Doing Field Projects Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research

A must-read guide to conducting qualitative field research in the social sciences

Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research delivers a thorough and insightful introduction to qualitative field methods in the social sciences. Ideal for undergraduate students just starting out in fields like anthropology, sociology, and related subjects, the book offers readers twenty instructive projects. Each project is well-suited as a standalone exercise, or several may be combined as a series of field work assignments.

From interview techniques to participant observation, kinship analysis, spatial mapping, photo and video documentation, and auto-ethnography, Doing Field Projects covers each critical area of qualitative fieldwork students are likely to encounter. Every project also contains discussions of how to execute the research, avoid common problems and mistakes, and present the uncovered data in several different formats.

This important resource also offers students:

• A thorough introduction to fieldwork, including the history of fieldwork methods, the shift from colonial to post-colonial anthropology, and discussion of fieldwork vs. ethnography
• Comprehensive explorations of getting started with fieldwork, including necessary equipment, research design, data presentation, and journal keeping
• Practical discussions of the ethics of fieldwork, including the "Do No Harm" principle, institutional approval, openness, and anonymity
• In-depth examinations of autoethnography, proxemics, mapping, recorded interviews, participant observation, and engaged anthropology
• The opportunity to conduct a complete fieldwork course using digital and online resources only
• Supporting learning material for each chapter, including a brief outline of Learning Goals and a paragraph summarizing the contents

Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research is the perfect guide for undergraduate students taking courses and programs in which qualitative field methods are central to the field, like anthropology and sociology.

John Forrest is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Purchase College, State University of New York, USA. His anthropological research interests include dance, music, aesthetics, martial arts, and religion. He currently resides in Cambodia, where he teaches and conducts field research.

Katie Nelson is Instructor of Anthropology and Sociology at Inver Hills Community College, USA. Her research interests include teaching and learning in anthropology, and migration, identity, belonging, and citizenship in human history and in the contemporary United States, Mexico, and Morocco.

Preface (Including a Word to Instructors) vi

Foreword (Including a Word to Student Readers) ix

1 Introduction 1

2 Getting Started 22

3 Ethics of Fieldwork 27

4 Research Design 33

5 Self-Study 39

6 Proxemics 52

7 Mapping 59

8 Recorded Interviews 77

9 Participant Observation 94

10 Engaged Anthropology 100

11 Process Documentation 111

12 Visual Anthropology 117

13 Sensory Observation 129

14 Performance 138

15 Life Histories (and Oral History) 147

16 Charting Kinship 158

17 Digital Ethnography (1) Social Media 167

18 Digital Ethnography (2) Online Gaming 182

19 Digital Ethnography (3) Human–Computer Interaction 186

20 Digital Ethnography (4) Online Meetings/Classes 192

21 Winding Down and Gearing Up 197

References Cited 205

Index 212

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