Ethnography

• What does ethnography study?

  The way of life of a group
• How is ethnography defined?

  Scientific description of a specific culture
• Who first used ethnography?

  Anthropologists
• What methods did early ethnographers use?

  Joined the community and learnt the language
• What type of data does ethnography produce?

  Qualitative data
• Why is ethnography considered valid?

  It studies behavior in natural settings
• How can ethnography be used to study a community?

  To see what a whole community does
• What can ethnography reveal about an individual?

  One individual’s life history
• What methods can be used to gather primary data in ethnography?

  Case studies, focus groups, and observation
• What are the strengths of ethnography?

  • In-depth research
  • Provides inside knowledge about a community
  • Valid picture of community life
• What are the weaknesses of ethnography?

  • Relies on researcher’s interpretation
  • Difficult to generalize findings
  • May lack reliability and reproducibility
• How does the reliance on researcher interpretation affect ethnography?

  It may introduce bias in findings
• Why is it difficult to generalize from small-scale ethnographic research?

  It focuses on specific communities or individuals
• What type of research does ethnography primarily involve?

  Small scale fieldwork
• What is a potential issue with the reproducibility of ethnographic studies?

  They may not be easily replicated