Ethnographic Research

Participant observation

Participant observers engage with two primary purposes. Observe the activities Engage in the activities

Ethnographers engage in

long-term study of particular phenomena to situate understandings in a meaningful context.

Characteristics: It places an emphasis on exploring the nature of ........, rather than setting out to test

particular social phenomena

Ethnographic Research is Interpretations of

people's actions and behaviors through investigation of what people do & their reasons for doing it

Characteristics: It offers a representation of a ............that is neither the researcher's nor the person's. It is built on points of understanding and misunderstanding that occur between researcher and participant.

person's life and behavior

Characteristics: It is built on......... that occur between researcher and participant.

points of understanding and misunderstanding

Characteristics: It offers interpretations of people's actions and behaviors that must be

uncovered through an investigation of what people do and their reasons for doing it.

Characteristics: Interpretations occur

within the context or group setting and are presented through the description of themes.

Uses multiple methods for data collection

(interviews, intensive observations, reviewing documents, artifacts, and visual materials)

Types of participant observation

Active participant observer Privileged, active observer Passive observer

Ethnographic Research Interpretations presented

Interpretations presented through description of themes

Culture

Set of attitudes, values, concepts, beliefs, and practices shared by members of a group.

What is Ethnographic Research?

Study of cultural patterns and perspectives of participants in their natural settings

Ethnographic Research Techniques

Triangulation, Participant observation,

The goal of ethnographic research is to

describe, analyze, and interpret the culture of a group, over time, in terms of the group's shared beliefs, behaviors, and language.

Privileged, active observer

e.g., Researcher may serve as an aide but is able to step back and forth within the role providing opportunities for observation

Passive observer

e.g., Researcher only observes, no active role

Active participant observer

e.g., Researchers often negotiate roles as teachers' aide

Characteristics: It uses data analysis procedures that involve the

explicit interpretation of the meanings and functions of human actions.

Ethnographers generally engage in participant observation.

intensive

Triangulation is a

multi-instrument approach. Trustworthiness in qualitative data is established through triangulation.

Characteristics: It requires that researchers be.................... on the research site and the cultural group.

reflective about their impact

Characteristics: It investigates a......... of cases, perhaps just one case, in detail.

small number