Ethnographic Project

This assignment is designed to practice close, nuanced, qualitative observation
skills. Close observation allows the anthropologist to pay attention to details that
are often overlooked. Nuance refers to “a subtle difference in or shade of
meaning, expression, or sound” (Oxford Dictionary). The dictionary provides the
example, “the effect of the music is nuanced by the social situation of the
listeners” (ibid.). Thus, the meanings of objects, actions, and situations may not
always be evident at first sight. It takes a deeper look – a nuanced look.
Qualitative observations are concerned with individual cases, even if they are
not replicable or statistically representative. The goal is not immediate
generalizability, but a deeper understanding of specific processes in a particular
time and place. To identify nuance, we first need quality detail. Assignment_1