Week 1

Lecture

Readings : - Le Guin (1973) - Mutaru (2018)

Contemporary ethnographic research continues the tradition of ethnographic inquiry in anthropology and sociology, but has some distinguishing characteristics. We will discuss the past and present of ethnographic research and how at every stage it involves decisions where ethical concerns are at stake, forcing us to ask what "the good" is in society and how we are meant to act.

Tutorial

Homework : - Find the ethics code of an anthropological association in your home country or region and read it with Mutaru (2018) in the back of your mind. - Read Kell (2021) and find at least one other story about the same issue.

During tutorials, you will study and discuss ethics guidelines of various professional associations. You will also discuss controversies around anthropology's historical entanglement with imperialist or settler-colonial projects and their perduring implications for research ethics.