Ethnographic Field Research Paper

Ethnographic Field Research Paper: 

Ethnographic Field Research Paper What, Why and How?

What is Ethnography?: 

What is Ethnography? Ethnographic research is one type of qualitative methods used by sociologists and other social sciences. It is qualitative because it is inductive , meaning that you are not starting out with an hypothesis You are not dealing with “numbers”

What is Ethnography?: 

What is Ethnography? In an ethnographic field research project, your data comes from observing or interviewing people in everyday social settings, which are known as “the field.” The data are gathered when a researcher visits the setting (allowing him/her to conduct observational research)

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research: 

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research The ethnographic research usually conducts research by closely observing what people are doing, by talking with them informally, and often by participating in activities with them. If interviews are conducted, the ethnographer uses open-ended questions that encourage respondents to answer in their own ways and with their own words You will not be doing interviews

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research: 

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research Unlike deductive research, then, the ethnographic field research does not use a predesigned research instrument, such as a written questionnaire Reports based on ethnographic field research (ethnographies), include vivid descriptions of actual social scenes and transactions

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research: 

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research One of the qualities of qualitative methodology is that you are approaching and exploring the social world from the point of view of the participants. The ethnographic researcher usually conducts research by closely observing what people are doing

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research: 

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research Unlike most deductive researcher, the ethnographic field research does not use a predesigned research instrument or questionnaire Reports based on ethnographic field research – ethnographies – often produce new theoretical insights

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research: 

Goals and Methods of Ethnographic Field Research In doing ethnographic research, your sociological imagination is exercised by the opportunity to see society’s institutions, such as the police, the judicial system, the health care system, as they are enacted by specific individuals in everyday settings

Asking an Appropriate Question: 

Asking an Appropriate Question The goal of your research project will be to explore a setting through the sociological lens Look at social interactions in your everyday life – among family members, friends, fellow students, or coworkers – in new ways. The goals are to describe patterns and processes that often pass unnoticed in your daily interactions and to use your sociological imagination to relate these personal patterns and processes to specific course concepts

Reviewing the Literature: 

Reviewing the Literature In a deductive (quantitative) approach (which you are NOT doing here), a review of relevant research done on the same topic is used to develop a hypothesis for testing. However, because this kind of inductive (qualitative research) does not involve hypothesis test, sometimes literature reviews are done, and sometimes they aren’t – I am not asking you to do a literature review

Reviewing the Literature: 

Reviewing the Literature I AM, however, asking you to be become familiar with work already done on your area that you plan on observing. In other words, I am encouraging you to gather literature from the outside, but I AM going to ask you to refer to the theoretical concepts we have talked about here in our course

Collecting your Data: 

Collecting your Data Understand the Assignment IT is important that you understand the instructions you’ve been given for completing the assignment. Do you know where you are going to go? Do you know what you are going to look for. Is there something specific you are looking for? The most common mistake that students make in conducting an ethnographic research project is to focus so intently on describing a setting that they neglect to discuss it from a sociological perspective

Plan Ahead!: 

Plan Ahead! Begin early in the semester. Field data cannot always be collected predictably or on short notice. Furthermore, you may have to return to your field setting several times to get the additional information for understanding that you need.

Plan Ahead!: 

Plan Ahead! Make arrangements to observe. If you need permission to enter an area for observation, you will need to get that permission first. When scheduling your observations, allow plenty of time because unanticipated events may occur, and you will also need time to record your observations.

Plan Ahead!: 

Plan Ahead! Plan how you will record your data. Motes made while observation are more reliable than others, but it depends upon the situation and the environment

Look and Listen: 

Look and Listen Even if you may know a lot about the setting and the interactions you observe, it is crucial that you leave behind your previous assumptions and even your knowledge about them in order to learn something new. Adopt the attitude of a naïve newcomer (as if you were a visitor from a foreign land) so that you can begin to look in a new way at the events and experiences you used to take for granted. In other words, don’t try to figure out beforehand what conclusions you should come to or how you will use the information you are collecting.

Look and Listen: 

Look and Listen When observing, don’t presume you know which events or interactions matter most. Just keep your eyes and ears open to everything that is going on around you. Notice your surroundings, all the people who are present, the time taken by events, etc. Attempt, above all, to look at the setting or situation through the eyes of the participants

Recording your data: 

Recording your data Since the final paper you produce will be only as good as your recorded data, it is crucial that you record observations accurately and in detail as soon as possible after the event. Otherwise, you will inevitably forget or distort what was said or done. In observational research, take notes on what you se or hear as it happens, if that is possible. If it is not possible, then write it down as soon afterwards as possible

Recording your data: 

Recording your data Make your notes specific. Describe in detail what you observed, did and/or heard. Like a good report, give the specifics of who, what when and where. Include concrete details about the physical settings, what when on, and your reactions

Ethnographic Paper:: 

Ethnographic Paper : As part of the Sociology major, you either will be or have taken Social Research Methods. Theory without application to practice is just that – theory. A sociologist utilizes two methods of research – quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative is deductive, while qualitative is inductive (you will learn what this means in this course). In Social Research, you either will or have learned to apply quantitative methodology.

Ethnographic Paper:: 

Ethnographic Paper : When a theory, skill or lesson is practice it is what we refer to as “praxis.” To not only introduce you to the idea of “praxis,” but also to expose you to qualitative theory (inductive theory), you will be applying your sociological theoretic knowledge to an ethnographic application.

Ethnographic Paper:: 

Ethnographic Paper : Students should not wait until the last minute to begin their paper. Although not all theorists will have been covered, as will be explained, students can begin conducting their ethnographic observations and take notes for their ethnographies.

Ethnographic Paper:: 

Ethnographic Paper : They will then apply a sociological theoretical perspective to that paper. A separate section will be available on the “Ask Your Instructor” Section regarding the paper.