Anthropology is the study of Culture.
The word "study" does not mean social engineering,
societal organisation, political activism. It is
the study of a Culture.
As the Prime Directive was canon on Star Trek, so
to in the field of Anthropology.
It is difficult to sit quietly and watch a group
participate in what is clearly detrimental activities,
but imagine being in a hard drinking bar in your home
town and trying to stop the patrons from consumption.
When you are a "guest" in a culture, be very
careful not to "touch" anything.
I often give the analogy of being a guest in a home,
and finding only one ash tray and using it, only to
be attacked for using Great Grandfather's heirloom
and ejected.
You had no way of knowing that Ash Tray was precious
to the hosts. You might have missed signs that the
hosts didn't approve of smoking.
Yes, one can lamely advocate that they ought have
told you, but with a louder voice it is clear that
as a guest you should not have touched anything or
done anything without express permission.
When one is in the field as an anthropologist, the
very same rule applies. You touch nothing. Not an
item, not a practice, not even an attitude.
You study, and when you have reached a point in which
you need to organise your notes, you withdraw.
Making one visit of two weeks will not gain more than
a skim of the culture. You must return after a break
when you have gotten some rudimentary comprehension.
Sometimes your return is met with annoyance, sometimes
with welcome. If it is the first, find out what you
did that upset the group. It may be something minor
or a cultural norm you were totally unaware of.
You might have been expected to leave things behind,
or receive a blessing before departure, or need to
bring a gift when you return.
These kinds of mistakes often happen when a researcher
does not gain a modicum of trust and is only being told
or shown a thin veneer of the culture.
Another feature is to keep an open mind.
Many local "cures" actually do work. Yes, they may
be shrouded in rites and compounded with unnecessary
ingredients, but do have scientific basis.
Many local practices work in the cultural setting.
The understanding of incest, for example, will often
lead to complicated rituals in the selections of brides.
Surviving cultures "make sense" in their context.
By avoiding interfering in a culture one will be able
to see it in an objective and honest fashion.
