Reddit mentions of Zinacantan: A Maya Community in the Highlands of Chiapas

While the results of what anthropologists do (ethnographies, in film and in books) can be studied by anyone, the actual ethics and methodology of the field demand interaction with other anthropologists, in my view. We work directly with humans, usually humans from different cultures than our own, and often involving personal topics.

I would start with David Maybury-Lewis's Millenium series for an overview of what anthropologists study. In that series, each video was made with the active involvement of the people shown. That's true of Napoleon Chagnon's films too (which are probably on youtube or perhaps at your local library).

I'd also recommend Renato Rosaldo's work and that of Philippe Bourgois. Lila Abu-Lughod's work gives a great viewpoint on what it's like to actually do fieldwork.

But one thing I'd do is read up on method. Here's a little pdf on medical anthropology:

https://pcmh.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/anthropological-approaches-brief.pdf


Beginner ethnographers usually follow a standard outline, seen in all the little ethnographies. Here's a classic:

https://smile.amazon.com/Zinacantan-Maya-Community-Highlands-Chiapas/dp/0674968255/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1549045585&sr=1-1&keywords=zinacantan

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I guess I'm encouraging you to try and *do* some anthropology as well as read it. You could even start a subreddit for "amateur ethnography" and do blogs. Many people are keen and important observers of the culture around them. It's harder than it looks to write objectively, sensitively and without bias about one's own culture. I do believe that this kind of writing and analysis is very important (especially given something of a collapse in journalism).