Anthropological Fieldwork in Cities

“Anthropological Fieldwork in Cities.” George M. Foster and Robert V.Kemper.

Thesis Statement: Traditional Anthropology studies people in their natural habitat and that natural habitat were those of native indians and peasants. By forming close relationships with their subjects Anthropologist were able to study the culture and ways of life. However, Urban Anthropology uses the same method of forming close relationships, now it is just being done in a different habitat, that being the city.

Summary:

The article written by George M. Foster and Robert V. Kemper is a historical analysis of the study of Anthropology. It discusses the evolution of Anthropology as it relates to the methods used and the types of people that were analyzed. In the past Anthropologist studied people in a rural setting. “ anthropologist relied upon the descriptions of native life published by missionaries, colonial administrators and travelers.”( Foster and Kemper 6) As the study of Anthropology evolved different techniques of collecting data on the subjects began to change. The article explains how anthropologist began to use different methods of collecting data. Although this collection of data was somewhat “primitive” the practice of relying on second hand accounts changed to just including a small number of people. Anthropologist shifted their focus from second hand account of missionaries and travelers to the distant memories of the cultures oldest inhabitants.

The ideology of Malinowski changed the way Anthropologist collected data in their field work. His theory was simple “ live with the people, learn their language, observe their activities, question, speculate, theorize.” (Foster and Kemper pg.8) This way of collecting data impacted the science of Anthropology. It was not until after the war that the United States cultivated this way of researching. While the methods of collecting data evolved so did the resources available to anthropologist. The advancement in technology and travel aided researchers in their efforts to study people. In the past researches were subjected to a smaller area and for short periods of time. Advancements in technology such as air travel and the development of antibiotics allowed researches to travel to different areas of the country, It was at this time in the United States that researchers turned away from a diminishing Indian population to peasants of Latina America, Asia and Africa. The study of peasants would also evolve, as peasants who inhabited rural areas began to migrate to budding civic areas, thus creating the birth of Urban Anthropology.

With the birth of Urban Anthropology came some more changes in the way researches study a give group of people. Because cities are so vast Anthropologist began to shy away from traditional ways of collecting data. Instead of living with the people and investigating individuals the idea of grouping people with a common lifestyle became more sufficient.

It is my belief that grouping people based on their common way of life is a better way of studying people that live in a civic area. This is primarily because more individuals of the same race inhabit cities. However, their location,religion or common beliefs is what tends to group people when the live in cities not their nationality. For example African Americans are all

of Africa however differences in social class or employment can change their behavior and outlook on life.