Anthropologist's Digest

Author: Eren Kyle Rotner

  • Ethnography: The Emic and the Etic

    Ethnography: The Emic and the Etic

    The Methodology of Ethnography

    The word ethnography is very general, being defined as the scientific description of the customs of individual people and cultures. It is primarily used, though, in reference to the methodology of ethnography. As a methodology, ethnography is a qualitative research method centered around studying cohorts or communities to understand social and cultural phenomena. Cultural immersion, external observation of cohorts, interviews, and collection of historical artifacts are the primary methods of research under ethnography. In the methodology of ethnography, two sub-methodologies exist: the emic and the etic. While some anthropologists favor either the emic or the etic, the two sub-methodologies compliment each other, and are often used together.

    Aleksander Stypczynski – Archaeologists at work in rural Uzbekistan

    The Emic

    The emic perspective involves gaining an insider perspective on a culture, examining their beliefs, values, and practices of that culture. This perspective is useful for identifying the motivations behind particular practices or traditions in a culture as understood by members of the culture. One of the primary benefits of the emic perspective is that it is useful for gaining an in-depth understanding of a certain culture. The primary fieldwork method of emic research is immersion into a culture, which involves living alongside members of a culture and participating in day-to-day activities and rituals with them. Unfortunately, the emic is not without drawbacks; only one culture can effectively be studied at once, leading to limited generalizability. Immersion in a culture over a long period of time can also cause a researcher to become biased, negatively impacting results. The emic is primarily employed by social scientists and anthropologists seeking to gain knowledge of a certain culture.

    The Etic

    In contrast, the etic is an outsider’s perspective, taking a more objective approach to examining cultures. This is typically done in a more scientific fashion, using standardized methods of data collection and evaluation to focus on more basic and general practices and traditions of a culture. In theory, since etic research is conducted from an outside point of view, the researcher can remain unbiased and objective. The etic also allows for researchers to compare two different cultures, and it is the primary method used to do so. Unfortunately, since etic research is so subjective and non-immersive, results fail to account for important contextual factors. Outside study may also lead researchers to interpret data incorrectly or make assumptions based on their cultural backgrounds. The etic is often employed in the same areas as the emic; it is used by anthropologists, social scientists, market researchers, and others seeking to understand cultural differences they are not familiar with.

    Conclusion

    In research, using the emic and the etic is not typically a “one or the other” type of situation. These sub-methodologies compliment each other and each serve their own purpose in research, often being used alongside each other to accomplish certain goals. In my own research paper that I will later write about, I am using etic as a primary methodology to compare different individuals’ opinions of medical AI based on where they are located. The emic is also being somewhat used, as I am a member of both cultures I am studying, and it offers me a way to understand exactly what factors are influencing participant’s responses. All in all, the emic and the etic are important for anthropologists who plan on doing research to understand, and they provide us with accurate ways to make conclusions about cultures when used correctly.

    Sources used

    McCutcheon, Russell T. “ Theoretical Background: Insides, Outsides, and The Scholar of Religion.” Emic / Etic, Kenyon College, www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln101/McCutcheon%20-%20emic-etic.htm#:~:text=The%20emic%20perspective%2C%20then%2C%20is,International%20Phonetic%20Alphabet%20for%20example. Accessed 24 July 2025.

    Mostowlansky, Till, and Andrea Rota. “Emic and Etic.” Open Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 11 Mar. 2025, http://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/emic-and-etic.

  • A Brief Overview of Ethnomusicology

    A Brief Overview of Ethnomusicology

    Welcome back to my second blog post! I love all things music, so I have been hoping something related to music might be writeable for this blog. Today I will be writing about a subtopic that interested me while I was browsing anthropology news: the practice of ethnomusicology.

    What is it?

    Coined by Dutch musicologist Jaap Kunst in 1950, “ethnomusicology” is a big word, so let’s break it down. According to Miriam-Webster, the prefix “ethno-” generally means “relating to a race, culture, or people”. Musicology is the scholarly study of music that looks into its history and cultural roots. Ethnomusicology, the product of these two words, is the study of music within its social and cultural contexts that seeks to explore its deeper meaning. This can involve studying both music created by members of a certain culture and how it is performed and interpreted. Just like music is open to interpretation by those who listen to in, the definition of ethnomusicology is interpreted differently by anthropologists around the world; some place importance on the music itself while others prefer to center their studies more so around the cultures of ethnic groups.

    Kamala Bright ~ A Street Performer In India

    The Job

    In terms of field work, ethnomusicologists study the musical traditions of artists around the world, recording and analyzing performances in a cultural context as well as studying the element of music theory in their songs. Researchers may also engage in music creation with local artists to further immerse themselves in the culture. (Indeed Careers)

    Ethnomusicologists must be well-versed in music theory, ideally understanding composition and being able to play multiple instruments. The ability to conduct research both in the field and in an office setting is also a primary skill required. Ethnomusicologists are typically employed at museums, educational institutions, and research facilities, where they teach courses and publish texts.

    The Importance of Ethnomusicology

    Ethnomusicology plays a notable role in not just anthropology but musicology too. The practice itself of uncovering musical artifacts through archaeology stimulates continuous research of music in a society, stimulating further composition development in that society. It also provides a new lens to examine the progression of music in a culture throughout time, looking at the different reasons for musical style being changed the way it is. Such can function much like archaeology in the sense that it can help provide an understanding of historical perspectives by looking at what has been done with music in the past. Looking at it this way, a song could provide as much, if not more information than an ancient rune or piece of clothing. In terms of musicology, which usually employs a very straightforward and objective approach similar to the etic of ethnography, ethnomusicology is a less objective way to study music due to the fact that it takes into consideration the cultural context with which the music is created. (Li Li)

    While ethnomusicologists would likely regard their work as underrecognized, many schools have recently began incorporating ethnomusicology classes into their course offerings. These come in the forms of music or dance classes covering cultures anywhere from the Balkans to deep southeast Asia. Professional organizations related to ethnomusicology have largely grown too, with the Society of Ethnomusicology increasing membership the most among ethnomusicology groups. All in all, ethnomusicology is an increasingly relevant field of study that can uncover volumes about the world of yesterday as well as the world of today through song.

    Vicki Schofield

    Image Credits Unsplash

    Li, Li. “The Importance of Ethnomusicology in Other Disciplines Of …” Francis Press, Francis Academic Press, UK, francis-press.com/uploads/papers/xPjwVfhrdqFI7TjQVerHTJAukbNPQrmHodz8QeuD.pdf. Accessed 19 July 2025.

  • Applications of Anthropology to the “Uncanny Valley”

    Applications of Anthropology to the “Uncanny Valley”

    My First Post

    Hey everybody! Welcome to my anthropology blog, where I’ll be documenting my journey learning about anthropology as well as examining applications of anthropology to everyday phenomena.

    A little bit about myself – my name is Kyle and I am a high school student aspiring to learn more about the world of anthropology. For my first post, I’m going to be discussing the “uncanny valley” (UV) theory and how it is applied to people of different cultures. I’ve been fascinated with this topic since I learned about it in a YouTube video, and I figured it would make for a good first article.

    The “Uncanny Valley”

    Before we dive into anthropological applications of this phenomenon, let’s first discuss what the uncanny valley actually is. The term was first coined by Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori in his 1970 book Bukimi No Tani (literally translates to “The Uncanny Valley”). The general idea of the theory goes something like this: as the realism of a robot or non-living humanoid object increases, the neurological response of surrounding humans becomes increasingly comfortable and empathetic towards the object until it approaches a certain point of realism (this can be illustrated by the affection a child feels towards figures like dolls). Approaching this point of realism, empathy towards the object drops sharply into a negative level (illustrated on the graph below) before increasing again as the object approaches the point of being an actual human. This sharp drop is what is referred to as the “uncanny valley”- a spike in negative neurological response around the point of human likeness that resembles a valley on a graph (Britannica). Unfortunately, empirical evidence of the UV is lacking, to say the least, as it is uncertain if accurate studies have been conducted to the extent that we can verify the specifics of this phenomenon. The basic idea can still be validated, though, by the fact that I’d rather be chased by a teddy bear than a zombie. The graph from Britannica pictured below gives decent examples of different objects and where they fall along the uncanny valley.

    Anthropology Time…

    While the uncanny valley more of a psychology-centered topic, there are a wide variety of anthropological aspects that play a role in the UV theory.

    The primary factor influencing perceptions of the uncanny valley across cultures that I will talk about today is the “other-race” effect. The “other-race” effect (OR) is described as being the tendency for one to more easily recognize and distinguish faces of individuals of their own race (as opposed to individuals of other races). Interestingly, members of a given race tend to notice fluctuations in the facial structures of figures designed to be classified as said race. In a study conducted by Ayako Saneyoshi et al., a group of 28 Japanese university students and 23 Norwegian students were shown multiple images of both Japanese and Norwegian figures, with the figure’s eyes being scaled up to 20% over or under the typical size. Researchers utilized eye tracking technology to monitor the responses of the students; pupillary diameter can be used as an accurate measure of the response of an individual to faces. The study found both groups more likely to be unsettled/feel less affinity to the altered figures of their own races. Saneyoshi attributes these responses to the heightened exposure one receives to members of their own race throughout their lives. To summarize, the OR effect leads individuals to detect changes and feel greater unease at a higher rate when exposed to figures of their own race.

    The Future?

    As artificial intelligence becomes more and more humanoid in its behaviors, and innovations in robotics technology allow us to create increasingly realistic robots, the relationship between man and computer must be addressed in order for these systems to work to their fullest efficiency. The uncanny valley is an important factor to account for as this technology advances, as it provides a solid foundation for human response to robotics and can be utilized to maintain harmony between life and tech. At the moment, scientists working to examine this relationship have concluded that robots should be designed with clearly different appearances to humans in order to make them acceptable to today’s population.

    Sources

    Kendall, & Emily. (2022, September 20). Uncanny valley | Definition, Origin, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/uncanny-valley

    Saneyoshi, A. (2022, October). The other-race effect in the uncanny valley. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 166(102871). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jihcs.2022.102871