“历史的民族志”视野中的仪式展演——评《帝国隐喻-中国民间宗教》

“历史的民族志”不是简单的,碎片化的历史史实的堆积,而是解释行为主体怎样从历史史实中,人为主观地选择、表达和建构的。而仪式是“历史的民族志”最活跃的元素之一。仪式既能突出这一文化事象内涵中的历史痕迹,向人们展现其承载的历史底蕴,又能解释“历史活在当下”在其中的具体体现,强调在社会变迁中人们在仪式演进中的能动性。     

关于民俗志书写的几点思考

随着民俗学研究范式的转变,民俗志书写逐渐成为民俗学的基本研究方式之一。然而,当前民俗志书写中存在诸多问题与不足:书写样式八股化,书写中看不到人的在场,没有情境的呈现,弃用生动的民俗话语,缺乏地方感。一篇成功的民俗志应该以深度描述、深度解释为基础,力求整体性叙事,具有反思精神,讲究生动的写作风格,从而立体化地呈现出民俗生活的本质和意义。     

Righteous Dopefiend：公共人类学摄影民族志

Righteous Dopefiend是一本对海洛因成瘾的流浪汉群体进行研究的公共人类学摄影民族志代表作,作者Philippe Bourgois和Jeff Schonberg历经12年,来展现和描绘城市边缘中人们“视而不见”但却有感情、讲义气的流浪汉群体,立体而鲜活的呈现他们的苦难和挣扎。本文从民族志研究和抱团取暖的群体,“灰色地带”中的摄影民族志、个人生命历程的书写等方面对本书进行评述。     

以“自述”之名：一个实验民族志写作个案——刘尧汉与《我在神鬼之间——一个彝族祭司的自述》的叙事建构

文章试图揭示在“自述”之名背后,彝族民族学家刘尧汉对彝族毕摩吉克则伙自传的叙事策略和文本建构进行了一系列调整把控,从而将其纳入一种特殊的实验民族志写作实践当中。由此,刘尧汉重申了近代以来彝族知识分子反复表达的民族自觉意识,进而在新的时代和学科语境下彰显出中国少数民族知识分子构建学术流派、争取学术话语的高度学术自觉。     

艺术人类学的阐释路径

在对艺术现象展开具体理论言说时,艺术人类学的阐释路径主要呈现出三个基本环节：遵循文化人类学田野方法,参与实践至具体的艺术活动中去,获得直接而完整的审美体验和生活知识;基于文化整体观,对艺术生态作出全面的语境性把握,从而探究艺术活动的文化逻辑和生活特征;以艺术民族志的形式,在关注艺术现象的细节和场景中,使得具体艺术现象得以综合把握和书写。艺术人类学的现实介入力和问题阐发力因此而得到有效实践和彰显。     

文化描述与文化批评：实验民族志实践方式探析

20世纪60年代以来的民族志书写危机,从一个侧面说明了文化描述与文化批评在人类学学科中的重要性。在实验民族志中,表述危机下的种种表征方式、文化批评中彰显的民族志价值,恰恰说明了实验民族志在不断践履民族志实践,而这种实践给民族志发展,乃至人类学学科及人类学一般知识发展的趋势所带来的影响十分深远。     

新图形时代语境下的视觉人类学思考

人类学以跨学科、可以和其他多种学科＂联姻＂而产生分支学科为主要特点。关注视觉媒体和媒体革命对文化的影响,考察在现代视觉媒体影响下的文化涵化、文化冲突和文化变迁成为当今视觉人类学的主要特点。在新图形时代的语境下,视觉人类学这个新研究领域,既需要不断用科学技术手段武装头脑的人类学家,也需要具有一定人类学学科知识的摄影师,更需要包括人类学家、社会学家、摄影家、艺术家、设计师在内的全体社会成员的关注和参与。     

Qualitative data analysis with hypertext: A case of New York City crack dealers

Ethnography has become a useful method in procuring sensitive information from the ‘hidden population’ who may not be accessed with quantitative survey techniques. Researchers are generating huge amounts of qualitative/textual data. Qualitative data require careful planning in storage, coding, retrieval, and analysis. Personal computers have solved data management problems, but data analysis remains problematic. The paper describes some qualitative data management and analytic problems faced by a team of ethnographers engaged in a longitudinal epidemiological study of cocaine and crack distribution/abuse in New York City. Ethnographic data was collected through multi-session open-ended interviews with more than one hundred cocaine/crack dealers and extensive field-notes were kept. Compared to other programs, a hypertext software — Folio Views — was more useful in solving (a) data management and (b) analytical problems. Authors used this software to handle more than twenty-five thousand pages of texts; search and sort the database by any words or codes; and retrieve relevant textual materials needed to complete comparative and thematic analysis. Authors analyzed the data from outsiders’ point of view (etic) as well as from the viewpoint of the subject populations (emic).     

A Microcomputer Management of Information System for Community-Based AIDS Prevention Ethnographic Team Research

Abstract

Ethnographers working on community-based intervention projects increasingly face the task of collecting and analyzing large amounts of qualitative data. In addition, these data sometimes must be simultaneously gathered across diverse populations and at multiple locations. A cost-effective approach that addresses the difficulties in conducting this type of qualitative research is the use of an ethnographic team. Yet, the team concept requires sophisticated strategies for managing large volumes of unstructured textbased data. This article documents how the Houston Nalional AlDS Demonstration Research (NADR) project configured specific basic microcomputer technologesto asslst and enhance the management of ethnographic team research. Specifically, this system was a valuable and affordable tool to increase the speed, efficiency and rigor of data collection and analysis.     

Understanding the Role of National Development Experts in Development Ethnography

International aid architecture has created a space for development experts to operationalise development policies in various capacity. A growing body of literature highlights the agency of this group through an ethnographic lens for deepening the understanding of development practice. However, this article reveals that there is a gap in the existing literature as the roles of national development experts (NDEs) remain rather unexplored in development. This article aims to bridge this gap by introducing the NDEs as an unexplored actor in development and setting an agenda for further research. Drawing on a Bangladesh case this article argues that not only will the accounts of NDEs deepen the existing scholarship but also without their reflections we will only have partial development ethnographies.