Ethnographic Research Explained

Ethnography is the study of cultures through close observation, reading, and interpretation. It is the in-depth study of naturally occurring behavior within a culture or social group. It is carried out to understand the relationship between culture and behavior; with culture referring to the beliefs, values, and attitudes of a specific group of people. Anthropologists immerse themselves in the lives of the people they study, using primarily extended observation and occasionally in-depth interviewing to gain clarification and more detailed information.

Good ethnography would have:

• Long hours of observing the subject
• Long hours spent at site
• Collection of items related to subject such as notes, artifacts, audio, etc.
• Openness of thought process during the study.

Characteristics of ethnographic research:

• CONTEXTUAL – it is carried out in the context of the subject’s natural environment of home and work.
• UNOBTRUSIVE - the research avoids manipulating the phenomena under investigation.
• LONGITUDINAL - the research is more time consuming.
• COLLABORATIVE - The research involves the participation of stakeholders other than the researcher.
• INTERPRETATIVE - The researcher carries out interpretative analyses of the data.
• ORGANIC - There is interaction between questions/ hypotheses and data collection/ interpretation.

Methodology of ethnographic research:

1. Select a suitable project: the scope and limitations could vary majorly from studying a entire complex or single society or a situation. Scope would need to me restricted to be completed in the scheduled time.
2. Preparing questions: before starting the researcher needs to keep in mind the questions that will guide him correctly during the entire procedure.
3. Collecting data: fieldwork is needed t be carried out to get details like physical characteristics of the situation and to track activities. A complete overview is much needed to carry out more focused research.
4. Making a record: mapping, field notes, video clips, photographs, plotting of activities with time and all possible appropriate means must be used to record observations.
5. Analyzing Data: data analysis needs to be done after all the fieldwork is completed. This analysis will in turn lead to more supplementary questions, more site work and more analysis again. This sort of cycle continues till the research is not completed.
6. Writing the Ethnography: The ethnographic report can range in length from several pages to a volume or two. It would make people aware of different cultures and their way of lives.

Some examples of ethnographies in research –

Coffee Shop

Location: any local/international coffee shop

Target: atmosphere of the coffee shop and type of people who went there

Women’s clothing retailer

Location: Any departmental store

Target: How women shop for clothes

Financial service provider

Location: Homes and offices

Target: how people manage their finances

National Mobile Carrier

Location: Retail outlets

Target: How people shop for mobile phones and carrier

References
http://methodsofdiscovery.net
http://www.slideshare.net/rhydave24/ethnographic-research-7659486?related=2
http://www.slideshare.net/lanceabalos/ethnographic-research-2?related=1
http://brianhoey.com