SOCI1513 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Ethnography, Participant Observation
Document Summary
Ethnography is a qualitative research strategy, involving a combination of fieldwork and observation, which seeks to understand cultural phenomena that reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group. It was pioneered in the field of socio-cultural anthropology, but has also become a popular method in various other fields of social sciences, particularly in sociology. Ethnographic work requires intensive and often immersive long-term participation in the community that is the subject of research, typically involving physical relocation. Although it often involves studying ethnic or cultural minority groups, this is not always the case. Ideally, the researcher should strive to have very little effect on the subjects of the study, being as invisible and enmeshed in the community as possible. One of the most common methods for collecting data in an ethnographic study is first-hand engagement, known as participant observation.
