Department of Political Science, Paschim Guwahati
Description: Department of Political Science, Paschim Guwahati Mahavidyalaya Ethnography and Participant Observation Ethnography is a research method in qualitative research. In ethnographic research, the researcher immersed into the particular social
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slide1. Department of Political Science, Paschim Guwahati Mahavidyalaya Ethnography and Participant Observation<br>
slide2. Ethnography is a research method in qualitative research.
In ethnographic research, the researcher immersed into the particular social setting and observe the distinct practices of the community for an extended period of time.
Before 1970s, such method was referred as ‘Participant Observation’. However, from 1970s onwards ‘Ethnography’ has been used to refer the same.
While in Participant Observation, researcher’s observation of the society was given more importance, in Ethnography, along with Participation Observation various other forms of sources like recorded history and other documents of the researched community, organization or structured interview etc. are used to look into. Ethnography and Participant Observation: Meaning<br>
slide3. The Researcher immersed in a social setting for an extended period of time
The researcher makes regular observations of behaviour of members of the social setting
Listen to and engages with conversations
Collects documents about the group
Develops an understanding of the culture of the group and people’s behaviour within the context of that culture.
Writes up a detailed account of that setting Characteristics of Participant Observation<br>
slide4. Types of Ethnography 1. Overt Open Setting: The researcher conducts his/her studies in a public setting in an open manner. Here, the researcher identify himself/herself as a researcher 2. Overt Closed Setting: The researcher conduct his/her ethnographic study in an open manner in a closed setting The question of access is very important in ethnographic study. Based on the study, the researcher conduct the research.
There are four such setting: 3. Covert Closed Setting: Here, the researcher carry on the studies in a hidden manner in a public setting. The researchers does not reveals his/her identity as a researcher. 4. Covert Closed Setting: Here, the researcher do his/her ethnographic study in a closed setting and also hides his/her identity as researcher.<br>
slide5. 1. Covert Full Member: In such setting, the researcher becomes a full member of the group in which the study is done. He/she takes part in all the activities of the group, but his/her identity as a researcher is not disclosed.
2. Overt Full Member: Here, the researcher takes full membership of the group disclosing his/her identity as a researcher.
3. Participant Observer: Here, the researcher participates in the researched group’s major activities but not as a full member.
4. Partially Participating Observer: Here, the researcher participates in group’s core activities to gather information. However, he/she also takes part
5. Minimally Participating Observer: Here, the researcher observes more and participate minimally in group’s core activities. Along with observation, interview and documents become the source of information.
6. Non-Participating Observer with Interaction: Observes, interact with group members through interviews. Role of Ethnographer<br>
slide6. Field Notes: Field notes are an important aspect of ethnographic research.
As the researcher cannot remember all the observations, interviews and all, so taking field notes help the researcher in future data analysis and reporting.
Along with field notes recorders also can be used.
Types of field notes:
Mental Note: Notes taken by the researcher’s memory
Jotted Note: Brief notes on pieces of paper or in notebook.
Full Field Notes: Detailed notes which are to be prepared as soon as possible.
Methodological Notes: Notes on observations about methodological decisions, experiences in the field, and barriers and breakthrough.<br>
slide7. The ethnography research should provide an ‘authoritative account’ of the group or culture on which the research is undertook.
The ethnographer must convince us that he or she has arrived at an account of social reality that has strong claims to truth.
It should be a shared framework of facts and interpretations, observations and reflections.
Van Maanen has divided ethnographic writings into three types:
1) Realist Tales: Apparently definitive, confident, and dispassionate third-person accounts of a culture and of the behaviour of members of that culture. This is the most prevalent form of ethnographic writing.
2) Confessional tales: Personalized accounts in which the ethnographer is fully implicated in the data-gathering and writing-up process. These are more concerned with detailing how research was carried out than with presenting findings.
3) Impressionist Tales: Accounts and place a heavy emphasis on ‘words, metaphors, phrasings, etc. related to the studied group as well as fieldwork experiences are also recalled. Stories of dramatic events that provide a representational way of knowing the culture or group is also given emphasis upon. Writing of Ethnography<br>
slide8. Other types:
a) Structured Tales, which links observation of the quotidian but then link this to wider ‘macro’ issues in society at large.
b) Post-structural Tales, which accounts that suggest that reality is a fragile social construction and hence, this ethnography is done by seeing behind the scenes of a manifest reality and suggesting that things are not quite what they seem.
3) Advocacy Tales, accounts that are profoundly motivated by a sense that something is wrong and that the ethnographer wants to show it all to see.<br>
slide9. Adler and Adler(2008) have provided a categorization of genres of ethnographic writing:
1) Classical ethnography: Realist tales that are accessible and aims to provide a persuasive account of the setting.
2) Mainstream ethnography: Realist tales but oriented to a wider constituency of social scientists rather than just other qualitative researchers. It tends to be deductive in approach.
3) Postmodern ethnography: Postmodern ethnographies often take the form of auto-ethnographies, in which the text is heavily personalized and the overall approach intensely reflexive.
4) Public ethnography: A form of ethnography that has existed for decades, the public ethnography is written with a general audience in mind. These mainly exist in book format rather than article. Genres of Ethnographic Writing<br>
slide10. Feminist Ethnography: One view is there which favour that, if women conduct ethnographic study upon women, then it will be a non-exploitative relationship between the researcher and the respondent.
Online Ethnography(NETNOGRAPHY): Kozinet has coined the term ‘Netnography’ to refer to the ethnographic study which undertakes online communication solely or along with offline communication.
Visual Ethnography: using photographs in ethnographic study. Emergence of New forms of Ethnographic Study:<br>
slide11. Source: Research methodology by Alan Bryman<br>
slide2. Ethnography is a research method in qualitative research.
In ethnographic research, the researcher immersed into the particular social setting and observe the distinct practices of the community for an extended period of time.
Before 1970s, such method was referred as ‘Participant Observation’. However, from 1970s onwards ‘Ethnography’ has been used to refer the same.
While in Participant Observation, researcher’s observation of the society was given more importance, in Ethnography, along with Participation Observation various other forms of sources like recorded history and other documents of the researched community, organization or structured interview etc. are used to look into. Ethnography and Participant Observation: Meaning<br>
slide3. The Researcher immersed in a social setting for an extended period of time
The researcher makes regular observations of behaviour of members of the social setting
Listen to and engages with conversations
Collects documents about the group
Develops an understanding of the culture of the group and people’s behaviour within the context of that culture.
Writes up a detailed account of that setting Characteristics of Participant Observation<br>
slide4. Types of Ethnography 1. Overt Open Setting: The researcher conducts his/her studies in a public setting in an open manner. Here, the researcher identify himself/herself as a researcher 2. Overt Closed Setting: The researcher conduct his/her ethnographic study in an open manner in a closed setting The question of access is very important in ethnographic study. Based on the study, the researcher conduct the research.
There are four such setting: 3. Covert Closed Setting: Here, the researcher carry on the studies in a hidden manner in a public setting. The researchers does not reveals his/her identity as a researcher. 4. Covert Closed Setting: Here, the researcher do his/her ethnographic study in a closed setting and also hides his/her identity as researcher.<br>
slide5. 1. Covert Full Member: In such setting, the researcher becomes a full member of the group in which the study is done. He/she takes part in all the activities of the group, but his/her identity as a researcher is not disclosed.
2. Overt Full Member: Here, the researcher takes full membership of the group disclosing his/her identity as a researcher.
3. Participant Observer: Here, the researcher participates in the researched group’s major activities but not as a full member.
4. Partially Participating Observer: Here, the researcher participates in group’s core activities to gather information. However, he/she also takes part
5. Minimally Participating Observer: Here, the researcher observes more and participate minimally in group’s core activities. Along with observation, interview and documents become the source of information.
6. Non-Participating Observer with Interaction: Observes, interact with group members through interviews. Role of Ethnographer<br>
slide6. Field Notes: Field notes are an important aspect of ethnographic research.
As the researcher cannot remember all the observations, interviews and all, so taking field notes help the researcher in future data analysis and reporting.
Along with field notes recorders also can be used.
Types of field notes:
Mental Note: Notes taken by the researcher’s memory
Jotted Note: Brief notes on pieces of paper or in notebook.
Full Field Notes: Detailed notes which are to be prepared as soon as possible.
Methodological Notes: Notes on observations about methodological decisions, experiences in the field, and barriers and breakthrough.<br>
slide7. The ethnography research should provide an ‘authoritative account’ of the group or culture on which the research is undertook.
The ethnographer must convince us that he or she has arrived at an account of social reality that has strong claims to truth.
It should be a shared framework of facts and interpretations, observations and reflections.
Van Maanen has divided ethnographic writings into three types:
1) Realist Tales: Apparently definitive, confident, and dispassionate third-person accounts of a culture and of the behaviour of members of that culture. This is the most prevalent form of ethnographic writing.
2) Confessional tales: Personalized accounts in which the ethnographer is fully implicated in the data-gathering and writing-up process. These are more concerned with detailing how research was carried out than with presenting findings.
3) Impressionist Tales: Accounts and place a heavy emphasis on ‘words, metaphors, phrasings, etc. related to the studied group as well as fieldwork experiences are also recalled. Stories of dramatic events that provide a representational way of knowing the culture or group is also given emphasis upon. Writing of Ethnography<br>
slide8. Other types:
a) Structured Tales, which links observation of the quotidian but then link this to wider ‘macro’ issues in society at large.
b) Post-structural Tales, which accounts that suggest that reality is a fragile social construction and hence, this ethnography is done by seeing behind the scenes of a manifest reality and suggesting that things are not quite what they seem.
3) Advocacy Tales, accounts that are profoundly motivated by a sense that something is wrong and that the ethnographer wants to show it all to see.<br>
slide9. Adler and Adler(2008) have provided a categorization of genres of ethnographic writing:
1) Classical ethnography: Realist tales that are accessible and aims to provide a persuasive account of the setting.
2) Mainstream ethnography: Realist tales but oriented to a wider constituency of social scientists rather than just other qualitative researchers. It tends to be deductive in approach.
3) Postmodern ethnography: Postmodern ethnographies often take the form of auto-ethnographies, in which the text is heavily personalized and the overall approach intensely reflexive.
4) Public ethnography: A form of ethnography that has existed for decades, the public ethnography is written with a general audience in mind. These mainly exist in book format rather than article. Genres of Ethnographic Writing<br>
slide10. Feminist Ethnography: One view is there which favour that, if women conduct ethnographic study upon women, then it will be a non-exploitative relationship between the researcher and the respondent.
Online Ethnography(NETNOGRAPHY): Kozinet has coined the term ‘Netnography’ to refer to the ethnographic study which undertakes online communication solely or along with offline communication.
Visual Ethnography: using photographs in ethnographic study. Emergence of New forms of Ethnographic Study:<br>
slide11. Source: Research methodology by Alan Bryman<br>