Education is the process of obtaining attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and skills. The acquisition of these elements occurs through communication, which can take place anywhere. It is important to clarify that the definition I am using for communication is “the act of transmitting information”. Communication, therefore, can occur through one person speaking and another listening (in-person, through radio, through television), through individuals who are engaged in a conversation with one another (in-person, over the internet, over the phone, via text), though observation (in person or in the media) and through text (articles, books, journals, magazines). Hence, as humans, we are constantly being educated; however, we are not constantly learning. To learn from our education, we must not only hear, but also listen.
I’m involved in a variety of groups on campus; however, I’d prefer to tap into a group that I’m not currently involved in. Because I’m getting my certificate in Gender and Women’s Studies, I thought it’d be interesting to focusing on something dealing with these topics. I really, really liked the example Elisabeth gave in class of observing pre-school children in relation to gender norms. Not only would this involve much of what I’ve learned about through my certificate, but I also love kids so I think this would be right up my alley.
Fieldworking is a research process, which generally involves both observation of and participation in the life of a certain group of individuals in the area that they inhabit. Ethnography is the recording and analysis of fieldwork to learn about a specific aspect of the life of a people or group.
Question:
Do you feel it would be more difficult to conduct fieldwork on a culture you’re involved in or a culture you’re not involved in? What makes you feel this way?
I think it would prove to be a much greater challenge to study your own culture. After having lived in your community for some time, you create personal views towards beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles that thrive in your own community. Because of this, it would be very difficult to silence your personal views during a study concerning the fundamental source of such views. Thus, it's likely that such a study may become less valid. Even though you may still have predispositions from your culture in fieldwork anywhere, it would be easier to put them aside while you immerse yourself in a completely unfamiliar culture. The change in culture will likely be a thrilling experience that will captivate your focus, encouraging an open-mind and open-heart to the culture.
ReplyDeleteI believe it would be much harder to conduct fieldwork on my own culture. In the case of studying a foreign culture, as an outsider you can easily notice the little idiosyncrasies of that culture that vary from your own. While, a personal bias is a cause for concern when conducting fieldwork on a different culture, knowledge of this potential bias can help lead towards reducing it. On the contrary, there may be simple unique characteristics of your own culture that you consider norms. As a result, you may not recognize these characteristics as unique and significant, instead easily passing over them.
ReplyDelete