Summary Module 1: Ethnographic research

Before start talking about ethnographic research we musy clearly understand what is it. Ethnographic research is a social science research method that relies heavily on up-close, personal experience and possible participation, not just observation. It consists in analysing a determined group of people (it can be a big or a small group) by studying it from the inside in order to not only see but also feel all the factors that affect it.

Nevertheless we have to take into account that this inside view of the group must be balanced with the objectivity of an outsider point of view in order to explain all the results of the experience. It is clear that in order to achieve the expierence ethnographic research recquires a deep fieldwork in which the ethnographer must live in the conditions of the studied group for a period of time (6 months- 1 year normally).

Ethnographic research uses mainly three types of data collection: interviews and questionnaries, that could vary depending on the type of person being interviewes, it can be informal or more structured, it must take into account the needs of the interviewee and is focused in obtaining the best data possible. Observation, that also depends on factors such as the objectives of the research, the nature of the group being studied and in the skills, interests and points of view of the observer; here is where the observer must get completely invlolved with the group and adopt their tradtions, culture, beliefs, etc, combining his/her lifestyle with the one of the specific group. The projecting technique is also a very important method of getting information, it doesn´t do it by directly questionning but by acquiring indirect information and the posterior analysis and interpretation of it.

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The ethnographic reserch sustains that “the aim of the research is to capture the character of naturally ocurring human behaviour, and this can only be achieved by first hand contact with it” (Naturalism); that “human actions […] do not consist simply of fixed responses or even learned responses to stimuli (as the animals), but involve interpretation of stimuli and the construct of responses” and we must understand understand this and the particular cultural circumstances surrounding the group that we are going to analyse (understanding); and finally that”the conception of the research process is inductive or discovery-based rather than being limited to the testing of explicit hypotheses” (Discovery). These are three methodoligical principles that must be taken into account before starting any ethnographic research.

We must avoid however, making some typical mistakes such as the generalization of the characteristics observed (which leads to stereotypes) or the extreme involvement with the group (which may lead to a subjective result). Applying these concepts the research can finally be successfull with a complete analysis, the elaboration of theories and conclusions based on the field notes and interviews.

References taken from:

Genzuk, Michael. A synthesis of ethnographic research.