Ethnography, simply stated, is the study of people in their own environment through the use of methods such as participant observation and face-to-face interviewing . ... Classic ethnographic research involves a detailed description of the whole of a culture outside of the country of origin of the researcher.
What is ethnographic research and its examples?
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 are examples of ethnographic research?
- 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 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.
What is the purpose of ethnographic research?
The primary purpose of ethnography is to gain a holistic understanding of a social or cultural group .
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 the steps of ethnographic research?
- Identify Research Question. Determine what problem you are seeking to better understand. ...
- Determine Location(s) for Research. ...
- Formulate Presentation Method. ...
- Acquire Permissions and Access. ...
- Observe and Participate. ...
- Interview. ...
- Collect Archival Data. ...
- Code and Analyze Data.
Where is ethnography used?
It is used not only to study distant or unfamiliar cultures, but also to study specific communities within the researcher’s own society . For example, ethnographic research (sometimes called participant observation) has been used to investigate gangs, football fans, call center workers, and police officers.
What is the ethnographic method?
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.
How do you write an ethnographic method?
- A thesis. The thesis establishes the central theme and message of your research study. ...
- Literature Review. A literature review is an analysis of previous research now on your research topic. ...
- Data Collection. ...
- Data Analysis. ...
- Reflexivity.
What is ethnography and its importance?
Ethnography is the description of cultures and the groups of people who live within them . It can be useful in personal adaptation, personal success, and to better understand other cultures.
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 benefits of ethnography?
- Marketers Get a More Realistic Picture. ...
- Uncovers Extremely Valuable Insight. ...
- Pinpoint Business Needs & Make Accurate Predictions. ...
- Extended Observations. ...
- Higher Scope of Available Data. ...
- Ethnography Requires Time. ...
- Creating a Normal Environment Isn’t Always Easy. ...
- It’s More Difficult to Recruit.
What are the characteristics of ethnographic research?
- ...
- 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.
What is the strengths of ethnographic study?
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 is the purpose of ethnographic fieldwork?
Ethnographic field work involves a trained ethnographer living within a specific group of people and collecting data about their lives and cultural attitudes .
