Chapter 15 Ethnographic Designs Educational Research by John

Key Ideas • History of ethnographic research • Types of ethnographic studies • Key characteristics of ethnographic design • Steps in conducting an ethnographic study Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 2

A Brief History of Ethnographic Research • Ethnography has been shaped by cultural anthropology with an emphasis on writing about culture • 1928 Mead study of childbearing, adolescence, and influence of culture on personality in Samoa • 1920’s - 1950’s Single case emphasis at University of Chicago Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 3

A Brief History of Ethnographic Research • 1980’s Educational Ethnographies • 1997 publication of Writing Culture that highlighted two major issues • crisis of representation: how ethnographers interpret the groups they are studying • crisis of “legitimacy: ”standards do not come from “normal science. ” Studies must be evaluated by standards within the participants historical, cultural, influences and interactive forces of race, gender and class Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 4

Types of Ethnographic Studies: Realist Ethnographies • Narrates study from in person reporting what is observed • Research reports objective data free from personal bias • Researcher produces the participants’ views through closely edited quotes and has final word on interpretation Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 5

Types of Ethnographic Studies: Case Studies • Case may be a single individual or several individuals • A case may be a process • A case may be selected because it’s unusual • Researcher develops understanding of the case by collecting multiple forms of data • Researcher locates the “case” or “cases” within their larger context Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 6

Types of Qualitative Case Studies Intrinsic Case Study Unusual Case Study an intrinsic, unusual case. Instrumental Case Study Issue Case Study a case that provides insight into an issue or theme Multiple Instrumental Case Study (also called a Collective Case Study Case Issue Case Study several cases that provide insight into an issue (or theme) Case Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 7

Characteristics of Critical Ethnography • Critical researchers are usually politically minded people • Critical ethnographers speak to an audience on behalf of their participants as a means of empowering participants by giving them more authority • Critical ethnographers seek to change society Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 8

Characteristics of Critical Ethnography • Critical ethnographers identify and celebrate their biases in research. They recognize that all research is value laden • Critical ethnographers challenge the status quo and ask why it is so Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 9

Characteristics of Critical Ethnography • Critical researchers seek to connect the meaning of a situation to broader structures of social power and control • Critical researchers seek to create a literal dialogue with the participants they are studying Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 10

Key Characteristics of an Ethnographic Design • An exploration of cultural themes drawn from cultural anthropology • A study of a culture-sharing group • An examination of shared patterns of behavior, belief and language • A collection of data through fieldwork experiences Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 11

Key Characteristics of an Ethnographic Design • A description and analysis of themes about the culture-sharing group • A presentation of description, themes, and interpretation within the context or setting of the group • A reflexivity by the researcher about his or her impact on the research site and cultural group Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 12

Steps in Conducting Ethnographic Research • Identify intent and type of design and relate intent to your research problem • Discuss approval and access considerations • Use appropriate data collection procedures • Analyze and interpret data within a design • Write report consistent with your design Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 13

Criteria for Evaluating an Ethnographic Design: Research Evaluation • Clearly identify culture-sharing group • Identify the cultural patterns • Describe the group or case in detail • Identify the context of the group or case Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 14

Criteria for Evaluating an Ethnographic Design: Research Evaluation • Reflect on the researcher’s role • Develop a broad interpretation of the patterns • Have the interpretation flow from the description and themes • Provide a sense of how the culture works Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 15

Applying What you Have Learned: Ethnographic Designs Review the article and look for the following: • The research problem and use of quantitative research • Use of the literature • The purpose statement and research hypothesis • Types and procedures of data collection • Types and procedures of data analysis and interpretation • The overall report structure Educational Research by John W. Creswell. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Slide 16