Ethnography Essentials

JULIAN M. MURCHISON is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Head of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. His research is focused on religion and health in southern Tanzania, where he has conducted studies for more than twenty-five years.

• Preface xiThe Author xiiiPart 1 The Why and what of ethnography 11 What Is Ethnography? 3Ethnography: The Engaged, Firsthand Study of Society and Culture in Action 4A Brief History 4How Ethnography Has Changed: Doing Contemporary Ethnography 8Ethnography as Firsthand Research 11Ethnographer as Research Instrument 13Collaboration as Research Model: Ethnographer as Student 152 Choosing an Ethnographic Topic 19Where to Look for Possible Topics 22Ethnographic Topics: Studying Places, People, or Events 23The Benefits of a Relatively Specific Focus 23Thinking About the Nonobvious as Discoverable 27Cultural Knowledge and Behavior in Action as Research Objects 29Practical Concerns 30Considering Ethics from the Start: Your Obligations to Potential Informants 33Topics You Might Want to Avoid 343 Research Design 37Turning an idea or Topic into a Research Question 38Linking Questions to Methods 40Key Methods to Consider for the Ethnographic Project 41What Is Practical or Feasible? Time, Availability, and Ethics 464 Writing a Proposal 50Identifying and Reviewing Appropriate Literature 51Statement of the Problem 54A Clear Research Plan 55Identifying Your Project’s Larger Relevance 57Human Subjects Review and Approval 585 Collaborative Ethnography 62Working in Ethnographic Teams 63Implementing a Research Team 65Strategies for Collaborating with Research Participants 69Part 2 Ethnography in The Field: Collecting Data 756 A Guide to Collecting Data and Taking Notes 77The Fleeting Nature of Ethnographic Data 79“Should I Write It Down Immediately?” 80The Importance of Detail in the Ethnographic Record 81Writing Notes Versus Using Recorders 82The Prospects of Transcription 83What Is Important and What Is Superfluous: “What Do I Need to Write Down?” 85The Ethics of Collecting Information 877 Participant- Observation 90The Apparent Paradox: Participation and Observation 92Balancing Participation and Observation 93The Importance of Time 95Depending on Informants as Teachers and Guides 96Getting Started 98Regular Versus Extraordinary Behavior and Conversations 1008 Interviews 105Starting with Informal Interviews and Conversations 106Informal Conversation as an Avenue to “Real” Culture 109A Good Interviewer Is a Good Listener 111Contents ixHow to Record Interview Data 111Using an Interview Schedule 112How to Start an Interview 113Good Versus Bad Interview Questions 115When to Conduct Formal Interviews 1189 Analyzing Along the Way 121Identifying Key Themes and Questions: Paying Attention to Your Data 122How to Organize Your Notes 123What Have You Learned? 124What Do You Still Need to Do? 125Has the Research Question Changed? 126Tweaking the Research Design 126Getting Feedback from Your Informants 127Writing at the Midway Point 12910 Ethnographic Maps 132Space and Movement as Key Components of Culture 133The Importance of Space, Shape, and Distance 138Large- and Small- Scale Geographic Maps 139Mapping Interior Spaces 141Cognitive or Conceptual Maps 143Representing Movement and Behavior on a Map 14511 Tables and Charts 147Ethnographic Tables 148Interpersonal Relationships as a Manifestation of Culture 148Kinship as an Organizing Principle 150Other Organizational Charts 15312 Archives and Secondary Data 158Cultural Artifacts as Sources of Information 159Making Ethnographic Use of Archives 162Contemporary Cultural Artifacts 164Evaluating and Analyzing Cultural Artifacts 166Analytical Sources Versus Popular or Primary Sources 167Part 3 Analyzing and Writing 17113 Sorting and Coding Data 173Writing from Your Research Data 174Identifying Key Themes and Questions 175Identifying Important Research Moments and Experiences 176Coding and Sorting the Ethnographic Record 178Dealing with Apparent Contradictions: The Messiness of Ethnographic Data 18014 Answering Questions and Building Models 183Fitting the Pieces Together 184Moving from Data to Theory: The Inductive Process 189Remembering the Big Picture and the Big Questions 190Infusing Theory in Ethnography 19115 Choosing the Appropriate Presentation Style 194Common Ethnographic Conventions 195The Importance of Ethnographic Detail 201Matching Style to Audience, Subject, and Analysis 202A Formal to Informal Continuum of Style 20516 Putting the Whole Ethnography Together 208The Hourglass Shape as a Model 209Alternative Models for Organizing an Ethnography 210Incorporating Relevant Literature 211Incorporating Maps, Charts, and Photographs 212Demonstrating the Project’s Relevance 213Evaluating and Revising Ethnography 214Sharing the Ethnography 215Incorporating Responses and Critiques 217Glossary 220References 226Index 229