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.