Saw this on my way to teach an Anthropology class. "Study Anthropology as it happens." In Starbucks.
Now, I don't have a problem with ethnographies of coffee shops (in fact, I encourage them). But I've noticed a real confusion among non-academics about what anthropology is. It is not whatever people happen to do. That is merely the starting point of anthropological research.
Anthropology is about creating knowledge in a -- literally -- disciplined way. That means participating, observing, writing fieldnotes, doing interviews, transcribing tapes, extensively coding data, and finally writing documents that generally only other anthropologists read, mainly because they want to see whether you've read what they themselves wrote.
I assume this process is not what Starbucks is inviting us to see over a tall half-caf caramel latte. It would be boring to watch anyway. They are inviting us to people watch -- fun, but not the same thing as anthropology.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Anthropology vs. Life in General
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4 comments:
Heh. This appears to be the equivalent of naming a bar "Mother's Place" or "The Office": giving people who fritter their time imbibing and ogling a lame and, to the in-crowd, transparent excuse which might be considered plausible.
Following on that assumption, it becomes interesting to me that we are picturing the clientèle of a coffee house as undergraduates. When "studying anthropology" becomes the euphemism for flirting with someone and drinking a meal's worth of calories and fat in a cup, we have somewhat defined our ideal typical idle class.
With "Mother's Place," we are assuming that the responsible answer to the question "Where have you been?" is "visiting family and maintaining my filial duties."
With "studying anthropology," we are assuming that the responsible answer to "What have you been up to?" is "furthering my education."
Self-actualization has definitely built its home on the ruins of social obligation. Yowza. And here I am, studying anthropology.
I guess we can be thankful that anthropology was included in the "responsible euphemism" roster.
So... where have you been? What have you been doing? :D
I disagree vehemently with Sam's original post. If you go to people watch, then I concede that you are not studying anthropology.
However, if you go to watch the people who are people watching, then that my friend, is studying anthropology--at least to the same extent that we can talk about children's theories of the mind... :)
Slightly off-topic....one of the miniethnographies my students did this semester was on coffee house culture. Pretty neat paper, although it relied a bit too much on the student's own experiences growing up in Greece.
"However, if you go to watch the people who are people watching, then that my friend, is studying anthropology"
Exactly, PMS! But -- very very boring. Who wants to watch us code? Or transcribe tapes? BORING. :-)
Ducks, what a great observation about pretending to do work. I love the idea of "responsible euphemism"!
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