Bronisław Malinowski

The Trobriand Islands, located on the coast of Eastern New Guinea, is one of anthropology’s most “scared places”(Weiner 1). Malinowski and Weiner both did fieldwork research there that later became significant ethnographic work about the matrilineal society. Gender plays an important role in Trobriand Islands. Women and men have different duties in the economy and with children. Additionally, for the people of Trobriand Islands, food is not only something they eat, but something with great social importance. This report will explain the Women and men’s roles in Trobriand Islands and discuss how food influences their society. Women are of genealogical significance in the Trobriand Islands because in a matrilineal society, descent will be reckoned through women.…

14. Discuss the Kula Ring of the Trobriand Islands: what is it, how does it function, and what symbolic and practical significance does it have for Trobrianders? (10 Points) The Trobiand Island is populated by a society who are horticulturalists. The Kula Ring is practiced by Trobiand islanders where they exchange for ceremonial reasons. There are two important traditional items called the Soulava and the Mwali. The Soulava is a symbolic item, it is a necklace of red shell move in clockwise.…

Anthropologist’s ongoing determination towards fieldwork enhances their way of learning another culture while obtaining the native’s point of view. This term coined by Malinowski mirrors an emic perspective like the article. The context of going native for users and designers shown in the article eliminates boundaries progressively. To situate oneself in the ways of ethnographic research, one must carefully observe those you are studying. As stated in the article ethnography is conceived as, “a…

The question you may be asking yourself is what is a Kushtaka? The Kushtaka, loosely translated to “land otter man,” by the Tlingit people of Southeastern Alaska, is a legendary shapeshifting creature that is endowed with supernatural powers, and lives in an uncharted rainforest. Kushtaka employs psychological tactics to subdue their victims, the Kushtaka is also said to have telekinetic powers and the ability to manipulate time and space, moving at mind-blowing speed from one position to the…

Ethnography is one of several unique methods of studying culture, in which anthropologists analyze a culture’s intricacies. Likewise, ethnography refers to the approach an anthropologist takes when writing about a culture (Lassiter, 71). The development of ethnography is attributed to British anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. Malinowski was an advocate for participant-observation, in which the ethnographer immerses themselves into the culture for a long period of time, in the hopes of gaining…

Chapter 1 provides a definition and discussion of participate observation. This chapter explores the research method of participate observation, which involves a researcher who is interested in a certain group of people taking part in their daily activities, rituals and events in order to gain a holistic understanding of their life and culture. The chapter mentions that Malinowski is responsible for developing the method of participate observation. Although some anthropologist such as Tedlock…

In “The Trobriander’s of Papua New Guinea” by Annette B. Weinter was about the historically against the framework of the seminal anthropological studies of Malinowski who study the Trobriander’s sixty years before Annette B. Weiner. The author realized that Malinowski annoyed or never considered significance in the matrilineal society of women own wealth since he didn’t investigate women productive by only focus on the male wealth. Therefore, the author study both Trobriand women and men from…

cumulative growth. Since the 1960s fieldwork is more commonly undertaking in a researchers own or neighbouring society, ‘since we can explore the anthropological problems anywhere we might as well go to places where it is comfortable to spend some time.’ (Firth, 1989). As Evans-Pritchard suggests anthropologist’s fieldwork should be ‘doubly marginal’ that is, suspended between one’s own society and that which is under research. It is unnecessary to now begin from scratch but today…

2012 pp.27). For this to happen one of the most vital preparations is to learn the language of the chosen location so that you can communicate with locals. MacClancy did this when he visited the Mediterranean due to advice from a senior academic who told him not to have an English girlfriend with him which led to learning the language quicker and he also learnt more about the local ways from the women there (MacClancy,1988 pp.239). Due to the amount of data collected by anthropologists,…

Relationships, social networking, social media, society, all terms that imply cooperation, and a willingness engage with other people. Several researchers across multiple disciplines have studied these interactions and proceedings. Some looking to gain insight into why social interactions take place, and why relationships exist. Others seeking to explain that only certain types of interactions have value and what those values are. However, no single discipline focuses solely on cooperation,…