Final Post #2

“Whenever curiosity about human behavior motivates us to observe others, we are engaging in our own private version of ethnography” (379). I found ethnography most interesting because all human beings are curious of other people’s lives. “Watching people and trying to figure out the rules that guide their actions are basic mechanisms for survival, without them, we wouldn’t be able to fit into our own culture” (379). When I read this sentence, I became interested in reading more about this topic.

Because we learn mostly from observations, ethnographers dive into other cultures and observe certain areas by becoming one of them. They let go of all of their personal beliefs and values and interact with these people undercover. Ethnographers feel that this is the best way to observe. I found this so interesting because it seems like a fun, but crazy thing to do. When you secretly become apart of something and nobody knows whom you truly are, then you would be able to get the best information and observations.

It is almost like going to a brand new school for a week and pretending you are something you are really not. When you pretend to be something else, then you learn from others a whole different way of living. Isn’t that a cool concept?