Ethnographic ResearchEthnographic Research

Ethnographic ResearchEthnographic ResearchChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-One

What is Ethnographic Research?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 ProceduresEthnographic Procedures

Wolcott (1966) stated that ethnographic Wolcott (1966) stated that ethnographic procedures require three things:procedures require three things:

1)1) A detailed description of the culture-sharing group A detailed description of the culture-sharing group being studied.being studied.

2)2) An analysis of this group in terms of perceived An analysis of this group in terms of perceived themes or perspectives.themes or perspectives.

3)3) Some interpretation of the group by the Some interpretation of the group by the researcher as to meanings and generalization researcher as to meanings and generalization about the social life of human beings, in general.about the social life of human beings, in general.

The Unique Value The Unique Value of Ethnographic Researchof Ethnographic Research

Ethnographic research has a particular Ethnographic research has a particular strength that makes it especially strength that makes it especially appealing to many researchers.appealing to many researchers.

It can reveal nuances and subtleties It can reveal nuances and subtleties that other methodologies miss.that other methodologies miss.

By going out into the world and By going out into the world and observing things as they occur, we are observing things as they occur, we are better able to obtain a more accurate better able to obtain a more accurate picture.picture.

Ethnographic ConceptsEthnographic Concepts

CultureCulture Holistic PerspectiveHolistic Perspective ContextualizationContextualization An Emic An Emic

PerspectivePerspective

Thick DescriptionThick Description Member CheckingMember Checking A Nonjudgmental A Nonjudgmental

OrientationOrientation

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

Topics that Lend Themselves Well Topics that Lend Themselves Well to Ethnographic Researchto Ethnographic Research

Topics that defy simple Topics that defy simple quantificationquantification

Topics that can be Topics that can be best understood in a best understood in a natural settingnatural setting

Topics that involve the Topics that involve the study of individual or study of individual or group activities over group activities over timetime

Topics that involve the Topics that involve the study of the roles that study of the roles that educators play, and educators play, and behaviors associated behaviors associated with those roleswith those roles

Topics that involve the Topics that involve the study of the activities study of the activities and behavior of and behavior of groups as a unitgroups as a unit

Topics involving the Topics involving the study of formal study of formal organizations in their organizations in their totalitytotality

Sampling in Ethnographic Sampling in Ethnographic ResearchResearch

Ethnographers attempt to observe Ethnographers attempt to observe everything.everything.

However, no researcher can observe However, no researcher can observe everything at once.everything at once.

Samples are small and do not permit Samples are small and do not permit generalization to a larger population.generalization to a larger population.

Their goal is the complete understanding of Their goal is the complete understanding of a particular situation.a particular situation.

Do Ethnographic Researchers Do Ethnographic Researchers Use Hypotheses?Use Hypotheses?

Ethnographers seldom initiate their Ethnographers seldom initiate their research with precise hypotheses.research with precise hypotheses.

They attempt to understand an ongoing They attempt to understand an ongoing situation or set of activities that cannot be situation or set of activities that cannot be predicted in advance.predicted in advance.

Ethnographic research relies on both Ethnographic research relies on both observation and interviewing that is observation and interviewing that is continual and sustained over time.continual and sustained over time.

Data Collection Data Collection in Ethnographic Researchin Ethnographic Research

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

1)1) InterviewingInterviewing is the most important tool is the most important tool2)2) Participant ObservationParticipant Observation is crucial to is crucial to

effective fieldwork, which requires an effective fieldwork, which requires an immersion in the cultureimmersion in the culture Field notes are used to check the accuracy of an Field notes are used to check the accuracy of an

ethnographer’s observationsethnographer’s observations Other forms of writing used are field jottings, field Other forms of writing used are field jottings, field

diary, and field logsdiary, and field logs

Data Analysis Data Analysis in Ethnographic Researchin 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 non-parametric techniques)

Crystallization (when everything falls into place)

Triangulation and Politics Triangulation and Politics (Figure 21.1)(Figure 21.1)

Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethnographic Researchof Ethnographic Research

AdvantagesAdvantages A key strength is that it A key strength is that it

provides the researcher provides the researcher with a much more with a much more comprehensive comprehensive perspective than other perspective than other forms of researchforms of research

It is also appropriate to It is also appropriate to behaviors that are best behaviors that are best understood by observing understood by observing them within their natural them within their natural environment (dynamics)environment (dynamics)

DisadvantagesDisadvantages It is highly dependent on It is highly dependent on

the researcher’s the researcher’s observations and observations and interpretationsinterpretations

There is no way to check There is no way to check the validity of the the validity of the researcher’s conclusion, researcher’s conclusion, since numerical data is since numerical data is rarely providedrarely provided

Observer bias is almost Observer bias is almost impossible to eliminateimpossible to eliminate

Generalizations are almost Generalizations are almost non-existent since only a non-existent since only a single situation is single situation is observed, leaving observed, leaving ambiguity in the studyambiguity in the study