Anthropological Research by Pertti J Pelto
This text is a comprehensive introduction to research methods in social and cultural anthropology. The Peltos focus their discussion on the essential elements of preparing and analyzing the supporting evidence from which generalizations about human nature are derived. The specific elements of anthropological research - such as interviewing informants, observing ceremonial behaviour, and designing surveys - are all covered, but the primary aim is to show how basic observations can be systematically translated into socio-cultural generalizations. The authors place strong emphasis not only on quantification and statistics, but also on the more qualitative aspects of anthropological working styles that are essential to effective research. The two main themes of the book can be stated as follows: (1) anthropological generalizations and more complex theoretical structures can be built up only through careful implementation of basic concepts, the building blocks of all theory, and (2) successful description and hypothesis testing depend on the judicious mixing of quantitative and quantitative research materials. The second edition, in which Professor Gretel Pelto has collaborated with her husband, expands the discussion of tools of research and offers a more comprehensive analysis of current ideas concerning the 'theory-building' process. An entirely new chapter has been added on the research methods and relevance of applied anthropology. Throughout the text, many new and updated examples are cited to illustrate statistical and methodological approaches to anthropological research.
Pertti J. (Bert) Pelto is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut, where he founded the program in medical anthropology. During his career he also served on the faculty of Cornell University, the University of Minnesota, and Washington University. His foundational Anthropological Research: The Structure of Inquiry (1970), in which he argued for a comprehensive mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches, was the first methodology textbook in socio-cultural anthropology and among the first in qualitative research more generally. He is author or editor of many other major books and textbooks, some of which are The Snowmobile Revolution (1973), Technology and Social Change (ed., with H. R. Bernard, 1983), Research Methods in Nutritional Anthropology (with G. Pelto and E. Messer 1989), and Sexuality in the Time of AIDS (ed., with R. Verma, S. Schensul, and A. Joshi, 2004). Dr. Pelto has spent much of the past two decades time in India training and advising research groups and working with HIV/AIDS projects and other applied programs.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521292283 |
| ISBN 10 | 052129228X |
| Title | Anthropological Research |
| Author | Pertti J Pelto |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 1978-02-16 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |