How to Observe Morals and Manners

by Harriet Martineau

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Sociology, Travel

84 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1838

About the author

Harriet Martineau (1802 - 1876) was an English writer and philosopher, renowned in her day as a controversial journalist, political economist, abolitionist and life-long feminist. Martineau has also been called the first female sociologist and the first female journalist in England.

Comprehensive list of her works with links to digitized versions here.

Reviews

[Megan Mohler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In How to Observe: Morals and Manners, Martineau sets out to write a guide for the well-intentioned traveler, and in doing so sheds light on her understanding of human nature and society. While she does give practical advice on how a good traveler should behave, such as walking as opposed to other forms of travel like carriage, or learning the native language, the book appears to stress something that might not be readily teachable. To be a good observer, one must be able to sympathize with the observed. The observer must be able to recognize the shared connection of humanity between one another, and only then will the observer have a better understanding of what is. Martineau makes a great point, one that I don’t think many would argue against, but it does bring in to question, how does one really know if they are truly sympathetic? Overall, the importance of cultural relativism is stressed throughout, with consistent appeals to humanity, an important message in the global age. Further, Martineau makes an interesting connection between morals and manners, in that they are inherently tied to one another. I understand this to represent a duality between the internal and external. While, morals are an individuals’ internal value system, manners are the external behaviors representing this system. When manners are separated from morals, they have no meaning, and observation of manners only, means nothing. Thus, I believe here, Martineau calls for all observers to dig deeper; what is happening on the surface means nothing if one does not sympathetically observe the greater meaning behind these actions.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martineau's reflections on observing the morals and manners of the peoples and places through which one travels is a study of her own faith, class, and time in its guiding wisdom. It is a self-consciously philosophical text, written to stimulate ethical reflection and conversation as well as change the writing of travel literature.

Reflective readers will want to dwell on the questions her text asks us in today's digitally connected and globalized world, one which she was traveling in its beginning wave of industrializing empire. How do we assess what is good and moral? Is there a single morality and good that can be measured and attained in a variety of cultures and ways? Martineau gives her answers, which are rooted in a progressivist Unitarian faith, one evaluating societies as primitive or advanced or somewhere along the developmental way. Are her answers of the good society - charity, liberty, equality, community - yours?

[Marta Monago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me lo he leído para un trabajo de sociología.

No creía que fuera a ser un libro tan metodológico y práctico. En él, Martineau analiza cómo debe llevarse a cabo el estudio sobre la moral y las costumbres en la sociedad del siglo XIX.
Aunque es cierto que fue publicado en 1838 y que por tanto los mecanismos de investigación no estaban tan desarrollados, considero que la autora podría haber profundizado más en la materia y haber aportado una perspectiva menos común, pues a veces cae en una visión eurocentrista y peca de idealista.

Siempre me recordará a mi asignatura favorita del primer cuatrimestre de la carrera, lo que lo convierte en un libro especial e inolvidable.

[Carlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was way ahead of her time, a visionary even this is just a basic guide it’s still really complete for sociologist in the time, 4 stars because even she tried at some parts you can still know that she writes for a privilege perspective, which is unnecessary. Anyway this is a Martineau stan account.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could only find a copy of this book online, so I printed it out four pages to a sheet, which, it turns out, is there perfect way to pace this book on sociological study. It’s interesting in a historical sense, but a lot of her philosophical delineations of topics and methods are quite useful for travel writers and the like. Surprisingly fun, if read at quite a nice clip. The more I think about it, the more I like Martineau

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Martineau's book is a bit outdated by modern standards and had some ideas that I disagree with, it is still an excellent guidebook for observing another culture, or even a different segment of one's own society. I would recommend this to anyone who wishes to do any sort of sociological or anthropological observation as well as any traveller.