Ethnography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views
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Ethnography (from Greek ἔθνος ethnos = folk/people and γράφω grapho = to write) is a qualitative research design aimed at exploring cultural phenomena. The resulting field study or a case report reflects the knowledge and the system of meanings in the lives of a cultural group.[1][2][3]
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should be reflexive, make a substantial contribution toward the understanding of the social life of humans, have an aesthetic impact on the reader, and express a credible reality
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Data collection methods are meant to capture the "social meanings and ordinary activities" [8] of people (informants) in "naturally occurring settings"
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records all observed behavior and describes all symbol-meaning relations using concepts that avoid casual explanations.
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Multiple methods of data collection may be employed to facilitate a relationship that allows for a more personal and in-depth portrait of the informants and their community.
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collect data in such a way that the researcher imposes a minimal amount of their own bias on the data.
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Interviews are often taped and later transcribed, allowing the interview to proceed unimpaired of note-taking,
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Secondary research and document analysis are also employed to provide insight into the research topic.
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Reflexivity refers to the researcher's aim "to explore the ways in which [the] researcher's involvement with a particular study influences, acts upon and informs such research"
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the ethnographer focuses attention on a community, selecting knowledgeable informants who know the activities of the community well.
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Ethnography relies greatly on up-close, personal experience. Participation, rather than just observation, is one of the keys to this process