DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY,

VINOBA BHAVE UNIVERSITY.

December, 18th 2013

by

Dr. Vijay Prakash Sharma

NIRD, HYDERABAD

One major goal of Social Research is tounderstand the systems of meaning onwhich a culture operates. Human beingsunlike other species live in a culturallyconstructed world of meanings. Nothingmakes sense in a human world apart fromthe meaning that is ascribed to it byculture.

Humans are least guided by their genetic

characters, all interpreted by culture to

mean some thing or the other in different

societies. Thus even things as basic as

what is edible, what is animate and what is

inanimate, what it means to be a man and

what it means to be a woman, how does

one understand ageing, all these are

culture specific.

"Anthropology demands the open-mindedness with which one must look and listen, record in astonishment and wonder at that which one would not have been able to guess"Anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978)

“The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences”

Anthropologist Ruth Benedict (1887-1948)

“Anthropology is the most humanistic of sciences and the most scientific of the humanities”

Anthropologist Alfred L . Kroeber (1876-1960)

What is fieldwork?

The term ‘fieldwork’ is used to describe researchin all areas of research from social and culturalto medical or biological. The practice of‘fieldwork’ can be done in a variety of differentsettings such as an urban or virtualenvironment, a small tribal community, amuseum, library, cultural institution, business,or a primate conservation area.

Have social researcher always engaged in fieldwork?

There is a general consensus amongst anthropologiststoday that fieldwork came to be considered part of thepractice of social anthropology with the work of one ofthe founding fathers of British anthropology,Bronislaw Malinowski.Malinowski advocated, instead of studying otherpeoples from the comfort of university libraries, going‘into the field’: that is, living with the people he wasstudying, engaging in their community, learning theirlanguage, eating their food, and taking part in theireveryday life.

Since Malinowski’s time, fieldwork –traditionally, away from one’s own society – hasbeen regarded as an essential and necessary partof an anthropologist’s professional training.Fieldwork over an extended period – typically 1-2years - has been thought of as particular to socialanthropology, and part of what distinguishes thediscipline from other social sciences. Today,some anthropologists still consider that doingfieldwork in the traditional Malinowskian senseis an essential and distinguishing aspect ofanthropological research.

What types of fieldwork social researcher undertake?

Fieldwork can take many different forms, shaped byfactors such as: the topic of investigation, questionsguiding the research, where the research will becarried out, who is funding it, external political oreconomic factors, the age, sex or ethnicity of theresearcher, the technological facilities available.Newer formats for research, such as use of multiplesites and the study of large-scale centers of powersuch as intergovernmental organizations, arebecoming increasingly common; as is the use ofvisual technologies and methods of presentationsuch as film, photography and digital media.

Why is it important?Fieldwork is among the most distinctive practicesanthropologists bring to the study of human life insociety. Through fieldwork, the social anthropologistseeks a detailed and intimate understanding of thecontext of social action and relations. Fieldwork in apreviously unfamiliar setting has among its aims adeep understanding that encompasses as much aspossible of an ‘insider’s’ perspective. Conducted in amore familiar setting, it can lead the anthropologist –and those for whom he or she writes – to look ateveryday reality in new and unexpected ways.

What are some of the Social research methods?

Social researcher may assemble data in numerous ways. Theymay gather quantitative information by conducting surveys oranalysing records such as historical archives, governmentreports and censuses. Quantitative data is often useful forbiological anthropologists in mapping physical traits within apopulation, or making cross-population comparisons.Quantitative information is also useful and often necessary forinterdisciplinary projects with other specialists. However, forthe most part social anthropologists concentrate on gatheringqualitative data. They do so by conducting individual andgroup interviews, by undertaking oral histories, through onlinediscussion forums and, most importantly, through theMalinowskian tradition of ‘participant observation’.

What are some of the Social research methods?

Participant observation enables the socialresearcher to undertake detailed, lengthy and oftencomplex observations of social life in fine detail. Itmay be directed to such disparate groups as a virtualnetwork, a tribal village, or an activist group in anurban environment. By participating in the fabric ofdaily life as well as more formal ceremonies andrituals, and discussing his/her developing ideas withwilling members of the community (sometimestermed ‘informants’) the fieldworker builds up aprogressively deeper understanding of what ishappening?

What do researchers do with the material they have collected?

Social researcher may write up their data inreports, articles, or journal contributions.Where the project is interdisciplinary orteam-based, these may be co-authored.Alternatively, they may describe theirexperiences and findings in the form of anethnography.

Courtesey: RAI

Field techniquesSince 1986, Field work has been included in

curricula of all social research disciplines and

management as an essential tool in

conducting qualitative researches.

It includes following Tools & techniques of

data collection-

1. Ethnography 2. Focus group

discussion(FGD)

3. Observation 4. Key informant interview

5. Case study 6. PRA.

Ethnography:

Is a study conducted at a single point intime, ignoring historical factors.

An ethnologist is a historian-uninfluencedby any bias for or against historicalregularities, as an ethnographer, we shallattempt to determine what are the facts andwhat has been their actual sequence.

Ethnography:

Today the concept of multi- sited ethnography isbecoming a necessity to study complex socialphenomenon. The notion of a bounded system isnow realized to be unrealistic and therefore thekind of systemic relationships visualized by thestructural – functional school is become obsolete.Moreover fieldwork itself is transforming itscharacter and we have transnational societies,diasporas and the notion of a “global village” thatmakes the isolated study of any field area bothunrealistic as well as unfruitful.

Focus group discussion

FGDs are conducted in relatively homogenous group in a field setting.

Participants are asked to reflect on questions posed, provide their comments and react to observations.

Interviewer act as facilitator encouraging the discussions and simultaneously cross checking each other’s comment.

The participants stimulate each other to elicit ideas, insights and their experiences.

This needs experienced researcher.

Case- study

Case –study research involves studying individualcases, often in their natural environment, and for along period of time(Kromrey, 1986:320) and employs anumber of techniques of data collection and analysis.

Case-study is employed to gain more informationabout the structure, process and complexity of theresearch object when relevant information is notavailable or sufficient.

In qualitative research case-studies are often employedas the main form of enquiry.

In quantitative research, case-studies are employed asa prelude to main study.

Participatory Rapid Appraisal

PRA is new method of conducting field studies/appraisals for qualitative researches. These tools are being utilized by many organizations including :

WORLD BANK, ACTION AID, SIDA,UNDP, FORD FOUNDATION, AGA KHAN FOUNDATION and other international agencies.

It provides a “basket of techniques” from which those most appropriate for the project can be selected.

The techniques include FGD, interviews, mapping, ranking and trend analysis.

Main points

Field research is a form of enquiry that takes place in the field and explores real life situation.

In principle, field study designs are similar to the standard research design, only they are less complex and more flexible than quantitative designs.

There are several types of field studies, for example, exploratory studies, descriptive studies and hypothesis testing studies.

The main theoretical foundation of ethnographic research are culture, holism, in-depth studies and chronology.

Main points

Observation is the method of data collection that employs vision as the only technique of collection.

In qualitative research, case studies are employed as the main form of enquiry.

In quantitative research, case studies are employed as a prelude to the main study, as a form of pre-test or as a post research explanation of the study.

Field experiments are new in social research but a growing method indeed.

FGDs are conducted in relatively homogenous group in a field setting.

Research process and report writing

Research Report format

1. Title of the Research

2. Contents

3. List of tables and graphs/ photographs

4. Hypothesis/Objective of the study

5. Review of literature /Earlier studies

6. Relevance of the study

7. Approach and methodology

8. Analysis of data/presentation into chapters

9. Conclusion

10.References/Bibliography

11. Indexes

Thank You