Ethnography

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Ethnography is a qualitative research method by physically observing the participants in question and tabulating results and information. (See also User Study) This is one of the most holistic and popular approaches of gathering research in Cultural and Social Anthropology. Ethnography is not the standard qualitative research that has the ethnographers going out and conducting questionnaires in common surroundings. Ethnography entails the ethnographer to travel to the destination to discover culture, witness the daily life and experience how to live and experience action through the eyes of its members. (Spradley, McCurdy. 33) However, conducting ethnographic research is a very difficult task to accomplish. Usually ethnographers arrive at an exotic location as strangers. They must accomplish some entrance ritual into the desired group. Then they establish a relationship and build trust with the cultural informants. Ethnography is one of the most difficult forms of obtaining qualitative research. It is very time consuming, and requires a lot of dedication and patience for the sole purpose of gathering research and results. Since it involves the complete immersion and integration into a rather foreign society, it can become dangerous. Ethnographers choose an area of study that research is not readily available. They also choose areas to research that are found to be taboo in many societies. Topics that society overlooks or completely ignores are often ones that ethnographers tackle (See Example on Prostitution and AIDS).

=Cultural Informants=

Cultural informants are people within the community that is studied that can speak the native language of ethnographers. They help the ethnographers gain access into private and intimate moments within the community. They act as a personal guide and translator because the native tongue is usually foreign.

=Fieldwork on Prostitution in the era of AIDS (Example)=

Claire E. Sterk was a cultural anthropology student who decided to choose the taboo area of conducting fieldwork on prostitution in the era of AIDS in New York City during the late 80’s and early 90’s. She began with no links into the underground scene and had to develop trust and friendships with different prostitutes in the area. Only this entrance into the underground world took several years to complete and was only the beginning. Even though it wasn’t a foreign land, nor a foreign language was spoken, she was still found to be an outsider. She was threatened, shunned and probed to see if see was an undercover cop in the early processes. Her plight of showing interest into the lifestyles and struggles of ‘streetwalking’ allowed her to develop a link into the community. She was able to move around and get to know other people. However, her affiliation with certain individuals prevented her from interacting with the central figures in this underworld because of beef issues. After she learned these unwritten ground rules she was able to shift around and get to know almost everyone in the society. She reported that drugs, especially crack was rampant and was one of the leading roles in the reasons for prostitution. She also made links with pimps and owners of crack houses. She sympathized and empathized with the women, and became totally immersed in their culture and lifestyle. She did not go as far as prostituting herself, however she was considered to be among family status with many of the people involved. She found it very difficult after many years of research to leave the lifestyle. This experience made her reflect on her own life and realize that she must not take things for granted.

This example of ethnographic research shows that ethnography is a totally intense method of collecting qualitative data. In user study segments for projects that can take years to develop and complete, ethnography is a very plausible form of data collection to enhance the project to authentic levels of completion.

=Bibliography= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnography

Spradley, James, and David W. McCurdy. //Conformity and Conflict.// //Readings// //In Cultural Anthropology//. 12th ed. Toronto: Pearson, 2006. 33-45.

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