After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

7.1 Discuss how cultural anthropologists prepare to study society and culture.

7.2 Describe the actual research methods used for ethnographic studies.

7.3 Discuss some of the ethical dilemmas of ethnographic research.

7.4 Discuss how cultural anthropologists analyze their ethnographic data.

7.5 Discuss the contemporary view of sociocultural evolution used by anthropologists.

7.6 Describe the types of sociocultural systems studied by anthropologists.

7.7 Describe the strengths and limitations of the cross-cultural approach.