The ethnographic method or ethnographic research It is a method of social research that systematically analyzes the culture of human groups. The first examples of this type of study were carried out by anthropologists and sociologists who wanted to know the reality of various aboriginal peoples.
As defined by Anthony Giddens, ethnography is the direct study of groups or people for a specified time. Its main techniques are participant observation and personal interviews. Surveys and collecting information from existing documents are other ways that this method uses to achieve its goals..
Ethnographers use the qualitative method, that is, the scientific method that relies on observation to collect non-numerical data. According to its defenders, this allows, unlike the quantitative method, to obtain more complex and complete results..
When carrying out an ethnographic study, the researcher focuses on the interpretation and description of a cultural or social group taking into account their common characteristics. Aspects such as language, social relationships, religious or political beliefs and behavior are the object of observation..
Article index
The term ethnography comes from the Greek words ethnos (tribe or people) and grapho (I write). The literal translation would be "I write about the peoples", although "description of the peoples" is more in line with its scientific use..
The ethnographic method allows the researcher to obtain internal information about the social life of the studied group, since it is designed to describe and interpret social phenomena from the point of view of the protagonists themselves..
One aspect that is essential to take into account is the difference between the term "emic", which refers to the point of view that is held from within the group about their behaviors and beliefs, and the term "ethical", which refers to to the view from the outside.
This type of research is based on experience and direct exploration on a social setting. The researcher uses participant observation as the main technique to obtain the data he needs.
From the information collected, conceptual categories are generated that serve to establish regularities and associations between what is observed. The result is a series of hypotheses and models that must explain the reality of the object of study..
In order to obtain the information they need, the professional has to gain the trust of the group they are analyzing..
It is essential that the researcher has a deep understanding of the culture he is studying. The best method to share your experiences in the first person.
With these investigations, the reality of the events is studied from two different perspectives: the internal one, as if the expert were a member of the group; and the external one, which corresponds to the interpretation of the researcher as a person outside that society..
Direct observation and interviews are the most widely used techniques when conducting ethnographic research. In order to choose which is the best technique at each moment, the researcher has to take into account the dynamics of the study itself, as well as its own possibilities..
The most important technique for obtaining information is participant observation. In this method, the researcher gains the trust of the group to integrate into it and, thus, be able to ask the questions he considers appropriate and examine the behaviors.
It is very important that the members of the group being analyzed feel comfortable with the researcher. In this way, they will be more comfortable and their behavior will be more natural..
Before joining the group, the observer must train and prepare thoroughly and be very clear about the design of his investigator. Also, your participation in group dynamics should not mean that you lose your own beliefs..
Another widely used technique is the formal interview. These are personal encounters with the different members of the group to try to obtain information about their culture and customs..
It is advisable to organize these interviews well and previously prepare a questionnaire based on the objectives of the study..
One of the difficulties of this technique is the need for the researcher to ensure that the conversations are spontaneous. The objective is to create a connection with the person being asked and that he / she answers with confidence.
In studies that have people as the unit of analysis, it is very common to use surveys. These are carried out with well-structured questionnaires and with specific questions.
The information obtained can cover different areas: feelings, opinions about a situation, behavior patterns, etc..
Before conducting the survey, the researcher has to choose a representative sample. Once done, the data is analyzed to obtain the information that was sought.
Sometimes ethnographers also obtain important information through documents relevant to the group or its constituents..
These documents can be stories, diaries, letters, official documents or other published ethnographic studies.
Hector Carillo, a Northwestern sociologist expert in gender and sexuality studies, published in January 2018 a book titled Pathway of Desire: Sexual Migration of Mexican Gay Men. In this work he collected the results of an investigation that lasted for 4 years.
The object of the study was sexual motivations for migration. In order to do this, it was essential that the researchers gain the trust of the individuals they studied..
One of the conclusions of the study was that “the motivations behind transnational migration are not purely economic or family. In fact, people who come from countries like Mexico sometimes get involved in migration for lifestyle reasons ".
Antonio Salas's book entitled Diary of a skin, later taken to the cinema, it reflects the author's research on neo-Nazi ideology groups in Madrid, the capital of Spain.
In order to carry out his investigation, Salas had to infiltrate these groups and thus gain their trust. In this way, he used the participant observation technique to obtain the desired information..
Another example of ethnographic research was this thesis carried out within the Doctoral Program cultures and identities of contemporary societies of the Department of Social Anthropology of the University of Seville (Spain).
The investigation lasted four years and the researchers focused on the mistreatment of women within the couple in a specific geographical area, western Andalusia..
One of the fathers of ethnography was the Polish anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. In 1922, he published the book The Argonauts of the Western Pacific. A study on trade and adventure among the indigenous people of the archipelagos of Melanic New Guinea, considered one of the most important works on this matter.
The object of the study was the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands, near New Guinea. In the published work, the author looked at all the cultural aspects of his society, although he paid special attention to Kula, your trading system of exchange.
Yet No Comments