ETHNOGRAPIC

RESEARCH

I Putu Sudana
FEB Universitas Udayana
Coverage
What is specific about
ethnographic research?

How to write and

How ethnographic
evaluate ethnographic
research proceeds?
research?

What the
How to analyze an methodological and
interpret ethnographic ethical principles of
research materials? ethnographic research
are?

How to do field work;

how to make field
notes?
ETHNOGRAPHY refers to a
research methodology that
has been developed for the
study of CULTURES and
CULTURAL SENSE MAKING
The main aim of THE ETHNOGRAPHERS:
to observe how people interact with each
other and with their environment in order
to understand their culture.

ETHNOGRAPHERS seek to gain an EMIC

PERSPECTIVE:
The native’s point of view of what
happens in a culture.

ETHNOGRAPHY pays close attention to

language and rhetoric in its interest in
cultural meanings.
VARIOUS VERSIONS OF ETHNOGRAPHIC
RESEARCH:

 Micro or macro ethnographies;

 Critical ethnographies;
 Feminist ethnographies;
 Auto-ethnography;
 virtual ethnography;
 Current ethnography.
B U S I N E S S - R E L AT E D E T H N O G R A P H I C
RESEARCH:

ORGANIZATIONAL ETHNOGRAPHY:
…..a range of studies on management
and organizations that focus on how
people in specific work settings make
sense of their day-to-day actions and
situations.
Ethnographic research process

THE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS touch upon
something important about
SOCIAL and C U LT U R A L
LIFE in the field site that a
researcher interested in.
Ethnographic research process

Ethnographers engage in participant

observation in order to gain insight into
cultural practices and phenomena.

Theory is important [in ethnographic research]

for at least two reasons:
1) Generate guiding questions for ethnographic
investigation;
2) Better understand the specific instances of social
life in certain research setting.
Methodological Principles

 Naturalism;
 Understanding;
 Inductive; and
 Strong ethical
considerations
Doing Ethnographic Fieldwork

Ethnographic research materials can

consist of:

1) Observations;
2) Interviews; and
3) Site documents

Good skill in making field’s notes is crucial.

Analyzing and Interpreting
Ethnographic Data

In ethnographic research:
analysis and interpretation
typically take place throughout
the research project.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Ethnographic Data
1) Reading through field notes and other
empirical data;

2) Traces of patterns, connections,

similarities, or contrastive points;

3) Look for specific and local meanings;

4) Consider respondent validation.

WRITING AND EVALUATING
ETHNOGRAPHY

ETHNOGRAPHY
literally means ‘a portrait of a people’
ETHNOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION
means ‘an emphasis on cultural
interpretation’:
 Situating yourself in the text;
 Sufficient description in narrative form;
 Analysis, interpretation, and implications.
QUESTION &
DISCUSSION