Expert: Ralph Salier - 6/7/2011

Question
I'm an aspiring novelist with the kernel of a story about a woman working on her Ph. D in anthropology. I want to make sure she seems realistic enough to keep actual anthropologists from throwing the book against the wall, and I hope these questions will help in that endeavor.

1. What's the typical age for an anthropology student just starting their thesis?

2. Would an anthropological student be allowed to do participant observation in a foreign culture to gather information for her thesis?

3. When engaging in participant observation while living with a host family, what efforts should she take to make sure she remains ethical?

4. Do anthropologists have to worry about conflict of interest? In particular, if they decide to study a culture where they have close friends or potential romantic interests. Don't worry, I have no intention of making her a female Kenneth Good.

Answer
Hi JEssica,

First of all if she is in a PhD program then she is nearly finished if she is working on her Dissertation. For the purpose of a dissertation in Anthropology (depending on the field) observation of an extant culture is generally under the field of Ethnography (Ethnology). For most dissertations in this field (like those of Margert Mead or Napoleon Chagnon) these can be done as a known observer or as a hiden observer (a much more dangerous endevor).  Most are done as known observers and they get into the "nitty-gritty" of a culture by asking constant questions.  Every thing from sex to food and then some.  These studies can take years to complete because it is critical to become a "part of the culture".

As for age, 4 years of undergrad work (assuming she was 18 when she started in university) plus at least 2 years graduate (usually 3 or 4 years inc. thesis for the Masters degree) then PhD work of another 2 to 5 years depending on the nature of the dissertation. So perhaps 24?

Note my first paragraph

First of all she would not likly she would NOT be living with a host family but independently so that she would remain an observer and NOT a participant being able to ask questions with out fear of contraversy or issues with a host family. It also tends to ensure ethical behavior and an honest assesment of what is being observed. Also not trying to impose our culture on the observed people including any interventions which we may feel is required or prudent based on our culture.  We need to be "a-cultural" and totaly neutral.

#4- YES Absolutely! One would not undertake such a study just for this reason!  And Kenneth Good is a good example of what NOT to do.

Read the Napoleon Chagnon work on the Yanamami Indians of the Amazon, it is a good short ethnography and will give you a good idea of what one of these types of dissertations looks like.