Ethnography Those who want to use qualitative methods

Ethnography ‘Those who want to use qualitative methods because they are easier than statistics are in for a rude awakening’ BUT they are VERY useful! • ‘Ethno’ • Scientific description of culture based on observations of ordinary interaction and negotiation between people • Ethnographic research approaches involve – Participant observation – Interviewing (unstructured, group) – (in combination with) surveying

Ethnography… • Good for qualitative data – ie identify issues • Not good for quantitative data – ie how much issues count • • Time consuming Hard work Language Takes practice

What do we learn with ethnography? • Understand meaning • Understand how people make decisions • Understand behaviour – eg Why do people watch weather channels? – eg Why do people live in disaster-prone areas? • Understand how people are impacted by change

Who plays? • Informants: ethnographic informants selected for cultural competence rather than statistical representativeness – Key informants – Culturally specialized informants

Participant observation …the foundation of cultural anthropology • Participation - participant observation involves fieldwork, but fieldwork does not always involve participant observation – Establish rapport – Spend time • Observation - observe where the action is! – Fieldnotes – Photographs – Audio/visual recordings • Researcher becomes instruments of data collection and analysis

Why use participant observation? 1. Increase breadth of exposure to types of data 2. Reduces ‘reactivity’ - tendency to change behavior when studied 3. Salient and relevant questions 4. Intuitive understanding breeds confidence 5. Best method for the job