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Ethnographic Research

Ethnography
Ethnography means trying to understand behavior and culture by going out and talking to people wherever they are, while they're doing whatever it is they do. It means entering someone's world for a while, be it a couple of hours or a couple of days, or like our anthropological forefathers and foremothers, a couple of years.

A major difference between ethnography and other types of research is the depth and intimacy of work. One gets up close and personal to research participants. Researcher spend time with people in the natural context of their daily lives. He talks to individuals and families about broader issues. He watch the world with a wideangle lens. He watch, He listen, and he learn, and do all of this in the context of where the action normally occurs: in their home, at their work, at the local gym, wherever.

What is Ethnographic Research?


Ethnographic research is considered the most complex of all research methods. A variety of approaches is used in an attempt to obtain as holistic a picture as possible of a particular society, group, setting, etc. The emphasis is on documenting the everyday experiences of individuals by observing and interviewing them and relevant others. The key tools are in-depth interviewing and continual, ongoing participant observation of a situation.

Ethnographic Procedures
Wolcott (1966) stated that ethnographic procedures require three things:
1) 2)

3)

A detailed description of the culture-sharing group being studied. An analysis of this group in terms of perceived themes or perspectives. Some interpretation of the group by the researcher as to meanings and generalization about the social life of human beings, in general.

The Unique Value of Ethnographic Research


Ethnographic research has a particular strength that makes it especially appealing to many researchers. It can reveal nuances and subtleties that other methodologies miss. By going out into the world and observing things as they occur, we are better able to obtain a more accurate picture.

Ethnographic Concepts
Culture Holistic Perspective Contextualization An Emic Perspective Thick Description Member Checking A Nonjudgmental Orientation

These concepts guide the work of ethnographers as they perform field research

Topics that Lend Themselves Well to Ethnographic Research


Topics that defy simple quantification Topics that can be best understood in a natural setting Topics that involve the study of individual or group activities over time Topics that involve the study of the roles that educators play, and behaviors associated with those roles Topics that involve the study of the activities and behavior of groups as a unit Topics involving the study of formal organizations in their totality

Sampling in Ethnographic Research


Ethnographers attempt to observe everything. However, no researcher can observe everything at once. Samples are small and do not permit generalization to a larger population. Their goal is the complete understanding of a particular situation.

Do Ethnographic Researchers Use Hypotheses?


Ethnographers seldom initiate their research with precise hypotheses. They attempt to understand an ongoing situation or set of activities that cannot be predicted in advance. Ethnographic research relies on both observation and interviewing that is continual and sustained over time.

Data Collection in Ethnographic Research


There are two main methods of collecting data through Ethnographic Research:
1) 2)

Interviewing is the most important tool Participant Observation is crucial to effective fieldwork, which requires an immersion in the culture

Field notes are used to check the accuracy of an ethnographers observations Other forms of writing used are field jottings, field diary, and field logs

Data Analysis in Ethnographic Research


Triangulation (checking the validity by comparing sources of information) Patterns (checking reliability by revealing consistencies and describing matches) Key Events (a lens through which to view a culture) Visual Representations (maps, charts, sociograms) Statistics (use of nonparametric techniques) Crystallization (when everything falls into place)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethnographic Research


Advantages
A key strength is that it provides the researcher with a much more comprehensive perspective than other forms of research It is also appropriate to behaviors that are best understood by observing them within their natural environment (dynamics)

Disadvantages
It is highly dependent on the researchers observations and interpretations There is no way to check the validity of the researchers conclusion, since numerical data is rarely provided Observer bias is almost impossible to eliminate Generalizations are almost non-existent since only a single situation is observed, leaving ambiguity in the study

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