What Is A Ethnographic Essay?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What is an Ethnographic Essay? It’s an essay that focuses on a group, culture or subculture . It emphasizes close observation, interview, and field notes .

What is ethnographic writing?

Ethnography is a genre of writing common in the social sciences , especially anthropology. A comprehensive study of a culture, an ethnography informs its reader through narrative immersion, often using sensory detail and storytelling techniques alongside objective description and traditional interview style.

How do you write an ethnographic essay?

  1. A thesis. The thesis establishes the central theme and message of your research study. ...
  2. Literature Review. A literature review is an analysis of previous research now on your research topic. ...
  3. Data Collection. ...
  4. Data Analysis. ...
  5. Reflexivity.

What is a ethnographic example?

Generally, an ethnographic study involves a researcher observing behaviour either in person or via cameras pre-installed in participant homes , work places, etc. Think of the show Gogglebox where viewers observe the reaction to other people watching TV – that’s ethnography.

What is ethnography in simple terms?

ethnography, descriptive study of a particular human society or the process of making such a study . Contemporary ethnography is based almost entirely on fieldwork and requires the complete immersion of the anthropologist in the culture and everyday life of the people who are the subject of his study.

How do you do an ethnography?

  1. Identify Research Question. Determine what problem you are seeking to better understand. ...
  2. Determine Location(s) for Research. ...
  3. Formulate Presentation Method. ...
  4. Acquire Permissions and Access. ...
  5. Observe and Participate. ...
  6. Interview. ...
  7. Collect Archival Data. ...
  8. Code and Analyze Data.

How do you do ethnographic notes?

Describe, as best you can, the meaning of what was observed from the perspectives of the participants. Record exact quotes or close approximations of comments that relate directly to the purpose of the study. Describe any impact you might have had on the situation you observed [important!].

What are ethnographic methods?

Ethnographic methods are a research approach where you look at people in their cultural setting , with the goal of producing a narrative account of that particular culture, against a theoretical backdrop. As part of this you will look at: ... How they interact with one another, and with their social and cultural environment.

What is the purpose of ethnography?

The primary purpose of ethnography is to gain a holistic understanding of a social or cultural group .

What is the importance of ethnography?

Advantages of ethnography

One of the main advantages associated with ethnographic research is that ethnography can help identify and analyse unexpected issues . When conducting other types of studies, which are not based on in-situ observation or interaction, it can very easy to miss unexpected issues.

What are the three meanings of ethnography?

Ethnography (from Greek ἔθνος ethnos “ folk, people, nation ” and γράφω grapho “I write”) is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures.

What are examples of ethnographic studies?

  • Observing a group of children playing. ...
  • Observing employees in a corporate office. ...
  • Observing medical personnel in a high-volume hospital. ...
  • Observing an indigenous village. ...
  • Observing a high school classroom. ...
  • Observing motorcycle riders.

What is meant by ethnographic study?

Definition: “ The study of the culture and social organization of a particular group or community ... Ethnography refers to both the data gathering of anthropology and the development of analysis of specific peoples, settings, or ways of life.”

What is ethnography and why is it important?

Why are ethnographies important? Ethnographies as texts offer excellent insight into how social anthropologists undertake their fieldwork , what it is like to experience daily life in an environment that may be initially unfamiliar, and the political, economic and social dynamics involved in collecting ‘data’.

What are the characteristics of ethnography?

  •  ...
  • Produces an accurate reflection of perspectives and behaviours.
  • Ethnography consists of inductive, interactive and repeated collection of unstructured data and analysis to build local cultural theories. ...
  • Data are mostly collected from fieldwork experiences.

How long is an ethnography?

There are a couple of aspects of ethnography that differentiate it from research approaches like phenomenology and case studies. The first is that ethnography takes long periods of time. Traditionally, ethnographers spent a minimum of one year living amongst members of the culture they are studying.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.