EthnographicDesign

Randy HubermanAriel Johnsey

Steve McGuire

What is Ethnographic Research?

• Qualitative research method• Used to describe, analyze, and interpret

culture• Significant time needs to be spent “in the

field”

How Did Ethnographic Research Develop?

• Began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries• Solidifies in the 1950s• The “watershed” event was the publication of

Writing Culture, by Clifford & Marcus in 1986

Realist Ethnography

• An objective account of a situation gained through observation

• Usually narrated in 3rd person• Should contain no bias, political goals, or

judgment• Participants views are presented in direct

quotations

Case Studies

• Studies individuals or groups involved in a process

• If the case is unusual it is an intrinsic case• If the case illustrates an issue it is an

instrumental case• Collective case studies encompass multiple

cases

Critical Ethnographies

• Studies of social issues such as power, inequality, dominance, repression, and victimization

• Studies are done with the interest of improving the situation

• Not an objective method. The researcher is “in the text”

• Often messy and multilevel

What are Ethnographers Looking For?

• Shared Patterns – common social interaction that stabilizes the rules and expectations of the group

• Behaviors• Beliefs• Language

Fieldwork – Types of Data

• Emic Data – Information provided by participants– First order concepts

• Etic Data – Information representing the researcher’s interpretation– Second order concepts

• Negotiation Data – Information that the researcher and the participants agree to use

When should ethnographic research be used?

• Ethnographic research is when the researcher wants to learn more about a specific person or group of people

• Results are qualitative

Who uses ethnographies?

• Ethnographic research is common among social and cultural anthropologists.

• Researchers hope to gain a better understanding of different divisions of cultures

What are issues with ethnographies?

• Ethics– Do not “out” any specific

people• Your sample– Is your sample an

accurate representation of a population?

• Data analysis– How do you organize your

data – dealing with people’s stories

Examples of ethnographic studies

• Research on the smokers community – Bumming cigarettes

• Research on education – Studying abroad

• Research on gender and sexuality – GLBT community

Participant Observations

• Take part in the culture you are studying

Interviews

• Getting to know your sample

• Asking questions• Allowing your subject to

feel safe

Reporting results

• How do you inform others of what you researched?

• How well was your question defined?