Research Methods In Anthropology (Qualitative And Quantitative Approaches)

Development anthropology refers to the application of anthropological perspectives to the multidisciplinary branch of development studies. It take international development and international aid as primary object. In this branch of anthropology, the term development refers to the social action made voluntary by different agents (institutions, business, enterprise, state, independent volunteer) who are trying to modify the economic, technical, political or/and social life of a given place in the world, especially in developing nation. Qualitative research seeks out the 'why, not the how of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information - things like interview transcripts, open ended survey responses, e-mails, notes, feedback forms, photos and videos. It doesnt just rely on statistics or numbers, which are the domain of quantitative researchers. Qualitative research is used to gain insight into peoples attitudes, behaviours, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles. Its used to inform business decisions, policy formation, communication and research. Quantitative research is used widely in social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science. Research in mathematical sciences such as physics is also quantitativeby definition, though this use of the term differs in context. In the social sciences, the term relates to empirical methods, originating in both philosophical positivism and the history of statistics, which contrast qualitative research methods. This book covers a wide arena, and truly reflects the nature of anthropology as an integrated discipline.