ACTIVITY 4

Anthropology

Paola Hernández, Alejandro Alcalá, Mateo Martínez and

Araceli Díaz
 Part 1

1. According to your experience, describe the way in which a researcher must interpret the
obtained data of a specific population.
Araceli → The researcher should analyze what he got first and then try to understand well what
he got, if it makes sense and is related with what he observed.

Paola → I think the researcher should interpret the data as precisely as possible and pay more
attention to details. They should also interpret it according to the objective that they want to
reach and the type of method they’re using.

Alex → The researchers must interpret the data of the specific population like an option of the
reality and to have more information of and specific place because the people that lives there
could have been in the specific moment but also must be very careful because the information
can be a legend.

Mateo → They should interpret it as a piece of data that can help the investigation but is not
necessarily correct.

-Widely justify your answer to each of the following questions-

1. Do you think the researcher should just stick to the reality?
Araceli → Yes. Why would he try to study things that do not happen in the reality? I think the
point of researching about society and specific populations is to know how the act, involve and
react to different situations in real life.

Paola → Not really because everything depends on the concept that each one has about
“reality”. Every culture has different opinions and beliefs, and the researcher must respect that.
That is why I think it is necessary for them to have a wide knowledge and open mind to receive
any type of answer from the studied population.

Alex → Yes, because the investigation is about the reality and you can just invent things.

Mateo → Yes, otherwise the investigation that is being made could suffer and have general
problems that could hinder the gathered information.
2. Do you consider convenient to know the points of view of the population in regard to the
obtained information?
Araceli → Yes. Since what we are researching about is that population, they can help us to know
if one of the results and the information obtain does connect or kind of like make sense to how
they behave and do things. They can point out that maybe some conclusion and data we got
is not completely correct or can vary.

Paola → Of course, because if the researcher knows the different points of view from the
population, they could have another perspective from the situation. This way they can make
their own conclusion based on the different opinions and get a more complete work.

Alex → Yes because you can start your research from the point of view of the people.

Mateo → Yes, though it must be taken with a grain of salt.

3. What perspectives should the researcher have present to explain the raised situation in a specific
society?
Araceli → What he got in the point of view which he observed the phenomena and add a wide
variety of viewpoints that are possible.

Paola → I think the researcher should consider to have a perspective in which they can be close
to the society and get involved with the people to understand the problem and have a better
way to explain the raised situation.

Alex → The researcher must have an open perspective because he/she can get any new
information from different places.

Mateo → Both, the one of a foreigner to the area and one of a local citizen that has been living
there for years.

4. Would you consider the opinion of the population being studied even if you consider it
incoherent?
Araceli → Probably not. I already said that I think is important to consider the opinion of the
population but there is something to take into consideration. Is not that they are going to modify
your work, the point is to hear what they think about the results, and if they agree with what we
got, but if those opinions come to moment where is obvious is not right, maybe just some
people think like that and is more like they want to harm, then it can not be considered.
 Paola → Of course, because all opinions are valid, even if you don’t agree with them. We all
have a different a concept about something “incoherent”, so I think that the researcher has to
respect that and consider all the opinions.

Alex → If the information is incoherent, you can leave that for the last option of the investigation.

Mateo → Yes but with a grain of salt, because it is important to have in mind how the local
populous forms an opinion about the researched thing at hand but if incoherent like on this
hypothetical case it must be taken with a grain of salt.

5. What aspects of the opinion of the investigated people would you validate to provide
information and what aspects would you not validate?
Araceli → Validate: They contribute to things that I am missing about them; the majority agree
there is something that is not completely right and really want to help. Not validate: They just
think is wrong and want to change all the results, they give very specific opinions that others do
not agree with.

Paola → If I was the researcher, I think I would validate all the information (obviously only
information about the research), because as I already said, all the opinions are important, and
any data can help me to understand the situation and provide a good conclusion and a
complete work.

Alex → First of all the information has to be coherent, it has to make sense and I don’t validate
the information that I’m not sure that it’s true.

Mateo → Depends on the investigation itself but I would say to consider generally the aspects
but with a grain of salt for it to be analyzed deeply.

-Team Part-
1. Get together with your classmates and carry out a round table about the issues you should
consider from the information given by the population being studied, according to your
beliefs.
2. Integrate the information you obtained from the round table and point out your posture to
interpret the data obtained from the opinions of the people being studied.
 -Age
-Gender
-Medical history
-Illnesses in relatives (genetics)
-Exercise
-Alimentation/Diet
-Symptoms
-Period of time with the illness/issue
-Environment
-Health condition
-Weight
-Height
-Allergies

3. Find information about a non-clinical disease (with no medical recognition) specific to your
state, as well as the interpretations and the remedies that such population gives to such
suffering.

Non-clinical disease

1. Hangover
-What is it? Group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too
much alcohol. Frequent hangovers are also associated with poor performance and conflict at
work.

-Causes: Drink too much alcohol.

-Symptoms: Fatigue, headache, sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, nausea, and thirst.

-Remedies: Drink fluids, get some carbohydrates into your system, take a pain reliever, drink
coffee or tea, avoid darker-colored alcoholic beverages and take B vitamins and zinc.

2. Nasal congestion
-What is it? Also called a stuffy nose, is often a symptom of another health problem such as a
sinus infection. It may also be caused by the common cold. Obstructed breathing through
nose.
 -Causes: Allergies, hay fever, noncancerous growths, called nasal polyps or benign tumors in
the nasal passages, chemical exposures, environmental irritants, a long-lasting sinus infection,
a deviated septum.

-Symptoms: Headaches, facial pain, runny nose, and stuffy nose, mucus buildup and swollen
nasal tissue.

-Remedies: Humidifiers, propping your head up on pillows, saline sprays, an aspirator, take a
shower, stay hydrated, drain your sinuses, use warm compress, decongestants, take
antihistamines or allergy medicine.

3. Hiccups
-What is it? Involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. Each contraction is followed by a
sudden closure of your vocal cords, which produces the characteristic "hic" sound.

-Causes: Drinking carbonated beverages, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much,
excitement or emotional stress, sudden temperature changes and swallowing air with chewing
gum or sucking on candy.

-Symptoms: sharp contraction or spasm of the diaphragm that is felt just below the
breastbone, air is involuntarily sucked into the throat, the closing epiglottis makes a ‘hic’
sound, hiccups usually stop after a few minutes.

-Remedies: Hold your breath, take deep breaths, breathe into a paper bag, eat a bit of fresh
ginger, suck on a lemon, have a hot water and honey drink, eat a spoonful, drink a glass of
water slowly, eat ice, gargle, sit down and lean forward over your knees, ask someone to give
you a fright.

Part 2

1. Get together with your classmates and reflect about the data you should consider
obtaining true information of the population being studied.
 2. Determine the methodology you will follow to extract the gathered information about a
non-clinical disease, relevant data of the population being studied.
Methodology of investigation: Comparative interview.

Interview

Questions – Nasal Congestion

1. How old are you?
2. Do you have allergies?
3. How often do you get the illness?
4. What kind of symptoms do you get from it?
5. What do you think are the causes of it?
6. What are the consequences or effects after you had it?
7. How do you treat it?

Interview’s conclusion

With the interview results we can conclude and notice that people have different points of view even if
all of them are from the emic/social perspective but also there are similar or the same. They all express
and share what have worked and the experiences with nasal congestion, the majority are adults, have
allergies, experience this non-clinical disease a couple times a year, are not able to breathe, have
headaches and a lot of mocus while having the disease, relate it with the changes in temperature, dust
in the air, it left them with a discomfort and sickness feeling and they treat it with medicine, nasal sprays
and simple remedies; but of course their responses are completely different from the etic/medical
perspective. As we know the emic perspective is purely by what the population being studied have as
belief and point of view and the etic perspective is oriented from the interpretation seen from outside.

3. Select one of the investigated illnesses and apply the methodology to explain that illness
according to the population being studied, considering:
- Medical perspective (Etic)
- Social perspective (Emic)
4. Make a comparison table of the different perspectives that include symptoms, causes,
effects, and treatments of each one.
 Comparison

Medical Perspective Social Perspective

Symptoms Headaches, facial pain, runny nose, and stuffy
nose, mucus buildup and swollen nasal tissue.
Causes Allergies, hay fever, noncancerous growths,
called nasal polyps or benign tumors in the
nasal passages, chemical exposures,
environmental irritants, a long-lasting sinus
infection, a deviated septum.
Effects Nothing more serious than discomfort, feeding
problems in babies and sleep problems in
children and adults.
Treatments Oral antihistamines, such as loratadine and
cetirizine. Nasal sprays that contain
antihistamines, nasal steroids, such as
mometasone, antibiotics and over-the-counter
or prescription-strength decongestants.
Mocus or snot, a lot of sneezing, discomfort
in the nose like runny nose, itchy nose and
dry nose, headaches and difficulty breathing,
general pain on the face, body or throat.
The weather, the dust or dirt in the
environment, allergies, the temperature
(changes on it or coldness), the stress, or a
previous sickness like flu.
Discomfort, not being able to rest well,
headaches and feeling sick all the week,
feeling irritated, having to take medicine and
tiredness.
Nasal sprays, medicine or homeopathy,
ointments or essential oils, homemade
remedies and drinking a lot of water.

Bibliography

Mayo Clinic. (2021). Hiccups. April 09, 2021, from Mayo Clinic Web site:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiccups/symptoms-causes/syc-20352613

Mayo Clinic. (2021). Hangovers. April 09, 2021, from Mayo Clinic Sitio Web site:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hangovers/symptoms-causes/syc-20373012

Harvard University. (2020). 7 steps to cure your hangover. April 09, 2021, from Harvard Health
Publishing Web site: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/7-steps-to-cure-your-
hangover-and-ginkgo-biloba-whats-the-verdict

Healthline. (2021). What Causes a Stuffy Nose? April 09, 2021, from Healthline Web Site:
https://www.healthline.com/health/nasal-congestion#outlook
State of Victoria. (2014). Hiccups. April 09, 2021, from Better Health Web site:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/hiccups

Cleveland Clinic. (2019). Nasal Congestion. April 09, 2021, from Cleveland Clinic Web site:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17980-nasal-congestion