Читать книгу Introducing Anthropology - Laura Pountney - Страница 72

Bronislaw Malinowski (1884–1942) is often called the father of ethnography. The role of ethnography for him was to grasp the ‘native’s’ point of view. He worked among the Trobriand Islanders, studying kinship, trade and the practical purposes of ritual and religion, as well as the connection between cultural ideals and actual daily behaviour. There, he developed his style of fieldwork, which came to be called participant observation: speaking the language, living in and becoming part of the community, making a detailed record of all aspects of ‘native’ life. Malinowski’s close experience with Trobriand society generated a growing awareness of the various links that hold society together. Participant observation emerged as the primary approach to ethnographic research and relied on the development of personal relationships with local informants as a way of learning about a culture, involving both observing and participating in the social life of a group. By living with the cultures they studied, these researchers were able to formulate first-hand accounts of their lives and gain new insights.

participant observation When a researcher takes part in the everyday life of the group while observing it

informant A person who provides information about his or her culture to the ethnographic fieldworker