Final answer:
Gathering data to understand how local people conceive the world is known as the anthropological perspective, specifically using ethnographic methods. This research aims to gain an insider's point of view by participating in and observing the community, while phenomenology and symbolic interactionism contribute to a deeper understanding of people's experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gathering data to investigate how local people think and understand the world is an anthropological perspective. This approach is often associated with ethnography, a research method in which researchers immerse themselves in a cultural community, collecting information through observation of and participation in the culture. This allows researchers to gain an insider's point of view, reflecting the perspectives of the people who practice a particular culture. Ethnographic studies help to illuminate how social, cultural, economic, geographic, and historical contexts shape people's experiences and understandings of their world.
Another important concept in this type of research is phenomenology, which is grounded in the belief that knowledge can be derived from experience. Community psychology also emphasizes the significance of viewing people within their contexts to comprehend social issues properly. Additionally, the symbolic interactionist perspective contributes to this understanding by focusing on the meanings that individuals impart to their social interactions, thereby assisting researchers in capturing the nuanced experiences of people within different communities.