After Good’s time in the Amazonian jungle and subsequently publishing his ethnographic findings, he received quite a bit of criticism from the anthropological community about his fieldwork methods. Do you believe he violated anthropological ethics, which are now regulated by the American Anthropological Association? Why or why not?
Ethnology and ethnography
This week, we are focusing on ethnology and ethnography. These are the methods that cultural anthropologists use to conduct their studies of other societies- documenting the unknown, answering questions about how a particular society is structured (culturally, religiously, politically, and economically), and preserving cultural aspects of (commonly) isolated cultures before they are disrupted by modernization, globalization, and cultural diffusion. Watch the YouTube video below and answer the following questions:
1.) Describe Kenneth Good’s experiences studying the Yanomamo. How did his relationships with the villagers change over time?
2.) After Good’s time in the Amazonian jungle and subsequently publishing his ethnographic findings, he received quite a bit of criticism from the anthropological community about his fieldwork methods. Do you believe he violated anthropological ethics, which are now regulated by the American Anthropological Association? Why or why not?
3.) In your opinion, were his justifications for removing Yarima from her native community valid? What were his reasonings, and do you agree with them?
