why Anthropologists Rule (What is ethnography?)

Date Topic Discussion Material Graded Work

Leader Topic Covered Due
January Introduction to
20 Course

January What is W/K: ch. 1

22 ethnography?

Unit One: The Tricky Balance of being an Insider-Outsider (Field-site selection

and Ethics)
Date Topic Discussion Material Graded Work
Leader Topic Covered Due
January The ‘Field’ 1. Borges: The G/F: 1-46
27 Ethnographer

January Selecting a site 2. Virtual W/K: ch. 3

29 ethnography

February Ethics 3. HTS: Military W/K: ch. 2 CITI training

3 anthropologists (not graded)

February Case study Herskovits at the Assignment

5 Heart of #1: Site
Blackness (in statement
class)

February Roles and 4. Napoleon W/K: ch. 4

10 Relationships Chagnon

Unit Two: Don’t ask a question to which you already know the answer (Research
Design)

Date Topic Discussion Readings/Screenings Graded Work

Leader Topic Due
February Research 5. Margaret ET: ch. 1 (focus on
12 Questions Mead pages 2-9)

February Research Design ET: ch. 5 (formative

17 research models)

February Workshop #1 Assignment

19 #2: Research
model

Unit Three: Record Anything and Everything (Observation & Fieldnotes)

Date Topic Discussion Material Graded Work

Leader Topic Covered Due
February People Watching Kitchen Stories (in Quiz #1
24 class)

February Participant 6. Malinowski Madden: chs. 4 &

26 Observation 5

March 3 Field Notes 7. Boas W/K: ch. 5

March 5 Surveys ET: ch. 9

March Workshop #2 Assignment

10 #2:
Participant-
Observation

March The Interview 8. Evans-Pritchard W/K: chs. 6 & 7

12 and Colonial
Ethnography

Unit Four: Interviews

Date Topic Discussion Material Graded Work

Leader Topic Covered Due
March Class Cancelled
24

March Class Cancelled

26

March Focus Groups 9. Marketing ET: ch. 8

31 Anthropology

April 2 Workshop #3 Assignment

#3: Interview
& Analysis

Unit Five: If you’re not surprised by your answer, you need to rethink your data
(Data analysis and writing-up)

Date Topic Discussion Material Graded Work

Leader Topic Covered Due
April 7 Analysis of W/K: ch. 9
Qualitative data

April 9 Ethnographic 10. Writing W/K: ch. 10

writing Culture

April 7 Other Data Angrosino: ch. 6

April 16 Workshop #4

April 21 Ethnographic View: Stories we Quiz #2

 Truth tell

April 23 Ethnographic Van Mannen: 73-

‘confession’ and 124
‘impressionism’ Finish Stories we
tell

Final Unit: What must the World know about your Research?

Date Topic
April 28 Day 1 Practice

April 30 Day 2 Practice

May 5 Day 3 Practice

May 7 Day 4 Practice

May 8 Class Conference

Venue and Time: TBA

Monday, May11th: Final Article due by 5pm