SOCIAL S

CIENCES S

KILLS

AND METH

ODS

HOW DO ANTHROPOLOGISTS GATHER INFORMATION?

PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION:

Those being observed are called

INFORMANTS

• Detailed Observation

• Meticulous Note Taking

These notes could be referred to for years to come so all details of an event are important.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN TAKING NOTES?

Vague Notes - Little Detail

Student C spoke angrily to Teacher G.

Concrete Notes - Clear and Detailed

After Teacher G asked Student B to get her feet off the desk, Student C became loud and angry. She said, “You’re always picking on me. Why don’t you give the other kids a rough time when they do something”. She slammed her textbook and walked out of the room.

WHAT ARE ISSUES WITH PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION?

Your own Bias

• If you were physically abused as a child how might that affect your observations of another culture?

REFLEXIVITY

• Reflecting on how your own experiences affect your thinking process.

Gender Issues

• How might the presence of a female Observer affect observations of a Male Initiation ritual?

HOW DO PSYCHOLOGISTS GATHER INFORMATION? Tests and Experiments - Cultural

Differences in Intimacy:

Observed in Cafes and Coffee Shops:

# of times 1 person touched another in an hour.

San Juan, Puerto Rico 180

Paris France 110

London , England 0

What might you conclude based upon this information?

INTERVIEWS: WHAT IS PARTICULAR TO SUBJECT’S PERSONALITY, THINKING, EXPERIENCES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACTIONS THEY CHOSE?

TWIN STUDIES – REARED APART

• Nature or Nurture

• How much of our behaviour is determined by our experiences and how much is determined by our genes?

High Interest Area of Study

For Psychologists

HOW DO SOCIOLOGISTS GATHER INFORMATION?Surveys, Data and Analysis to see

Patterns and Trends : In 1999

90% of convicted murderers were Male

66% of victims were Male

Less than 50% of the Population was Male

What Pattern or Trend can you identify?

28% of total homicides were females murdered by

husband/former

6.4% of total homicides were Males murdered by wife/former

What trend do you identify here?

CASE STUDIES

Comparing Details, patterns of similar cases to better understand the behaviour and what leads to it. (Bernardo, Picton, Colonel Williams)