REFLEXIVE THOUGHT #9:
Ethnography, how does this
apply to the self,
the observer?
My first semester at CSULB in the Spring of 2011, I was introduced to a subject that uses psychology research technique in anthropological research setting. They call this ethnography. Ever since that first class, my mind has open to the myriad of possibilities for my future as a psychologist. I just finished another semester of at CSULB taking Global Ethnography. It was enough to staple my fascination and convert it to my future endeavor as a psychologist, writer, and teacher. So, let me introduce you to what I have discovered the past year and a half at CSULB that reflects my attitude as a student of psychology.
First, ethnography is a branch of anthropology dealing with the scientific description of individual cultures. In this genre of anthropology, there are two terms that intrinsic for the observer to contain they witness these nuances of a society from any level or perspective. Before that, I want to define another perspective when an observer contains such an attitude within the perspective of cultural transformation upon garnering a cultural identity.This attitude is defined as the term ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture; a tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own. This term represent the attitude of an observer studying culture from a positive or negative point-of-view. Whichever position the observer may hold, it is a necessary attitude in studying cultural environments, habits, and activities; in order, for the observer to draw some knowledge and some conclusions to the questions sought about this civilization existence and influence upon the observer, or the world.
Before I introduce the term I coin "Cultural transformation", I want to clarify, defend, what I stated in the previous paragraph about the observer's stance in ethnographic and ethnocentric positions. There are terms to describe the process the observer complete while obtaining knowledge in civilizations foreign to their native environments: The terms are acculturation, enculturation, and a new term I define as "coculturation." First here are the definitions:
- Acculturation: cultural change; a change in the cultural behavior and thinking of a person or group of people through contact with another culture.
- Enculturation: the gradual acceptance by a person or group of the standards and practices of another person or culture.
- Coculturation: the combination of acculturation and enculturation in coalesce of a individual or group initiation into a culture based upon some of its beliefs, attitudes, creeds, politics, and social rules while existing in that environment.
Henceforth, in acculturation, you begin to accept value that are of another culture while in your present native culture; in enculturation, you are accepted by the persons or group of the culture whom standards and beliefs you practice; from both these process you have evolved to coculturation, which is you are fully cultured upon this society you hold favor to while living in that environment.
These processes will allow one to experience a cultural transformation (the act or the process, in which, an individual, a group, or event change when they are conforming to a cultural norm, belief in the guise of appearance, nature, and character while in acceptance within the culture and environment) from the observer's point-of-view. Then, the observer could institute a certain amount of knowledge to inform the audience for the purpose of education, entertainment or personal wish fulfillment; just to make intellectual conversation.
The point being, this term's existence conveys a lucid foundation in the process of learning about other cultures and environments, in order, for others to self-create a more intrinsic approach to accepting these phenomenon at face value instead from a narrow position that is caustic in attitudes not privy to nuance of alien civilizations.
When studying or visiting different civilizations, the observer acknowledges a different language foreign from their native tongue is spoken. This idea of language is essential in the study or leisurement of a culture. I began to investigate this topic of language in observer's, whether that be ethnographic-ethnocentric or neither, position; so, I googled and found the web page of a Professor James Lett (Emic/Etic Distinctions_James Lett) who is a Anthropology and Geography Professor at Florida Atlantic University. He spoke about certain terms explaining the linguistic (of relating to the scientific study of language) position experienced by an observer while in the study or leisurement of a foreign civilization. These terms are etic and emic. Here is what was said:- Etic: using an outside observers categorizations; making use of preestablished categories for organizing and interpreting anthropological data, rather than categories recognized within the culture being studied.
- Emic: Analyzing structural and functional elements;.relating to the analysis of structural and functional elements of language or behavior; Using categorizes of people studied; relating to the organization and interpretation of data that makes use of the categories of the people being studied.
In etic position, is the observers data or information retrieve from their experience. This would be their side of the story and no less. In the emic position, the observers information is studied and used to explain the experience. This would give clear detail to the person wanting information on a specific topic about the culture, or civilization being studied by the observers interpretations of their language and beliefs.
From these perspectives of language acquisition by the observer in a foreign culture, they can comprehend a prudent foundation that assisted in their acceptance into any target civilization while obtaining the knowledge, and the means necessary to clarify why a culture has certain habits, traits, and attitudes while inhabiting in an environment without fault or despair. 
It is important for any observer on any level to grasp the concept of cultural transformation and its foundations: acculturation, enculturation, and coculturation. If anyone has not grasped any of these ideas then there will be difficulty in existing in these civilizations without any problem. If you want to learn of culture and exist in its environment then you must grasp this process within yourself. This will reflect your experience as you exist in these civilizations without fail.
