Читать книгу Introducing Anthropology - Laura Pountney - Страница 81

To do their study, anthropologists must first gain entry to the group in question. Some groups are easier to enter than others. A football crowd? No problem. A criminal gang? Not so easy. Observed populations may alter their behaviour around the researcher because they know that they are being studied, an effect that has been exhaustively documented and studied in psychological research. Thus, while this research method allows for a deeper immersion and understanding of the culture, it faces a very real set of challenges.

 Making contact: This depends on a range of factors – e.g., the researcher’s personal skills, having the right connections and maybe even luck.

 Acceptance: To gain entry to the group, it is necessary to win their trust and acceptance. Making friends with a key individual could help.

 Observer’s role: It is essential to adopt a role within the group – one that doesn’t disrupt their normal patterns but one that allows the researcher to make observations.