Definition

Ethnography- is a qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a

community or organization to observe their behavior and interaction up close.

- the study and systematic recording of human cultures

- it is used to gain insights into how people interact with things in their natural
environment.

Types of Ethnographic Research

- There are several types of ethnographic research, this are business,
educational and medical ethnographic research.

• Business Ethnographic Research

- a research design that involves observing consumer habits and target
markets in order to identify market needs and the overall disposition of a
product or service. This research design is used by a lot of entrepreneurs or
business owners to help them identify their customer’s needs and satisfy
market demands.

• Educational Ethnographic Research

- It involves observing teaching and learning methods and how these affect
classroom behaviors. This research also studies student’s attitudes, academic
motivation and dispositions to learning.

• Medical Ethnographic Research

- is used for qualitative investigations in health care. This research helps
health practitioners to understand the dispositions of patients ranging from the
simplest to most complex behavioral patterns. It also exposes health
practitioners to insights on the complex needs of patients, their reaction to
prescriptions, treatment methods and recommendations for improvement of
their health care services.

Methods of Ethnographic Research

◦ Naturalism (Live and Work)
- oldest method of ethnographic research it is a technique in which the
researcher observes the research variables in their natural environment to
identify and record behavioral patterns. It may involve living in the natural
environment of the individuals or group for a period of time to record their
activities. It can be disguised or undisguised. Disguised naturalistic
observation involves recording the subjects in a way that they are unaware of
being studied. On the other hand, in undisguised naturalistic observation the
subjects are aware that they are being studied.

◦ Participant Observation
- a data collection method where the ethnographer gathers information by
actively participating and interacting with research subjects. This is different
from naturalism, in participant observation the ethnographer becomes an
active member of the group being observed. It also has two types, disguised
and undisguised participant observation. In disguised, the ethnographer
pretends to be one of the research subjects and hides his/ her true identity.
While in undisguised participant observation the ethnographer reveals their
identity and becomes part of the group being observed.

◦ Interview
- an immersive observation with one one discussion in order to arrive at the
most authentic research outcomes. The ethnographer converses with
members of the research group as they engage in different activities related to
their research context.

◦ Surveys
- an inductive research method that is used to gather information about the
research subject. Administering a survey can help ethnographer gather
relevant data, analyze data and arrive at objective findings. Likert- scale
questions, multiple choice questions, open- ended questions, and close
ended questions are common types of ethnography survey questions.

◦ Archival Research
- the researcher analyzes existing research, documents, and other sources of
information about the research group in order to discover relevant information.
Archival research adopts ethnography to a collection of related documents
from the past which substitute for actual physical presence in the research
environment.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethnographic Research

 Advantages
▪ Provides comprehensive perspective
▪ It helps people know more about different cultures
▪ Research can provide in depth findings about human behavior
▪ The research can evolve and explore new lines of inquiry.
▪ Ethnographers have the ability to act as advocates for the individuals they
are studying

 Disadvantages
▪ Dependent on the researchers observations and interpretations
▪ It can lead to bias
▪ Difficult to check validity of the researcher’s conclusion
▪ Time consuming
▪ Difficulty to choose a representative sample

 OTHER EXAMPLES/ TOPICS FOR ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

 Observing employees in a corporate office

- A researcher may study a group of employees at a business consulting
agency to determine the work culture. The researcher may observe their
interactions with clients to understand how they behave with people outside of
their workspace. The researcher might then observe how they interact with
one another to identify any social cliques, behaviors, teamwork dynamics and
professionalism.

 Observing a high school classroom

-A researcher may observe the social and cultural dynamics of a high school
classroom over the course of a month. In this environment, the researcher
closely watches how the students interact with the teacher and with each
other and seeks to identify any unique social dynamics.

 Cultural Beliefs and Practices of Ethnic Filipinos