GGR277H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Ethnography, Participant Observation
Document Summary
One of the most important and yet most difficult steps ethnography is gaining access to the social setting one wants to research. How to gain access depends on whether the setting is open or closed: Closed settings: include organizations of various kinds, such as firms, schools, cults and social movements. Open settings: areas where anyone can gain access, such as libraries, parks and sidewalks. Although ethnographers may seek access through an overt route, many of the people with whom they come into contact may be unaware of their status as researchers. Access to closed settings in selecting a case study for an ethnographic investigation, the researcher may employ several criteria range of tactics: Use friends, contacts, and colleagues to help gain access. Get someone in the organization to vouch for you and the value of your research, people who must grant their permission for you to gain access are sometimes called gatekeepers. Offer something in return ex. a final draft.
