"Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study."
A description of a culture or society based on fieldwork.
Ethnography: A research method that involves detailed observation and analysis of the cultural behaviors, beliefs, and practices of a particular group.
Cultural relativism: The idea that cultural practices should be evaluated and understood within the context of their own cultural framework, rather than using the values and beliefs of the researcher's culture.
Participant observation: The technique of immersing oneself in the culture of the group being studied in order to gain an insider perspective on their behaviors and beliefs.
Fieldwork: The process of conducting research in the field, typically involving long-term immersion in the community being studied.
Informants/Fieldworkers: Individuals who provide insider knowledge and guidance to the researcher during fieldwork.
Reflexivity: The process of reflecting on one's own assumptions, biases, and values during the research process in order to avoid imposing them on the culture being studied.
Theory: The frameworks and concepts used to interpret and analyze cultural data.
Culture shock: The psychological disorientation and discomfort that can occur when one is immersed in a culture that is vastly different from their own.
Emic vs. Etic perspectives: Emic refers to the insider view of a culture, while etic refers to the outsider view. Ethnography aims to provide both perspectives.
Ethics: The moral principles and guidelines that govern ethical research practices, including informed consent, confidentiality, and avoiding harm to participants.
Participant observation: A type of ethnography where the anthropologist immerses themselves in the culture they are studying, participating in local customs and observing everyday life.
Life history: A type of ethnography where the anthropologist collects the life history of an individual or family in order to understand the larger cultural context in which they live.
Field research: A type of ethnography where the anthropologist conducts research in a specific cultural setting, such as a community or village, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the culture.
Ethnohistory: A type of ethnography that focuses on the history and development of a particular culture, including the social, economic, and political forces that have shaped it.
Comparative ethnography: A type of ethnography that compares similar or related cultures in order to understand similarities and differences between them.
Applied ethnography: A type of ethnography that is used to solve practical problems, such as developing social programs or improving healthcare delivery in a community.
Visual ethnography: A type of ethnography that uses photography, film, and/or other visual media to document and interpret cultural practices and social processes.
"Ethnography is [...] a type of social research that involves examining the behavior of the participants in a given social situation and understanding the group members' own interpretation of such behavior."
"Ethnography relies heavily on participant observation—on the researcher participating in the setting or with the people being studied, at least in some marginal role, and seeking to document, in detail, patterns of social interaction and the perspectives of participants."
"It had its origin in social and cultural anthropology in the early twentieth century, but spread to other social science disciplines, notably sociology, during the course of that century."
"Ethnographers mainly use qualitative methods, though they may also employ quantitative data."
"The typical ethnography is a holistic study and so includes a brief history, and an analysis of the terrain, the climate, and the habitat."
"A wide range of groups and organizations have been studied by this method, including traditional communities, youth gangs, religious cults, and organizations of various kinds."
"While, traditionally, ethnography has relied on the physical presence of the researcher in a setting, there is research using the label that has relied on interviews or documents, sometimes to investigate events in the past such as the NASA Challenger disaster."
"There is also a considerable amount of 'virtual' or online ethnography, sometimes labeled netnography or cyber-ethnography."
"Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study."
"Ethnography relies heavily on participant observation—on the researcher participating in the setting or with the people being studied."
"Ethnography seeks to document, in detail, patterns of social interaction and the perspectives of participants, and to understand these in their local contexts."
"Ethnography had its origin in social and cultural anthropology but spread to other social science disciplines, notably sociology."
"A wide range of groups and organizations have been studied by this method, including traditional communities, youth gangs, religious cults, and organizations of various kinds."
"There is research using the label that has relied on interviews or documents, sometimes to investigate events in the past such as the NASA Challenger disaster."
"The typical ethnography is a holistic study and so includes a brief history, and an analysis of the terrain, the climate, and the habitat."
"There is also a considerable amount of 'virtual' or online ethnography, sometimes labeled netnography or cyber-ethnography."
"Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study."
"Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study."
"Ethnographers mainly use qualitative methods, though they may also employ quantitative data."