Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

the description and explanation of the
In
phenomenon of teenagehood over
observed
psychologists, anthropologists and
time,
each draw on their own set of
historians
tools. The methods used in
methodological
research, and the knowledge it
ethnographic
method of ethnographic fieldwork is primarily
The
with anthropology, beginning in the first
associated
of the 20th century. The “field” in anthropology
half
been described as being wherever people
has
and so we have anthropological accounts
are,
only of Indigenous societies, but increasingly
not
professional communities, schools, urban
of
even of space stations in orbit. An
environments,
engaged in fieldwork is tasked with
anthropologist
describing and constructing a credible
observing,
of the context, culture and community
account
studied. There are some knowledge issues
being
the practice of ethnographic fieldwork, and
with
knowledge produced through it, and these
the
terms: Doing
Search
YouTube
anthropology
this short video to hear directly from three
Watch
from the Massachusetts Institute
anthropologists
Technology (MIT) about their work. They
of
fieldwork methods to understand issues as
use
as how citizenship issues manifest among
diverse
refugees in the Greater Boston Area, the
Haitian
of expertise in artisanal cheese-making, and
role
processes by which marine biologists produce
the
will notice in the video that anthropologists
You
part in activities in the field beyond just
take
and having conversations. They
observing
information through direct engagement
gather
the processes they are studying, working
with
the people whose culture, actions and
alongside
they seek to understand. This is
worldviews
in the field of anthropology—it is a
intentional
how a deep involvement of
Consider
might affect the knowledge they
researchers
about the phenomenon or culture
produce
are studying.
they
In terms of the TOK course concepts,
1.
is the knowledge produced through
how
observation affected by the
participant
engaging closely with the
researcher
To what extent, and under what conditions,
2.
the personal, first-hand experience
does
the researcher contribute or take away
of
the objectivity of his or her account?
from
It has been documented that the very
3.
of the researcher in the field may
presence
the behaviour of the participants. If
alter
very act of observing can influence
the
phenomenon being observed, in
the
ways do you think the research is
which
affected when the researcher also
further
participates?
what extent can we observe and describe
To
This is a fundamental question
objectively?
TOK across the human and natural
in
sciences.
the difficulty of this task vary depending
Does
what is being observed; for example, a
on
ritual, a rock formation, patterns of
religious
activity or animal behaviour?
economic
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
For discussion
The ethnographer inside the
research
produces, are explored further below.
III.3 Neutrality and objectivity in
fieldwork and ethnographic methods
community being studied?
issues are explored below.
Making connections
History and observation
In Chapter 9 we encounter E.H. Carr’s advice to his
students to “study the historian before you study
[their] facts”. A similar concern is prevalent in the
human sciences, and particularly so in anthropology,
about the extent to which observation is inuenced
by the observer.
authoritative knowledge about the ocean world.
method called participant observation.
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