Barbara Andersons First Fieldwork Essay - 662 Words

Barbara Andersons First Fieldwork Prà ©cis: â€Å"First Fieldwork† 1. Where did Barbara Anderson’s fieldwork take place and what was the goal of her research? Barbara Anderson’s fieldwork took place in the fishing village of Taarnby, Denmark on the island of Amager in the Oresund in the 50’s. The goal of her research was to publish the unseen side of fieldwork. She wanted to share the personal and professional sides of fieldwork with the reader. She went to the island to help her husband study culture change. 2. Who accompanied Anderson to her field site? Barbara Anderson’s husband (Thor), her daughter (Katie; 5yrs old), and Anderson’s unborn child (Sarah) accompanied her to her field site. 3. Why was Anderson’s†¦show more content†¦She didn’t know the appropriate behaviors or protocol of the bathhouse. The attendants and fellow bathers tried to lead her in the right direction. Her many mishaps cause her to learn that she doesn’t completely understand a culture until she is immersed in it. 5. Discuss how Barbara gained villager status in Taarnby. The only way one could acquire villager status was to be born in the village. Barbara acquired villager status differently. She gained it by breast-feeding her daughter Sarah. Americans were thought to be unable to breast-feed. Barbara proved them wrong by breastfeeding and sharing her over abundance of milk with babies with special dietary needs. She was â€Å"bountiful†. 6. In what ways does Barbara become â€Å"acculturated† to the cold and difficult daily activities of Taarnby? Keeping her days overscheduled so she’d keep busy acculturated Barbara. The bathroom facilities did, too. She didn’t adjust to using the chamber pot, but instead went outside to the outhouse in freezing temperatures. She learned to stack the family’s clothes in â€Å"outhouse order† for quick up and down- dressing and undressing to use the pot outside. This taught Thor and Katie to adjust as well. She adjusted to the slower pace of the villagers in winter-more time for visiting and eating. The slower pace allowed for more personal interaction and interviewing. 7. How does she finallyShow MoreRelatedObjectivity versus Subjectivity as Social Research Methods Essay1766 Words   |  8 PagesDiscussions from social research argue over or try to maintain a sense of equilibrium while answering and discussing the questions of objectivity and neutrality vs. bias and subjectivity. While reading, So what do you want from us here? by Barbara Myerhoff, Getting In by Ruth Horowitz, and Jelly’s Place by Elijah Anderson I focused on the questions of objectivity vs. subjectivity. Using the authors field research I found that the authors found specific approaches that affected their