"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."
Methods of organizing and analyzing data collected through ethnographic research.
Ethnography: The study of people and culture, focusing on understanding their social behaviors, customs, and beliefs.
Anthropology: The study of humankind, including their origins, customs, beliefs, and evolutionary history.
Sociology: The study of human society, analyzing its organization, institutions, and social issues.
Cultural Relativism: The idea that cultural differences should be respected and understood, rather than judged by one's own standards.
Human Interaction: The ways in which people interact and communicate with each other, including nonverbal communication and social norms.
Participant observation: A research method in which the researcher becomes a part of the culture or group being studied, participating in their activities and observing their behavior.
Fieldwork: The process of collecting data through direct observation and interaction in the culture or group being studied.
Qualitative Analysis: A research method focused on understanding the meaning and context of human behavior, typically using open-ended questions and non-numerical data.
Data collection: The process of gathering and recording information about a specific topic or population, using various research methods and techniques.
Writing and Reporting: The process of summarizing and analyzing research findings, presenting them in a clear and meaningful way to an audience.
Interpretation: The process of explaining and understanding the meaning and significance of research findings, often through theories and frameworks.
Analysis: The process of breaking down complex data and information into simpler components, to gain a better understanding of its structure and meaning.
Cultural Theory: A theoretical perspective that examines how culture shapes social behavior and identity, including its influence on art, politics, and economics.
Ethical Considerations: The ethical principles and guidelines that researchers must follow in order to protect the rights and well-being of their research participants.
Grounded Theory: A research method that emphasizes the development of new theoretical frameworks and concepts based on close observation of social phenomena.
Thick Description: Thick description is a type of interpretation and analysis that involves the detailed, in-depth analysis of a particular social phenomenon or behavior. This type of analysis aims to provide a rich, multi-layered understanding of human actions and social interactions.
Historical Analysis: Historical analysis is an interpretation and analysis technique that involves exploring the historical background and contexts of a particular social phenomenon. This type of interpretation aims to provide a better understanding of how historical events and contexts have influenced the social phenomenon or behavior under investigation.
Structural Analysis: Structural analysis is an interpretation and analysis technique that involves analyzing the underlying social structures that shape and influence social behaviors and interactions. This type of analysis focuses on the relationships between social actors, institutions, and norms that underlie a particular social phenomenon.
Discourse Analysis: Discourse analysis is an interpretation and analysis technique that involves analyzing the language and discourse used by social actors to communicate and interact with each other. This type of analysis aims to provide insights into the power dynamics, social hierarchies, and cultural norms that influence social behavior and interactions.
Performance Analysis: Performance analysis is an interpretation technique that involves analyzing the body language, gestures, and other non-verbal cues used by social actors during social interactions. This type of analysis aims to provide insights into how social actors present themselves and how they negotiate their social identities and roles during social interactions.
Comparative Analysis: Comparative analysis is an interpretation technique that involves comparing different social phenomena or behaviors across different contexts or cultures. This type of analysis aims to identify similarities and differences between social phenomena and to provide insights into the factors that shape and influence social behavior and interactions.
"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."