| An Anthropologist in Japan: Glimpses of Life in the Field Contributor(s): Hendry, Joy (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415195748 ISBN-13: 9780415195744 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $47.45 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 1999 Annotation: "An Anthropologist in Japan" is a highly personal narrative which draws the reader into a fascinating cross-section of Japanese life. Joy Hendry tells the story of her nine-month period of fieldwork in a Japanese seaside town. She originally sets out on a study of politeness, but a host of unpredictable events--including a volcanic eruption, a suicide and her son's involvement with the family of a powerful local gangster--dramatically changes the direction of her research. In vignettes that illuminate the education system, religious beliefs, politics, family and neighborhood in modern Japan, the book exemplifies the role of chance in anthropology and the way that moments of insight can be embedded in a mass of everyday activity. A brilliant example of reflexive anthropology in action, "An Anthropologist in Japan" demonstrates how ethnographic fieldwork can uniquely provide a deep understanding of linguistic and cultural difference. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Anthropology - Cultural & Social |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 98035095 |
| Series: Asa Research Methods in Social Anthropology |
| Physical Information: 0.45" H x 5.41" W x 8.45" (0.64 lbs) 184 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Japanese |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In this highly personal account Joy Hendry relates her experiences of fieldwork in a Japanese town and reveals a fascinating cross-section of Japanese life. She sets out on a study of politeness but a variety of unpredictable events including a volcanic eruption, a suicide and her son's involvement with the family of a poweful local gangster, begin to alter the direction of her research. The book demonstrates the role of chance in the acquisition of anthropological knowledge and demonstrates how moments of insight can be embedded in everyday activity. An Anthropologist in Japan illuminates the education system, religious beliefs, politics, the family and the neighbourhood in modern Japan. |