Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology

The Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology, now in its second edition, maintains a strong benchmark for understanding the scope of contemporary anthropological field methods. Avoiding divisive debates over science and humanism, the contributors draw upon both traditions to explore fieldwork in practice. The second edition also reflects major developments of the past decade, including: the rising prominence of mixed methods, the emergence of new technologies, and evolving views on ethnographic writing. Spanning the chain of research, from designing a project through methods of data collection and interpretive analysis, the Handbook features new chapters on ethnography of online communities, social survey research, and network and geospatial analysis. Considered discussion of ethics, epistemology, and the presentation of research results to diverse audiences round out the volume. The result is an essential guide for all scholars, professionals, and advanced students who employ fieldwork.

Table of Contents:
Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology, Second Edition H. Russell Bernard and Clarence C. Gravlee, Editors Preface IntroductionH. Russell Bernard and Clarence C. Gravlee Section I. Perspectives 1. EpistemologyMichael Schnegg 2. Meaningful methodsJames W. Fernandez and Michael Herzfeld 3. Research design and research strategies in cultural anthropologyJeffrey C. Johnson and Daniel J. Hruschka 4. EthicsCarolyn Fluehr-Lobban 5. Feminist methodsChristine Ward Gailey 6. Participatory methods: Conceptual and methodological approaches to collaborative community-based transformational research for change Stephen Schensul, Jean Schensul, Merrill Singer, Margaret Weeks, and Marie Brault Section II. Acquiring Information 7. Sampling and selecting participants in field researchGreg Guest 8. Participant observationKathleen Musante (aka DeWalt) 9. Behavioral observationRaymond Hames and Michael Paolisso 10. Person-centered interviewingRobert I. Levy and Doug W. Hollan 11. Structured interviewing and questionnaire constructionSusan Weller 12. Discourse-centered methodsBrenda Farnell and Laura R. Graham 13. Visual anthropologyFadwa El Guindi 14. Ethnographic methods for Internet culturesJeffrey Snodgrass 15. Survey methodsWilliam W. Dressler and Kathy Oths Section III. Interpreting Information 16. Reasoning with numbersW. Penn Handwerker and Steve Borgatti 17. Text analysisAmber Wutich, Gery Ryan, and H. Russell Bernard 18. Cross-cultural researchCarol Ember, Melvin Ember, and Peter N. Peregrine 19. Spatial analysisEduardo S. Brondizio and Tracy Van Holt 20. Social network analysisChristopher McCarty and José Luis Molina Section IV. Applying and Presenting Information 21. Methods in applied anthropologyRobert Trotter, Jean Schensul, and Kristin M. Kostick 22. Ethnographic writing and presenting anthropologyConrad Kottak 23. Public anthropologyThomas Hylland Eriksen Author Index

About the Author :
H. Russell Bernard is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Florida and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is author of Research Methods in Anthropology, Fifth Edition, author of Social Research Methods, and founder and editor of the journal Field Methods. Clarence C. Gravlee is associate professor of anthropology at the University of Florida. He is editor of Medical Anthropology Quarterly and has published in American Anthropologist, Current Anthropology, American Journal of Public Health, Annual Review of Anthropology, and more.

Review :
Editors Bernard and Gravlee focus on the core aspect: fieldwork. The second edition of this handbook is organized into four parts: 'Perspectives,' 'Acquiring Information,' 'Interpreting Information,' and 'Applying and Presenting Information. The 23 chapters were each separately authored; some are by well-known anthropologists and others by those not so well-known. All have lengthy reference lists. . . .Nevertheless, the excellent essays certainly will be of use to experts wanting to expand their repertoire and to novices. Contributors cover topics ranging from epistemology to survey methods and from the classic participant observation to contemporary fieldwork in online environments. This highly readable collection will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students alike and be a useful addition to college and university libraries collecting in the social sciences. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. This significantly expanded second edition is bound to become the quintessential reference book for every anthropologist engaged in active field research. With sixteen updated chapters and eight entirely new ones—on topics ranging from online ethnography to GIS to public anthropology—this volume is a treasure trove of sound methodological strategies imparted by leading figures in the discipline. A must-read for everyone from graduate students headed for the field to established academics and applied anthropologists. A timely update that provides rich and in-depth overviews on contemporary methods in cultural anthropology. Each chapter is written by experts in the particular methodology, making this second edition an excellent companion to Bernard’s Research Methods in Anthropology. I challenge any anthropologist to read this expanded second edition and not contemplate adding one of the described methods to his or her own toolbox. The chapters invite us to reflect upon the nuances of our methodological choices and encourage us to move beyond a polarizing divide between quantitative and qualitative research—to embrace the no-longer-stranger notion that both may contribute to the anthropologists' craft. This new edition is easily classified as essential reading.