Ethnogr Introduction
Ethnogr Introduction
Ethnogr Introduction
Ethnography
My
anthropology.
Anthropology is the study of people, especially of their societies and
customs. Ethnography is an approach in which the researcher uses socially
acquired and shared knowledge to understand the observed patterns of
human activity. It is a style of research rather than a single method and uses
a variety of techniques to collect data. Ethno- means folk and art; –graphy
means description. Werner and Schoepfle (1987) claim that ethnography is
any full or partial description of a group.
Intercultural
Although it has been a feature of social science research throughout
most of the twentieth century, and has been used across a wide range of
disciplinary applications, ethnography escapes ready summary definition.
In recent years it has become a site of debate and contestation within
and across disciplinary boundaries.
Communicative
Interaction
For our purposes we define this style of research as:
The study of people in naturally occurring settings or fields by means of
methods which capture their social meanings and ordinary activities,
involving the researcher participating directly in the setting, if not also the
activities, in order to collect data in a systematic manner but without
Management
meaning being imposed on them externally. (Brewer, 2000: 10; for other
Diversity
explications of ethnography see: Atkinson et al., 2001; Burgess, 1984;
Davies, 1999; Fetterman, 1998; Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995)
research that explores the social meanings of people in the setting by close
involvement in the field. The other prominent feature of ethnography is
that the above listed methods are not used in isolation.
Ethnography routinely builds in triangulation of method because it
involves the use of multiple methods of data collection.
Working in
MCTs
References: Ethnography
Atkinson, P., Coffey, A., Delamond, S., Lofland, J. and Lofland, L. (2001).
Handbook of Ethnography. London: Sage.
Brewer, J. D. (2000). Ethnography. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Brewer, J. D. (2004). “Ethnography.” In: C. Cassell and G. Symon (eds.)
Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organisational Research. London:
Sage.
Bogdan, R. and Taylor, S. (1975). Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods.
New York: John Wiley.
Boyle, J. S. (1994). “Styles in Ethnography.” In: J. M. Morce (ed.) Critical
Issues on Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Burgess, R. (1984). In the Field. London: Routledge.
Davies, C. A. (1999). Reflexive Ethnography. London: Routledge.
Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. (eds.) (1994). Handbook of Qualitative
Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Fetterman, D. (1998). Ethnography. London: Sage.
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (1995). Ethnography: Principles and Practice.
London: Routledge.
Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. Newbury
Park: Sage.
Werner, O. and Schoepfle, G. (1987). Systematic Fieldwork: Foundations of
Ethnography and Interviewing. Newbury Park: Sage.