What Is An Example Of Thick Description?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Thick description includes

voices, feelings, actions and meanings

(Ponterotto, 2006). The example most commonly used to explain ‘Thick description’ comes from Ryle. He argued that if someone winks at us without a context, we don’t know what it means. We can report on the wink (thin description).

What is meant by thick description?

Thick description is

a social sciences qualitative research technique

that gives detailed descriptions and interpretations of situations observed by a researcher. … Thick description involves writing detailed narratives or ‘vignettes’ explaining situations and their background ‘context’.

How do you write a thick description?

When composing your thick description of events,

try to show rather than tell by using evocative language

. Put another way, select words that help the reader see what is being described. Try to be as specific as possible by avoiding general or abstract words.

What does thick description mean in research?

Thick description is a term used to

characterize the process of paying attention to contextual detail in observing and interpreting social meaning when conducting qualitative research

. … For Geertz, doing anthropology means doing ethnography, which in turn means doing thick description.

What is a thick description in English?

In the social sciences and related fields, a thick description is

a description of human social action that describes not just physical behaviors

, but their context as interpreted by the actors as well, so that it can be better understood by an outsider.

What is the difference between thick and thin description?

Thick descriptions provide enough context so that a person outside the culture can make meaning of the behavior. Thin description by contrast, is stating

facts without

such meaning or significance.

How do you write an ethnographic description?

  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.

Which research method is most likely to use thick description?


Qualitative research

can also provide rich and detailed descriptions of human behaviour in the real-world contexts in which it occurs. Among qualitative researchers, this depth is often referred to as “thick description” (Geertz, 1973).

What is thick description quizlet?

“thick” description

involves understanding and absorbing the context of the situation or behavior

. It also involves ascribing present and future intentionality to the behavior.

What is the study of humans?


Anthropology

is the study of people, past and present, with a focus on understanding the human condition both culturally and biologically.

What are the characteristics of qualitative research?

  • Natural environment (natural setting). …
  • Researcher as a key instrument (researcher as key instrument). …
  • Multiple sources of data. …
  • Inductive data analysis. …
  • The meaning of the participants (participant’s meaning). …
  • Design that develops (emergent design).

What are the three elements of qualitative research?

However, the three most commonly used qualitative research methods are

in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and observation

.

Where can quantitative research be applied?

Quantitative research is widely used in

the natural and social sciences

: biology, chemistry, psychology, economics, sociology, marketing, etc.

What is Autoethnographic writing?

Abstract: Autoethnography is

an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience

. … A researcher uses tenets of autobiography and ethnography to do and write autoethnography.

Why is Clifford Geertz important?

The American cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz (born 1926) did ethnographic field work in Indonesia and Morocco, wrote influential essays on central theoretical issues in the social sciences, and

advocated a distinctive “interpretive” approach to anthropology

.

What is a thick description in child development research?

Thick description refers to

the researcher’s task of both describing and interpreting observed social action (or behavior) within its particular context

. … Thick meaning of findings leads readers to a sense of versimilitude, wherein they can cognitively and emotively “place” themselves within the research context.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.