1. EthnographicDesign Randy Huberman Ariel Johnsey Steve McGuire

2. What is Ethnographic Research? • Qualitative research method • Used to describe, analyze, and interpret culture • Significant time needs to be spent “in the field”

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. What are Ethnographers Looking For? • Shared Patterns – common social interaction that stabilizes the rules and expectations of the group • Behaviors • Beliefs • Language

8. 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

9. 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

10. Who uses ethnographies? • Ethnographic research is common among social and cultural anthropologists. • Researchers hope to gain a better understanding of different divisions of cultures

11. 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

12. Examples of ethnographic studies • Research on the smokers community – Bumming cigarettes • Research on education – Studying abroad • Research on gender and sexuality – GLBT community

13. Participant Observations • Take part in the culture you are studying

14. Interviews • Getting to know your sample • Asking questions • Allowing your subject to feel safe

15. Reporting results • How do you inform others of what you researched? • How well was your question defined?