Applications in Computing for Social Anthropologists

"Applications in Computing for Social Anthropologists" encourages professionals in the field to make full use of their computers in the organization and interpretation of data. Lucidly written and sympathetic to the particular needs of social anthropologists, this book constitutes a step-by-step guide to computer literacy.

Michael D. Fischer first identifies research activities common to all anthropologists--ethnographic fieldwork, management and analysis of footnotes, and the use of visual and aural material. Fischer then illustrates--through a detailed examination of computer applications that represent kinship relations--how computer-based representations can satisfy the requirements of anthropological methods. Fischer also introduces developments in the representation of visual and aural data on computers as well as possible applications of knowledge-based models.

As increasing numbers of social anthropologists use a computer for wordprocessing, interest in other applications inevitably follows, Computer Applications in Social Anthropology covers research activities shared by all social anthropologists and introduces new methods for organizing and interpreting data. Lucidly written, and sympathetic to the particular needs of social anthropologists, it will be of immense value to researchers and professionals in anthropology, development studies and sociology

Preface Acknowledgements 1. Perspectives and Resources 2. Applications for Ethnographic Data Processing 3. Fieldwork and Ethnographic Research: In the Field 4. Fieldnote and Textual Data 5. Ethnographics: Graphics Tools for Ethnography 6. Kinship Applications 7. Kinship Programs 8. Computer-based Simulation and Modelling Notes Bibliography

Michael Fischer