ANTH 2020 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Fieldwork Exercise 2: Economies, Mobilities, Identities and Communities Introduction and Purpose: One of the contributions of economic and political

ANTH 2020 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology:

Fieldwork Exercise 2: Economies, Mobilities, Identities and

Communities

Introduction and Purpose:

One of the contributions of economic and political anthropology is that they allow us to

trace how larger cultural forces materialize into the lived experience of individuals and

groups, and how these change through time. Mobility and human flows are central features

of the contemporary world, shifting people and communities within and across national

borders. They also inspired the shared focus of the inaugural Cours Pairings initiative. The

purpose of this exercise is to explore mobility and migration ethnographically.

Our shared reading, Iliana Yamileth Rodriguez’s Los Autobuses del Sur: Mexican Migrant

Routes and Economies, outlines the growth of Atlanta’s ethic Mexican, and more broadly

Latinx communities since the 1970s. The article frames migration within larger economic

and political changes but highlights the significance of family connections, personal ties

and broader social networks and processes, including migrant economies industries like

transportation, in giving it form. But it also draws attention to the significance of people and

their stories: What does it mean to be part of these communities? How may the

experiences of individuals and families vary or change through time? How did (and do)

people understand their identities and navigate their relationships and everyday worlds?

What motivations, problems, opportunities or affordances do they encounter?

The Exercise:

Your task is to use ethnographic tools to learn and convey something about how people

experience and conceptualize their lives, identities and local communities as they are

shaped by the dynamics of human flows: immigration, cultural heritage from elsewhere

and/or by practices of movement and social exchange across borders and space.

You are encouraged to focus on the experience of Mexican or Latinx immigrants, or people

of Mexican or Latinx heritage and their communities in Atlanta. However, you may consider

any immigrant or ethnic community, or investigate the experience of internal migration,

which does not cross national borders. Use Yamileth Rogriguez’s piece to guide your

questions.Methods and Ethics:

You have a choice of two data collection methods.

a) Participant Observation: Spend some time in a public space, engage in a volunteer

opportunity, participate in a ritual etc. paying attention to how people make it a

place for the community? In other words, how is a place, event or gathering made

into a distinctly cultural space for a group? Consider people but also sights, sounds,

material culture, spatial arrangements and so on.

Ethics issue: Be sure those you engage know you are doing fieldwork and consent to

it. NO COVERT WORK.

b) Ethnographic interview: Interview someone about their experiences, ideas,

opinions, and perspectives. This can be about collecting a first-person

account/personal history of migration, considering motivations (personal,

economic, or other), processes, and practical aspects, including social networks

and connections, infrastructure etc. But it can also mean discussing a person’s

experience as part of an immigrant community, how they understand and navigate

their national and ethnic or cultural identities, the particular problems and realities

of their communities in Atlanta today, and so on.

Ethics Issue: Make sure to CLEARLY EXPLAIN who you are, why you are doing this,

and how you will use the material, and get active CONSENT. Clearly explain that

whatever they want to tell you is TOTALLY UP TP THEM (voluntary participation) and

that you will keep their identities CONFIDENTIAL. Identify persons and places with a

PSEUDONYM (made up name) in your narrative. AVOID any collection or discussion

of information regarding legal and documentation matters connected to any living

individuals, whether your interlocutor or another. Strictly no children.

The Product:

You have an Essay and an Un-Essay option for this project. Both are submitted in the

corresponding folder in iCollege. Go to Assessments → Assignments

A) The Essay option is an ethnographic narrative paper like that of Fieldwork Exercise

1: 3-4 page double-spaced paper (standard fonts and margins), which includes your

specific question/topic, methodology, findings and brief reflection. As this project is

based on your own, original research, you do not need to use outside sources.However, if you do, you must include a bibliography and use in-text citations as

needed. Any citation style is fine, as long as used correctly, but if you do not have a

preference, use AAA style: https://americananthro.org/publications/publishing-

style-guide/

B) The Un-Essay option allows you to communicate your findings in alternative ways. It

can be in the form of ANYTHING you want, including but not limited to:

• A photo essay, video/music video, TikTok

• An object or recipe telling a story

• An infographic, flow chart, slide show, clickbait-type article or quiz

• A song, poem or play script

• A piece of art, sculpture, painting, collage, drawing, illustration, cartoon or

graphic story

• A quilt, knitting project, pottery, embroidery, or other craft

• A board game, card game, trivia night questions

This should be accompanied by a project statement and reflection: The statement

is your “explanation’” of the project. It should address a) what you did and why

(topic, method, fieldwork process), b) what are the core ideas and understandings

you want people to take from it, c) what you learned doing it. As a general guideline,

the project statement should be 1-2 double-spaced pages, though variation is to be

expected depending on the project.

If you use published sources, you should also include a bibliography in your

statement. Any citation style is fine, as long as used correctly, but if you do not have

a distinctive preference, use AAA style:

https://americananthro.org/publications/publishing-style-guide/

AI;DR

As you are completing this exercise, please remember to

1. 2. SAVE A DRAFT OR TWO, notes, or whatever else can show that this is your work

Check your AI probability score on Turnitin when you submit. You want it to be

no more than 35%. If it is higher, you will be asked to revise and resubmit unless

you can provide proof that this is your work, or offer another convincing

explanation