Question 1

Haru wants to conduct an in-depth study of the hacktivist group Anonymous to better understand their culture of resistance. Haru has never met any of the group's members in person but has chatted with several members regularly through various social media platforms. These gatekeepers have agreed to participate in Haru's study of their group's culture and will help him recruit other members on the condition that Haru never attempts to meet anyone in person and promises that their conversations take place entirely in the online environment. The research method best suited to Haru's unique study is ________.

Accepted Answer

Virtual ethnography is the most suitable research method for Haru's study because it involves in-depth study and interaction within online communities and cultures, which aligns with Haru's approach of engaging with Anonymous members exclusively through social media platforms.

Question 2

Akia is conducting field research with a group of Indigenous women to understand their experiences of motherhood. Akia knows that Indigenous groups often have protocols that researchers must adhere to when asking gatekeepers' permission to begin a study. In Akia's study, the gatekeepers are ________.

Accepted Answer

The gatekeepers in this context are the Indigenous community and their elders, as they hold the authority and cultural knowledge to grant permission for research within their community.

Question 3

One of the main goals of a field study is to avoid gaining "intimate familiarity" with the group being studied to ensure that a certain level of verstehen is achieved.

Accepted Answer

One of the main goals of a field study, especially in sociology or anthropology, is to gain "intimate familiarity" with the group being studied to ensure a deep understanding or verstehen, which refers to comprehending the meanings and motivations behind people's actions from their perspective.

Question 4

The most common approach to fieldwork is where the researcher becomes a participant in the setting, maintaining no distance as an observer.

Accepted Answer

The most common approach to fieldwork, especially in anthropology and sociology, is participant observation, where the researcher both observes the setting and participates in it, but maintains a balance between being an insider and an outsider to critically analyze the social phenomena.

Question 5

One of the main issues with early ethnographic studies (especially those undertaken during the height of the colonial period) is that it they were often ethnocentric or biased.

Accepted Answer

Early ethnographic studies, particularly those conducted during the colonial period, often reflected the biases and ethnocentric perspectives of the researchers, who sometimes viewed other cultures through the lens of their own cultural norms and values, leading to skewed or prejudiced interpretations.

Question 6

Herbert Ames' work on the impact that rapid urbanization had on poverty in Montreal is considered by many to be one of the most important early sociological ethnographies in Canada.

Accepted Answer

Herbert Ames' study on urban poverty in Montreal is indeed recognized as a pioneering sociological ethnography in Canada, providing critical insights into the effects of rapid urbanization on social conditions.

Question 7

When a researcher chooses to become a "complete observer," he or she does not interact with members in that setting, but always communicates with them upon "completion" of the study.

Accepted Answer

In the role of a "complete observer," the researcher observes the setting without participating or interacting with the members during the study, and may not necessarily communicate with them upon completion of the study. This role is characterized by observation without direct interaction.

Question 8

When it comes to fieldwork, Adler and Adler argue that researchers should simply enter the setting, announce their intentions, and begin to interact with the people they encounter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When it comes to fieldwork, Adler and...

Question 9

When it comes to finding a research sponsor, those individuals who are immediately welcoming to you as an outsider/newcomer are often themselves outsiders in their own social circle, which you plan to study.

Accepted Answer

Individuals who are immediately welcoming to outsiders or newcomers often occupy marginal positions within their own groups. They may empathize with the experience of being an outsider, which can make them more open and receptive to those who are new or looking to study their social circle.

Question 10

The textbook suggests that full field notes are best written up based on jottings made while in the field.

Accepted Answer

Jottings are brief notes taken in the field, which researchers later expand into full field notes. This method ensures that observations are recorded accurately and in detail, capturing the essence of the field experience while it's fresh in memory.

Question 11

Gatekeepers are individuals who have deep ties to the community and can provide access to certain settings and populations in informal ways.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Gatekeepers are individuals who have deep ties...

Question 12

Buford Junker's 1952 typology of roles from which the field researcher can choose consists of two levels of participation.

Accepted Answer

Buford Junker's 1952 typology of roles for field researchers actually consists of four levels of participation: complete participant, participant as observer, observer as participant, and complete observer.

Question 13

Early Canadian anthropologists collected documents, photographs, and artifacts of Indigenous peoples and "folk" cultures in Quebec to "preserve" them based on the mistaken belief that these cultures would soon die out.

Accepted Answer

Early Canadian anthropologists, influenced by contemporary theories and the colonial context, collected materials from Indigenous peoples and "folk" cultures under the assumption that these cultures were vanishing due to the impacts of colonization and modernization. This was part of a broader trend in anthropology at the time, which sought to document and preserve what was perceived as disappearing traditional ways of life.

Question 14

Research participants do not always have an accurate view of their own behaviour which can lead to distorted accounts. The most significant drawback of observing people in their everyday settings is that researchers cannot avoid this distortion.

Accepted Answer

Observing people in their everyday settings (naturalistic observation) allows researchers to see behaviors as they naturally occur, potentially reducing the distortion that can happen when participants self-report their behaviors inaccurately. The drawback mentioned is more closely associated with self-report methods than with naturalistic observation.

Question 15

Briefly explain how the Chicago School's approach to ethnography helped to change common perceptions about the social life of slum dwellers.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly explain how the Chicago School's approach...

Question 16

Briefly explain the process of fieldwork "jotting" and how one would go from "jots" to making full field notes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly explain the process of fieldwork "jotting"...

Question 17

Explain how one should leave the field after completing research.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how one should leave the field...

Question 18

Explain how the storyline in field research relates to gaining access to the setting and the group's trust.

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

Describe the ethical issues you might expect to encounter if you were to do an ethnography of what it is like to be a student at your university.

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

Briefly discuss the problematic history of Indigenous research that eventually influenced the establishment of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Populations and Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 5: Observing Social Life Through Field Research