On This Page:ToggleWhat is Ethnography?ExamplesKey FeaturesGaining Access to a CommunityWorking with InformantsData SourcesResearcher SkillsImportance of Local ContextChallengesEthical RepresentationStrengths
On This Page:Toggle
On This Page:
What is Ethnography?
Ethnography is aqualitative research methodthat emphasizes studying what people do and say in particular contexts. Ethnographers typically spend considerable time observing and interacting with a social group to understand how the group develops cultural constructions and relations.
Ethnography is used anthropology and other social sciences to systematically study people and cultures.
The goal of ethnography is to explore cultural phenomena from the perspective of the subjects being studied.
They aim to uncover the reasons for particular behaviors and practices within a specific cultural context. For example, an ethnographic study might examine why certain communities use specificchild-rearing techniquesor how cultural values influence emotional expression.
This often involves immersing oneself in a community or organization to observe their behaviors and interactions up close.
Ethnographic research is often open-ended and exploratory. Researchers may enter the field with a research question in mind, but they remain open to unexpected findings and allow the social order of the community to guide their observations.
This openness to discovery helps researchers develop a deeper understanding of the cultural phenomena they study.
How does an ethnographic perspective view psychological knowledge?
Ethnography considers the social context of psychological phenomena to be critical to the field of psychology.
An ethnographic perspective argues that psychological knowledge is not complete unless it examines how communal practices, economic and political structures, shared values, histories, aspirations, and other life dimensions shape human experiences.
Examples
Ethnography is primarily used in the following situations:
What distinguishes ethnography from other qualitative methods?
While ethnography shares commonalities with other qualitative methods, these distinctions highlight its unique capacity to provide rich, nuanced insights into the complexities of human behavior and culture.
Gaining Access to a Community for Ethnographic Research
Negotiating access to a community for research can be a delicate process, requiring sensitivity and understanding of local social practices.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach; instead, researchers must adapt their approach to the specific community and setting they wish to study.
Working with Informants in Ethnography
Informants are crucial to ethnographic research, acting as primary points of contact and facilitating the researcher’s understanding of the group being studied.
Identifying the right informants is vital, and a “friend-of-a-friend” approach, leveraging existing social networks, can be advantageous.
This method can grant access to otherwise inaccessible aspects of social life and provide a unique, embedded perspective on the community’s language use and attitudes.
However, over-reliance on a single informant can skew the researcher’s perspective, potentially leading to biased or unrepresentative findings.
An informant may consciously or unconsciously shape their interactions with the researcher to align with what they believe is expected, hindering the collection of spontaneous and authentic data.
Therefore, it’s essential to cultivate relationships with a diverse range of informants within the community. This approach helps ensure a more comprehensive understanding of the group’s dynamics and mitigates the risk of individual bias influencing the research findings.
While the sources don’t provide detailed steps on managing relationships with multiple informants, they emphasize the importance of ethical considerations, open communication, and building trust throughout the research process.
Data Sources in Ethnographic Research
Ethnographers often employ amulti-method approach, combining data from these various sources to create a rich and comprehensive understanding of the group being studied.
They may also utilize audio and video recordings to capture interactions and analyze nonverbal communication.
The choice of specific data collection methods depends on factors like the research question, available resources, and ethical considerations
When conducting ethnographic research, researchers should be mindful of their ontological and epistemological stances, their research questions, and the context of their research.
Ethnographers must also consider ethical implications, the type of data they are collecting, and how their findings will be used.
What are the limitations of solely relying on interviews in ethnographic research?
While interviews are a common element of ethnographic research, relying on them solely as a source of data has some significant limitations.
Supplementing Interviews with Observation
To mitigate these limitations, sources emphasize the importance of combining interviews with other ethnographic methods, primarilyparticipant observation.
Skills Required for Ethnographic Studies
The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography
Reflexivityin ethnographic writing involves thoughtfully examining how the researcher’s background, beliefs, and position influence their observations, interpretations, and the final ethnographic account.
It’s a crucial aspect of producing responsible and insightful ethnographic work.
It is important to note that while reflexivity is widely recognized as crucial in ethnography, there are different understandings of its application and implications.
Some argue for a more radical approach that emphasizes the subjective nature of ethnographic knowledge and the limitations of representation.
Others advocate for a more moderate stance that acknowledges the importance of reflexivity while still striving for rigorous and insightful accounts of social reality.
Importance of Local Context in Ethnography
Understanding the local context is crucial for ethnographic research because it allows researchers to accurately interpret the meanings behind people’s actions and perspectives within their specific social and cultural environment.
Ethnography examines the intricate relationships between human agency and the structures of society within the everyday experiences of a particular place.
This method aims to understand the processes and meanings that underpin social life, recognizing that these processes and meanings vary across locations.
In essence, understanding the local context is not just about knowing where something occurs, but about comprehending the intricate web of cultural meanings, social dynamics, and historical factors that shape people’s lives and experiences in that specific location.
This understanding is fundamental to the ethnographic approach and its ability to generate meaningful insights into human behavior and social life.
Challenges in Conducting Ethnographic Research
Ethnography, a qualitative research method focusing on the study of people and cultures, presents a unique set of challenges for researchers:
Strategies for Ethical Representation
Any ethnographic account of another cultural group risks engaging in what Edward Said (1978) called the “politics of othering,” potentially distorting the lives of those being studied in support of “scientific racism and projects of colonial domination and exploitation”.
The ethnographer should chronicle the community’s experiences, including their struggles, aspirations, losses, and stagnation, with compassion
Thick Description
Provide a nuanced perspective on social life, connecting observed behaviors to underlying meanings, emotions, and decision-making strategies, while avoiding simplistic or reductive accounts of complex experiences.
For example, instead of simply stating that Alzheimer’s carries a social stigma, an ethnographer might connect this observation to the community’s beliefs about family and social change.
Respect and Dignity
Represent individuals with respect and dignity, appreciating their values within the context of their lives.
The ethnographer should chronicle the community’s experiences, including their struggles, aspirations, losses, and stagnation, with compassion.
Reflexivity and Collaboration
Acknowledge the historical legacy of ethnography, including its role in colonialism and the potential for exploitative research practices.
Strengths of Ethnography
However, it’s important to note that ethnography, while valuable, has limitations. It is a time-consuming method requiring significant planning and careful consideration of ethical issues.
Additionally, maintaining objectivity and minimizing observer bias can be a challenge due to the researcher’s immersive role.
Further Information
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
