Analyze an Ethnography (50 points)

Analyze an Ethnography:

Ethnographies are the descriptive written results of the study
and systematic recording of a culture, generally by a trained
anthropologist. Thousands of these have been written over the last
century. Choose one of the twelve recommended ethnographies listed
below (all are available for purchase new and used, and many will
be found in libraries). The review should follow the five-section
format described below, including the headings. Ethnography reviews
must be typed (single spaced), professional in appearance, and
typically are several pages in length.

Recommended Ethnographies

Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africaby
Katherine Dettwyler

The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World
by Bruce M. Knauft

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Downby Anne Fadiman

You Owe Yourself a Drunk: An Ethnography of Urban Nomadsby
James Spradley

When Men are Women: Manhood Among the Gabra Nomads of East
Africaby John Colman Wood

The Body Silent: The Different World of the Disabledby
Robert Murphy

Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on
the Poorby Paul Farmer

Mad Dogs, Englishmen, and the Errant Anthroplogist: Fieldwork
in Malaysiaby Douglas Raybeck

Nest in the Wind: Adventures in Anthropology on Tropical
Islandby Martha Ward

Maps and Dreams: Indians and the British Columbia
Frontierby Hugh Brody

The Innocent Anthropologist: Notes from a Mud Hutby Nigel
Barley

First Fieldwork: The Misadventures of an Anthropologistby
Barbara Gallatin Anderson

FORMAT
Section 1: INTRODUCTION
This is a clear statement of the central theme, focus, issue,
or problem the ethnographer investigated. Be certain to state the
title of the ethnography and who did the research.

Section 2: METHODS
This describes the methods the ethnographer used to collect
data (e.g., interview, observation) and the techniques (e.g.,
statistical, case study) used to analyze the data.

Section 3: CONTENT
Provide a chapter-by-chapter survey of the contents of the
ethnography and evaluate how well it supports the stated goal(s) of
the ethnography.

Section 4: DISCUSSION
Does theoretical perspective of the ethnographer color the
analysis of the data? Are the methods and data adequate for dealing
with the research problems? Does the author attempt to generalize
the findings? Discuss the most important issues of the
ethnography.

Section 5: CONCLUSION
Did the ethnography reinforce or undermine any of your
assumptions about human behavior? Did the ethnography help you
understand more deeply, something about your own
culture?