Russel-Research-Method-in-Anthropology

650 Chapter 21
I still think that the method is excellent for use in anthropological fieldwork.
This is not because elaboration analysis can be done without a computer. It
can be done without a computer, but you know how I feel about that: Once
you understand how any statistical method works, you should only do it by
computer. The elaboration method is wonderful for field researchers because
it keeps you close to your data.
It’s going to take you a while to get through the next half-dozen pages on
the elaboration method. The writing is clear and there’s nothing more complicated
than a chi-square, so they’re not tough going. They’re just plain tedious.
But bear with me. Eventually, you’ll give a computer a list of independent
variables, specify a dependent variable, and let the machine do the heavy lifting.
But the next few pages will give you an appreciation of what a multivariate
analysis does. They will also give you the skills you need to conduct a
multivariate analysis in the field, while your thoughts are fresh and you still
have time to collect any data you find you need. So be patient, pay close attention
to the tables, and stay with it.
Building Tables
Suppose you are working in Peru and you suspect that Indians who move
to Lima are no better off than Indians who remain in the villages. The Indians
claim that they are seeking better jobs and better opportunities for their children,
but you think that they are not getting what they came to the city to find.
You conduct a survey of 250 village residents from a particular region and
250 migrants who have gone to the city from the same region. Table 21.1
TABLE 21.1
Wealth by Residence for a Sample of 500 Peruvian Indians (Hypothetical Data)
Wealth Rural Urban Row totals
Not poor 84 91 175
Poor 166 159 325
Column totals 250 250 500
2 .56 ns (not significant)
shows the relation between residence and accumulated wealth status for your
sample.
Chi-square for this table is not significant. Assuming that you have measured
wealth status using an appropriate index for both the urban and village