Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research - Paperback

by John Forrest (Author), Katie Nelson (With)

A must-read guide to conducting qualitative field research in the social sciences

Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research delivers a thorough and insightful introduction to qualitative field methods in the social sciences. Ideal for undergraduate students just starting out in fields like anthropology, sociology, and related subjects, the book offers readers twenty instructive projects. Each project is well-suited as a standalone exercise, or several may be combined as a series of field work assignments.

From interview techniques to participant observation, kinship analysis, spatial mapping, photo and video documentation, and auto-ethnography, Doing Field Projects covers each critical area of qualitative fieldwork students are likely to encounter. Every project also contains discussions of how to execute the research, avoid common problems and mistakes, and present the uncovered data in several different formats.

This important resource also offers students:

• A thorough introduction to fieldwork, including the history of fieldwork methods, the shift from colonial to post-colonial anthropology, and discussion of fieldwork vs. ethnography
• Comprehensive explorations of getting started with fieldwork, including necessary equipment, research design, data presentation, and journal keeping
• Practical discussions of the ethics of fieldwork, including the "Do No Harm" principle, institutional approval, openness, and anonymity
• In-depth examinations of autoethnography, proxemics, mapping, recorded interviews, participant observation, and engaged anthropology
• The opportunity to conduct a complete fieldwork course using digital and online resources only
• Supporting learning material for each chapter, including a brief outline of Learning Goals and a paragraph summarizing the contents

Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research is the perfect guide for undergraduate students taking courses and programs in which qualitative field methods are central to the field, like anthropology and sociology.

Back Jacket

Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research delivers a robust and comprehensive introduction to qualitative field research methods in the social sciences. Accessible yet insightful, this textbook is divided into twelve sections, each of which introduces students to the major qualitative fieldwork techniques for the social sciences plus some innovative ones.

The book focuses particularly on anthropological methods and includes over twenty individual projects for students to carry out. The authors include explorations of interviewing, participant observation, kinship charting, photo and video documentation, auto-ethnography, and an extensive series of online research strategies. Each project is suitable as a standalone exercise or as part of a series for a complete course in field methods. The projects contain detailed descriptions of how to carry out the research, how to address common pitfalls and problems, and how to present the finished work in a variety of formats.

Doing Field Projects: Methods and Practice for Social and Anthropological Research encourages students to observe the world around them as a social scientist would, and to learn to identify opportunities to study elements of society and culture in everyday life. It is an invaluable guide for undergraduate students in qualitative field methods courses, especially in anthropology, sociology, or human geography. This textbook also deserves a place in the libraries of students in any field where qualitative research is widely used.

Author Biography

JOHN FORREST is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Purchase College, State University of New York, USA. His anthropological research interests include dance, music, aesthetics, ritual, and Biblical studies. He has conducted extensive fieldwork projects in the United States (North Carolina and New Mexico), Argentina, and England. He currently resides in Cambodia, where he teaches and conducts field research.

KATIE NELSON is Instructor of Anthropology and Sociology at Inver Hills Community College, USA. Her research interests include teaching and learning in anthropology, and migration, identity, belonging, and citizenship in human history and in the contemporary United States, Mexico, and Morocco.