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Thanks for this clarification. The version I heard was that Boas originated but did not do it, encouraging Mead to do it in his place. It's funny. As soon as we draw the line and talk about the person at the beginning, we find someone else before. It seems to reflect a deep need. Why else would we ask what happened before the beginning (big bang)? I'm not meaning to quibble, at all, with your comments about Boas and then about Malinowski, only to talk about ways we extend backwards. But I'll stop before I get silly. Ranulph On 25 Jan 2011, at 20:40, Juris Milestone wrote: > A clarification... Mead was not the first to engage in what would generally be called "participant observation," though she is one of the most widely known anthropologists, particularly in America. In fact her mentor and teacher, Franz Boas, advocated and engaged in it extensively. However, the person generally credited with establishing modern participant-observation as an ethnographic research method is Bronislaw Malinowski (see Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922), and bring a cup of coffee!). > > Regarding "cultural immersion" - I've not heard this referred to as a research method, but rather as part of a teaching pedagogy, more like a desired context for learning, particularly in the "study abroad" programs of American high schools and colleges. So, there are some books on this from an educational perspective, though I am not versed in that literature. I'm sure the list could help a great deal if you could be a little more specific about what you're looking for. Generally, if a culturally immersive research method is desired, participant-observation would be the ticket! But if you're looking for a tool kit for immersing someone else (other than students) in a cultural context of interest to them, then you may want to look at some less traditional applications of ethnographic methods, such as Sunderland and Denny's "Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research." > > > Juris Milestone, Ph.D. > Department of Anthropology > Temple University > [log in to unmask] > > > > > > On Jan 25, 2011, at 1:16 PM, Ranulph Glanville wrote: > >> I'm not sure if this is what you want, but the Margaret Mead books >> >> Coming of Age in Samoa >> Growing up in New Guinea >> (and possible Boyer and Shankman's The Trashing if Margaret Mead) >> >> might help. I don't expect anyone on this list doesn't know, but just in case, Mead was the first anthropologist to do fieldwork that involved living with those who she was studying. So these books tell of how she did this. The Trashing refers to a strange witch hunt orchestrated by, I think, a New Zealand academic who objected to this approach and went to great lengths to find fault. The fault he found that I know of (rather amusing) does not, in my mind, invalidate her method (immersion) at all. >> >> Well, I may be well wide of the mark and not providing what you're looking for at all. Or not. >> >> Ranulph >> >> >> >> On 25 Jan 2011, at 16:09, Susana La Luz wrote: >> >>> Hey all, >>> >>> I've got a research methods issue that I was hoping one (or more) of you might be able to help me with: >>> >>> Does anyone have anything from anywhere reputable that defines "cultural immersion" as a method for research and/or learning? I'm not talking about something that expounds on the VALUE of cultural immersion, but something that actually DEFINES it--how it's conducted, under what circumstances, with what methods, for how long, degree of exposure, etc.? >>> >>> Any leads would be VERY helpful. >>> >>> Thanks for your time! >>> --Susana