Anthropology: The Cultural Experience

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Anthropology The Cultural Experience

• Badrul Islam
• Joel Serrata
• Dr. Lambros Comitas/Dr. Louis Cristillo
• Columbia University Teachers College

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What is Anthropology?

• Anthropology is the science of human beings. More
  specifically, anthropology is trying to
  understand all aspects of human beings and all
  possible questions about them through the broad
  discovery, study, interpretation, and inference
  of past and present cultural characteristics.

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Ethnography

• Ethnography is the formal research approach used
  to acquire the cultural knowledge of a social
  group.
• Ethnographic research involves informants, or
  subjects who inform us about their cultural
  knowledge.
• The challenge for ethnographers is to help their
  informants remember and express their cultural
  knowledge.

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Muslim Youth in NYC Public Schools Study

• Columbia University is conducting an
  anthropological research study about the opinions
  and experiences of Muslim students in NYC high
  schools.
• The research is intended to help teachers and
  school administrators improve the learning
  environment for Muslim students.

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Muslim Youth in NYC Public Schools Study (Contd)

• This study is not limited to Muslim students
  students from all religions can participate.
• In a broad sense, this study wants to learn how
  students experiences in high school impact their
  attitudes and opinions about civic life and
  cultural identity in America.
• This study primarily consists of a telephone
  survey, a focus group, and face-to-face
  interviews with high school students.
• The telephone survey, focus group, and
  face-to-face interviews ask about life in school,
  coping with problems and attitudes about
  identity, society, and education in America.

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Materials

• Human Research Participant license
• Consent form
• Recording equipment
• Questionnaire
• Notebook/writing utensil

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Methodology

• The informant is selected to be interviewed and
  informed about the Muslim Youth study.
• The informant is assured that the interview will
  remain confidential at all costs and that he/she
  has the right to withdraw from the interview at
  any time.
• The informant will be asked to briefly introduce
  him/herself and say what high school they attend
  and their grade (2006-2007 school year).
• Questions regarding identity, religiosity, life
  inside school, life outside of school, self
  esteem, locus control, discrimination, coping and
  resiliency, and personal background/demographics
  will be asked in an informal interview manner.
• After the 90-minute interview, the notes from the
  interview will be typed up as an essay document.
• Follow up questions for the informant will be
  asked over the phone or via email.
• Consent forms from the informant will be
  collected.

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Interview Questions

• Some of the probing questions for the interviews
  are
• Generally speaking, would you say that your
  school is a cool place like is it safe, well
  managed place-a place where students get along
  pretty well with each other and with teachers?
• Are the teachers doing a good job? Do you trust
  your teachers?
• What about things like drugs, violence, and
  gangs?
• Do you think student activities at your school
  are worth it or just a waste of time?
• Do you ever do volunteer work that is not related
  to school?
• How important is it for you to keep informed
  about news and current events where do you get
  your news?
• What are the biggest problems facing America
  today (ex. Poverty, homelessness, crime, racism,
  War in Iraq).
• Most of your friends Muslims? Non-Muslims? Mix?
• How important is religion in your daily life?
• Ever experience discrimination in public?
• Is turning to religion helpful?
• Have you ever questioned your religious beliefs?

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Our Progress

• We have interviewed 8 people altogether (4 each).
  
• The interviewing process takes quite a while
  because one must know their informant, be in
  their environment, observe their interactions and
  behaviors.
• The actual interview with the probing questions
  start a few days after getting to know the
  informant.

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Future Work

• We plan to complete at least 12 thorough
  interviews by the end of the internship in
  September.
• We will continue our work with our actual mentor
  Dr. Lambros Comitas and learn more about the
  field of cultural anthropology.

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Sign Up!
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Works Cited

• http//www.cyberpursuits.com/anthro/
• http//www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/EthnographyVid.htm
  l
• http//www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropolog
  y/courses/122/module1/metheory.html
• http//www.culanth.org/
• http//www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/lehman/guide
  s/cultanth.html

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Lambros Comitas
• Dr. Louis Cristillo
• Dr. Sat. Bhattacharya
• Columbia University Teachers College
• Harlem Children Society/Staff
• Audience
• THANK YOU!!!!!!!