Possible sites for IA-ethnographic observation and Assignment

IB SL Social and Cultural Anthropology

Observation Assignment

You are required to do an initial anthropological observation. You will revisit this observation.

Requirements:

1. Observe at an appropriately chosen site for one hour.
2. Consider and discuss with the class ethical issues of your observation.
3. Take detailed notes.
4. Create a detailed and organized written report of no more than 400 words of what you observed. Your report must include a detailed description of the location and context of your observation (date, time, number of people, physical surroundings)

Ethics discussion and due date for the proposal: ________________________

Written report due: _______________________

IB rubric – This observation is worth 4 of the 26 total marks awarded for the internal assessment.

A Completion of the written report
Marks Level Descriptor 
1-2 The written report is either organized or detailed but not both.
3-4 The written report is organized and detailed. The content of the observation is discussed. 

Ethical considerations

The following guidelines should be applied to all fieldwork. These apply to students preparing for internal

Assessment.

• Do no harm to the people who participate in fieldwork.

• Respect the well-being of humans and the environment.

• Obtain informed consent from the people who are the subjects of the fieldwork in a form appropriate

to the context before you begin, providing sufficient information about the aims and procedures of

the research.

• Fieldwork involving children needs the written consent of parent(s) or guardian(s). Students

must ensure that parents are fully informed about the implications for children who take part in such

research. Where fieldwork is conducted with children in a school, the written consent of the school

administration must also be obtained.

• Maintain the anonymity of the people participating in fieldwork, unless participants have given

explicit permission to the contrary.

• Store all data collected securely in order to maintain confidentiality.

• Be honest about the limits of your training.

• Do not falsify or make up fieldwork data. Report on research findings accurately and completely.

• Report your research findings to the people involved in your fieldwork.

• Do not use data for any purpose other than the fieldwork for which it was collected.

• Develop and maintain a working relationship with the people that you study so that other

researchers can continue to work with them.

• Check with your teacher when the right way to behave is not clear.

• Participate in reviews of the ethical considerations in the fieldwork proposals of your peers.

Brainstorm your ideas here --

church

school clubs

gym

sit down restaurant

classroom you have never been before

pre-school

places of work

community meeting-neighborhood association

school board meeting

school you do not attend

sports practice gender based

adult clubs

tourist area

colleges

hair salons

art gallery

bowling alley

skating rink

celebration sedentary

country club

playground

Approval from Ms. Hodgson

Notebook paper-Field Notes should total 2 pages front and back.

Map. In addition to notes.

Setting, ages, gender, dress, at least 25 people. One side of notebook paper for this.

The other pages should be what is going on and cultural interactions.

Site

Ethical Considerations