Examine a fieldwork method(s) you can use to understand your research environment and to fully understand the culture/group. Make sure to apply it to the specific example you have chosen.

Objective:
After completing this assignment, you will be able to explain the development of ideas pertaining to formation of social actions in society.

Connection to Module Objectives:
This assignment measures the module objective; you will be able to:

Describe the key concepts and components of fieldwork methods used to understand cultural behavior;
Demonstrate the validity of qualitative data used by researchers to explain their fieldwork results.
Points possible: 25

STEPS:
Watch Video

Review The Land of No Men: Inside Kenya’s Women-Only Village: Where the foothills of Mount Kenya merge into the desert, the people of Samburu have maintained a strict patriarchy for over 500 years in northern Kenya. That is, until 25 years ago, when Rebecca Lolosoli founded Umoja village as a safe haven for the region’s women. Umoja, which means “unity” in Swahili, is quite literally a no man’s land, and the matriarchal refuge is now home to the Samburu women who no longer want to suffer abuses, like genital mutilation and forced marriages, at the hands of men. Throughout the years, it has also empowered other women in the districts surrounding Samburu to start their own men-excluding villages. Broadly visited Umoja and the villages it inspired to meet with the women who were fed up with living in a violent patriarchy.

Read & Review Info (attached in file)
-Visit the What is Fieldwork? to learn about cultural anthropology fieldwork methods.
-Visit Ethnography to learn about this fieldwork technique used by cultural anthropologists.

Choose a Research Environment
Choose one research environment. Provide an example from one of these environments through your research and interest (tribe, group, community agencies, organization, institution, etc.):

urban environment
virtual environment
small tribal community
museum
library
cultural institution
business
military
cult
other (of your choice)

Answer Focus Questions:
Answer the following questions regarding how you, as a Cultural Anthropology, would use anthropological fieldwork methods within your research environment:

-Identify your research environment and provide a specific example of name, culture, or agency.

-Explain why fieldwork is essential to the goals of anthropology.

-Examine a fieldwork method(s) you can use to understand your research environment and to fully understand the culture/group. Make sure to apply it to the specific example you have chosen.

-Identify if and how your research results could be used to make changes, improvements, or modifications within the cultural/agency you chose.

Learn & Share
Write an Essay (25 sentences plus reference) – Note the research environment (i.e. Business) at the top of the page.

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