CS235 Chapter 11: Ethnographic Research
Document Summary
Ethnography - a method for grasping the natives point of view". Several different forms, no one universal definition. Macro/micro refer to the scale of the topic addressed by the research. General goals are the same discover cultural knowledge people are using to organize their behaviour and interpret their experience. Macroethnography - usually focusses on a definable community or culture and involves years of field research. Microethnography - usually focused on a single social situation and requires much less time to complete. Grounded theory - a methodology used to develop theories by systematically gathering and analyzing field data. Begins with evidence gathered through observation and then produces ideas through inductive reasoning, rather than beginning with an idea about a given topic. Naturalistic inquiry - the study of how people behave when they are absorbed in genuine life experiences in natural settings. Can test, but is not necessarily meant for developing a theory.
