Understanding and participant observation in cultural and social anthropology

Michael W. Martin

Judith B. Agassi

Sidney Mintz

pp. 303-349

in: Robert S. Cohen, Mark W. Wartofsky (eds), Proceedings of the Boston colloquium for the philosophy of science 1966/1968, Berlin, Springer, 1969

Abstract

There was a time when cultural and social anthropologists did not do participant observation. Sir James Frazer, famous anthropologist of yesteryear, was once asked if he ever lived amongst savages. It is reported that he held up his hands "as though to ward off even the thought" and answered "God forbid!"¹