Anthropologists conduct research in order to answer specific questions about a particular group of people and their culture. Most anthropologists use fieldwork to collect their data, which is then interpreted within their ethnographic writing. When collecting their data, anthropologists use many different approaches such as developing relationships with their informants, but do not illustrate these relationships in their actual writing. Anthropologists Claire E. Sterk and Philippe Bourgois are two of the anthropologists that emphasize their relationships and the importance of gaining trust of their informants in their perspective articles studied. In Bourgois’ article “Crack in Spanish Harlem” and Sterk’s article “Tricking and Tripping: Fieldwork on Prostitutes in the Era of AIDS”, both anthropologists write about their engagement with their informants, but do so in different ways. Sterk focuses much of her ethnography on the relationships formed, and the information and trust gained as a result; Bourgois, however, spends only a small fraction of his ethnography on his relationships. Both illustrate information about their perspective-studied cultures, the difficulties faced in gathering their fieldwork, but they differ in the amount of information they chose to include in their actual ethnographies.
Over a ten-year span Sterk, immerses herself in the lifestyle of prostitution in the New York City and Atlanta area: she walked the streets with the prostitutes and observed their interactions with the various customers, and ‘pimps’ in order to gather the majority of her data. In order to gain their trust, Sterk had to go through a number of tests, and it was essential for her to have the right connections to experience the full und...
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...nformation they sought and conduct their fieldwork effectively. Because they made the effort to associate with the people in the community, they were able to gain their trust, and a result acquired a better understanding and first-hand experience that strengthened their anthropological writing.
Works Cited
1. Bletzer, Keith V. “Tricking and Tripping: Prostitution in the Era of AIDS review.” American Anthropologist 103, no. 1. New Series (March 1, 2001): 261-262.
2. Bourgois, Philippe. “Crack in Spanish Harlem: Culture and Economy in the Inner City.” Anthropology Today 5, no. 4 (1989): 6-11.
3. Murchison, Julian. Ethnography Essentials: Designing, Conducting, and Presenting Your Research. John Wiley and Sons, 2010.
4. Sterk, Claire E. Tricking and Tripping: Prostitution in the Era of AIDS. Putnam Valley, NY: Social Change Press, 2000
Weitzer, Ronald. "Prostitution: Facts and Fiction." Gwu.edu. George Washington University, 2007. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Murphy, L. S. (2010). Understanding the Social and Economic Contexts Surrounding Women Engaged In Street-Level Prostitution. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 31(12), 775-784.
Esselstyn, T. (1968). Prostitution in the United States. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 367, 123-135. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://ann.sagepub.com/content/376/1/123.full.pdf+html
Barry, Kathleen. "Prostitution." Reader's Companion to U.S. Women's History. 480-482. US: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1998. History Reference Center. Web. 21 Oct. 2013
Dorinne K. Kondo in Dissolution and Reconstitution of Self: Implications for Anthropological Epistemology suggested that to understand the culture one studies the ethnographer should account his/her presence. In other words, the ethnographer should write about his/her experiences because it establishes the “I was there” author...
Prostitution, as stated by Flemming, is known as a form of sexual activity, a kind of sexual style or category, and a form of economic activity, a way of making a living through the provisions of certain services, by behaving in accordance with, or falling into such a category (39). This definition, though, is controversial. While conducting research for this project, we found that most topics regarding prostitution and its affiliates were controversial. Each author gave a differing interpretation for the same data. Due to this, our project centered on the female prostitutes, even though there is evidence of male prostitutes.
Sanders, Teela, Maggie O’Neil, and Jane Pitcher. Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy, and Politics. London: SAGE, 2009. eBook Collection. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Claire E. Sterk in her article, Fieldwork on Prostitution in the Era of AIDS, highlights the experiences of women engaged in a centuries-old profession in metropolitan Atlanta and New York City that is now plagued by the onslaught of a cureless disease. Whereas, in Doing Fieldwork among the Ya̧nomamö, Napoleon A. Chagnon immerses himself into the society of a Venezuelan tribe, which has a complex set of customs that he must understand first in order to document a comprehensive genealogy of the tribe. Through a critical study of both accounts, we can draw similarities in the anthropologists’ experiences, such as certain obstacles that kept them from effectively implementing research methodologies, as well as differences like the way in which they approached their subjects and involved themselves in their respective societal structures. Although both researchers had disparate goals to achieve and societies to examine, we can observe that the process they sustain has many parallels especially when they revisit their approaches to collecting information and entering the societies by building relationships with informants and subjects alike.
Receiving money to perform sexual actions has become either a lifestyle choice or a hostile option for the female prostitutes in the Netherlands, particularly in the city of Amsterdam. The participants involved in the legalized policy of prostitution are subjected to ambiguous impacts which involve social, political, health, and economic divisions. Since prostitution was legalized as of the year 2000, Amsterdam has seen a decline in criminal activity, allowing workers an increase in autonomy, and provides better labor conditions. (Cruz, & Iterson, 2013). ). The legalization of prostitution may have aided some of these women from escaping entrapment from pimps or has helped them into becoming independent women. An estimated 20,000 prostitutes are located in the Netherlands, 40% of the prostitutes that work in the city of Amsterdam occupy the 370 available windows, if not more, and clubs surrounding the red light district. (Cruz, & Iterson, 2013). The red light district in Amsterdam is a representation of the freedom that the city has to offer for the natives and tourists that explore their curiosity with experimental and recreational activities. However, while the surface may project a false sense of peacefulness, there is still a black market that condones itself to the trafficking of women and illicit revenues. (Vanderstok, 2010). Nonetheless there is an extensive possibility on the areas of research for issues of female prostitution in the Netherlands. The forefront for this research will be based on the types of female sex workers and the concern on the level of protection the sex workers are entitled to since the legalization of prostitution.
Within the realm of thought in the field of social theory, prostitution continues to be a hotly debated topic as there is no shortage of varying opinions. Prostitution is ‘the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.’ Thinkers such as German sociologist Georg Simmel, and Canadian-American sociologist Erving Goffman had influential views/approaches toward prostitution in their times.
The norm of prostitution, or rather, its lack of normalization, is problematic. Prostitution has been deemed as an unacceptable career for women, therefore, it is typically shunned from ever becoming customary. As the oldest ongoing profession in the world, one would think that prostitution will be close to being acceptable, just how homosexuality and marijuana is today. Yet, prostitution is far from being a norm of society, and the “whore stigma” remains attached. By analyzing statistics and testimonies of sex workers, the evidence ties back to the effect that the whore stigma has upon the industry.
Barry, Kathleen. The Prostitution of Sexuality: The Global Exploitation of Women. New York: New York University Press, 1996. Print.
One of the major advantages of participant observation is the ability of the anthropologist to gain access to events, locations and intimate situations where outside observers would not be allowed. DeMunk and Sobo (1998) describe some benefits of the observation method over alternative methods of anthropological data collection including the fact that it allows admission to the “backstage culture” (DeMunk and Sobo 1998 p.43), it allows for intimately detailed description, and provides the anthropologist with opportunities to be a part of all events. DeWalt and DeWalt (2002 p.92) also suggest that it increases the quality of the data that has been collected and the interpretation of the anthropologist, as well as analysis of that data and assisting in the development of new research questions and hypotheses. However, DeMunk and Sobo (1998) also address some disadvantages of using the particip...
Smith, Claude J., Jr. "Bodies and Minds for Sale:Prostitution in Pretty Woman and Indecent Proposal." Studies in Popular Culture (1998): 91-99. Web.
Reflexivity emphasizes the point of theoretical and practical questioning, changing the ethnographers view of themselves and their work. There is an increased awareness of the collection of data and the limitation of methodological systems. This idea becomes inherent in the postmodernists study of the culture of the anthropologist/ethnographer. In much of his essay, Marcus shows that reflexivity is an immense area of comment and interest by questioning: Is reflexivity a license or a method? Furthermore, he writes that reflexivity opens up “the possibility for the so-called polyphonic text or the completely collaborative project, but more often than not, it merely reinforces the perspective and voice of the lone, introspective fieldworker without challenging the paradigm of ethnographic research at all (Marcus 193).