Learning should move from the concrete to the abstract. In culture study, material culture is the most concrete. Just as we need to get to know the props, characters and the setting in a good play or book, so we need to know them in our understanding of culture. To begin studying a culture with questions about morals, ideals of life, and values would certainly lead to confusion. If we can understand the "what" - tools, houses, gardens, etc.; the "who" - people's names and relationships; the "where" - geographic setting of the culture, it will give us the foundation we need to eventually understand the "why."

The numbering of these steps doesn't necessarily indicate the order they occur. As you will see, observation and recording can take place during our mapping, and those observations can be filed even before we reach proficiency in the language to interview.