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  • What Is Ethnography? | Definition, Guide & Examples

What Is Ethnography? | Definition, Guide & Examples

Published on March 13, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 22, 2023.

Ethnography is a type of qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community or organization to observe their behavior and interactions up close. The word “ethnography” also refers to the written report of the research that the ethnographer produces afterwards.

Ethnography is a flexible research method that allows you to gain a deep understanding of a group’s shared culture, conventions, and social dynamics. However, it also involves some practical and ethical challenges.

Table of contents

What is ethnography used for, different approaches to ethnographic research, gaining access to a community, working with informants, observing the group and taking field notes, writing up an ethnography, other interesting articles.

Ethnographic research originated in the field of anthropology, and it often involved an anthropologist living with an isolated tribal community for an extended period of time in order to understand their culture.

This type of research could sometimes last for years. For example, Colin M. Turnbull lived with the Mbuti people for three years in order to write the classic ethnography The Forest People .

Today, ethnography is a common approach in various social science fields, not just anthropology. It is used not only to study distant or unfamiliar cultures, but also to study specific communities within the researcher’s own society.

For example, ethnographic research (sometimes called participant observation ) has been used to investigate  football fans , call center workers , and police officers .

Advantages of ethnography

The main advantage of ethnography is that it gives the researcher direct access to the culture and practices of a group. It is a useful approach for learning first-hand about the behavior and interactions of people within a particular context.

By becoming immersed in a social environment, you may have access to more authentic information and spontaneously observe dynamics that you could not have found out about simply by asking.

Ethnography is also an open and flexible method. Rather than aiming to verify a general theory or test a hypothesis , it aims to offer a rich narrative account of a specific culture, allowing you to explore many different aspects of the group and setting.

Disadvantages of ethnography

Ethnography is a time-consuming method. In order to embed yourself in the setting and gather enough observations to build up a representative picture, you can expect to spend at least a few weeks, but more likely several months. This long-term immersion can be challenging, and requires careful planning.

Ethnographic research can run the risk of observer bias . Writing an ethnography involves subjective interpretation, and it can be difficult to maintain the necessary distance to analyze a group that you are embedded in.

There are often also ethical considerations to take into account: for example, about how your role is disclosed to members of the group, or about observing and reporting sensitive information.

Should you use ethnography in your research?

If you’re a student who wants to use ethnographic research in your thesis or dissertation , it’s worth asking yourself whether it’s the right approach:

  • Could the information you need be collected in another way (e.g. a survey , interviews)?
  • How difficult will it be to gain access to the community you want to study?
  • How exactly will you conduct your research, and over what timespan?
  • What ethical issues might arise?

If you do decide to do ethnography, it’s generally best to choose a relatively small and easily accessible group, to ensure that the research is feasible within a limited timeframe.

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There are a few key distinctions in ethnography which help to inform the researcher’s approach: open vs. closed settings, overt vs. covert ethnography, and active vs. passive observation. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Open vs. closed settings

The setting of your ethnography—the environment in which you will observe your chosen community in action—may be open or closed.

An open or public setting is one with no formal barriers to entry. For example, you might consider a community of people living in a certain neighborhood, or the fans of a particular baseball team.

  • Gaining initial access to open groups is not too difficult…
  • …but it may be harder to become immersed in a less clearly defined group.

A closed or private setting is harder to access. This may be for example a business, a school, or a cult.

  • A closed group’s boundaries are clearly defined and the ethnographer can become fully immersed in the setting…
  • …but gaining access is tougher; the ethnographer may have to negotiate their way in or acquire some role in the organization.

Overt vs. covert ethnography

Most ethnography is overt . In an overt approach, the ethnographer openly states their intentions and acknowledges their role as a researcher to the members of the group being studied.

  • Overt ethnography is typically preferred for ethical reasons, as participants can provide informed consent…
  • …but people may behave differently with the awareness that they are being studied.

Sometimes ethnography can be covert . This means that the researcher does not tell participants about their research, and comes up with some other pretense for being there.

  • Covert ethnography allows access to environments where the group would not welcome a researcher…
  • …but hiding the researcher’s role can be considered deceptive and thus unethical.

Active vs. passive observation

Different levels of immersion in the community may be appropriate in different contexts. The ethnographer may be a more active or passive participant depending on the demands of their research and the nature of the setting.

An active role involves trying to fully integrate, carrying out tasks and participating in activities like any other member of the community.

  • Active participation may encourage the group to feel more comfortable with the ethnographer’s presence…
  • …but runs the risk of disrupting the regular functioning of the community.

A passive role is one in which the ethnographer stands back from the activities of others, behaving as a more distant observer and not involving themselves in the community’s activities.

  • Passive observation allows more space for careful observation and note-taking…
  • …but group members may behave unnaturally due to feeling they are being observed by an outsider.

While ethnographers usually have a preference, they also have to be flexible about their level of participation. For example, access to the community might depend upon engaging in certain activities, or there might be certain practices in which outsiders cannot participate.

An important consideration for ethnographers is the question of access. The difficulty of gaining access to the setting of a particular ethnography varies greatly:

  • To gain access to the fans of a particular sports team, you might start by simply attending the team’s games and speaking with the fans.
  • To access the employees of a particular business, you might contact the management and ask for permission to perform a study there.
  • Alternatively, you might perform a covert ethnography of a community or organization you are already personally involved in or employed by.

Flexibility is important here too: where it’s impossible to access the desired setting, the ethnographer must consider alternatives that could provide comparable information.

For example, if you had the idea of observing the staff within a particular finance company but could not get permission, you might look into other companies of the same kind as alternatives. Ethnography is a sensitive research method, and it may take multiple attempts to find a feasible approach.

All ethnographies involve the use of informants . These are people involved in the group in question who function as the researcher’s primary points of contact, facilitating access and assisting their understanding of the group.

This might be someone in a high position at an organization allowing you access to their employees, or a member of a community sponsoring your entry into that community and giving advice on how to fit in.

However,  i f you come to rely too much on a single informant, you may be influenced by their perspective on the community, which might be unrepresentative of the group as a whole.

In addition, an informant may not provide the kind of spontaneous information which is most useful to ethnographers, instead trying to show what they believe you want to see. For this reason, it’s good to have a variety of contacts within the group.

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ethnographic essay outline

The core of ethnography is observation of the group from the inside. Field notes are taken to record these observations while immersed in the setting; they form the basis of the final written ethnography. They are usually written by hand, but other solutions such as voice recordings can be useful alternatives.

Field notes record any and all important data: phenomena observed, conversations had, preliminary analysis. For example, if you’re researching how service staff interact with customers, you should write down anything you notice about these interactions—body language, phrases used repeatedly, differences and similarities between staff, customer reactions.

Don’t be afraid to also note down things you notice that fall outside the pre-formulated scope of your research; anything may prove relevant, and it’s better to have extra notes you might discard later than to end up with missing data.

Field notes should be as detailed and clear as possible. It’s important to take time to go over your notes, expand on them with further detail, and keep them organized (including information such as dates and locations).

After observations are concluded, there’s still the task of writing them up into an ethnography. This entails going through the field notes and formulating a convincing account of the behaviors and dynamics observed.

The structure of an ethnography

An ethnography can take many different forms: It may be an article, a thesis, or an entire book, for example.

Ethnographies often do not follow the standard structure of a scientific paper, though like most academic texts, they should have an introduction and conclusion. For example, this paper begins by describing the historical background of the research, then focuses on various themes in turn before concluding.

An ethnography may still use a more traditional structure, however, especially when used in combination with other research methods. For example, this paper follows the standard structure for empirical research: introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

The content of an ethnography

The goal of a written ethnography is to provide a rich, authoritative account of the social setting in which you were embedded—to convince the reader that your observations and interpretations are representative of reality.

Ethnography tends to take a less impersonal approach than other research methods. Due to the embedded nature of the work, an ethnography often necessarily involves discussion of your personal experiences and feelings during the research.

Ethnography is not limited to making observations; it also attempts to explain the phenomena observed in a structured, narrative way. For this, you may draw on theory, but also on your direct experience and intuitions, which may well contradict the assumptions that you brought into the research.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Normal distribution
  • Degrees of freedom
  • Null hypothesis
  • Discourse analysis
  • Control groups
  • Mixed methods research
  • Non-probability sampling
  • Quantitative research
  • Ecological validity

Research bias

  • Rosenthal effect
  • Implicit bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Selection bias
  • Negativity bias
  • Status quo bias

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6- Drafting Your Ethnographic Essay

Chapter 6 provides a step-by-step process for developing, writing, and revising your ethnographic research essay.

Finding a Focus, Choosing a Controlling Idea for Your Research

The first step in finding a focus is to read through all of your fieldnotes two times. As you read, notice when and where you become particularly interested in what you have written. Circle, mark or note these passages in some way. Write a brief summary of each idea/passage on a separate sheet. After you identify what interests you most, move on to search for patterns that will lead you to focus.  You can follow the step-by step-process below as a path to create a kind of umbrella or guiding focus statement for your essay:

  • Read through the list you compiled from your fieldnotes and identify which parts of your fieldnotes interest and engage you most. Look at the larger arc. Are most of your points taken from your thoughts and feelings or are you more interested in the analysis observation?
  • Search for patterns in your list, and make a new list of those patterns. Keep an eye out for things that strike you as meaningful and interesting and that happen again and again.  As you explore patterns, also look for things connected to those patterns.  Find patterns within patterns. how do you connect ideas with language?  Do you seem to repeatedly use the same phrases?  When and with respect to what observations?  This may help identify relevant patters of observation.
  • From your list of patterns and connections, select the ONE larger idea/pattern that interests you most. You know you’re on to something if you find a pattern and can see how it connects to other observations you’ve made during your research and /or to what other scholars or writers have said.
  • Take that one interesting idea/pattern and develop an “umbrella” statement or a broad focus statement. You can start, for drafting purposes, with something as simple as “In this paper, I will…(discuss, explore, explain, analyze, etc.).”  Here you are articulating the big idea for your essay. You can always return to the statement to make is more sophisticated in the context of a focus paragraph later,
  • Expand that statement by breaking the pattern that you are focusing on into any number of supporting observations. Follow your initial broad or umbrella focus statement with that break down. “First, I will….Second…Third….” with each of those statements specifying the supporting material. These first, second, and third statements provide the framework for the body sections of your research essay.

As you examine patterns you find in your own comprehensive observation list and look for an idea, theme, or metaphor to connect them, keep in mind the ways in which a focus moves from observations to a more developed discussion of the ideas you note.  As you connect the dots of your pattern, you may begin to understand where your essay could “land,” which implications become most compelling to you, and which elements for discussion could make clear the complexity of reality and truth.  When you identify some of these more powerful elements, take the time to write about any connections you see between those patterns or expand on any unfinished thoughts. From this list, you need to choose the idea/pattern that interests you most, that you think you can really write about, and that you can support with other observations from your notes. You have found your focus!

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • 1a- Connecting to Ethnographic Writing
  • 1b- Identifying with Ethnographic Writing
  • 1c- Rhetorical Strate­gies for Ethnographic Writing
  • 2a- Writerly Ethos
  • 2b- Under­stand­ing Pla­gia­rism
  • 2c- Eth­i­cal Conun­drums in Com­munity Research
  • 3a- Examining Culture as Text
  • 3b- Selecting a Research Site
  • 3c- Access to Your Research Site
  • 3d- Rhetorical Strategies for Research Proposals
  • 4a- Rhetorical Strategies for Writing Observations
  • 4b- Considering Types of Fieldnotes
  • 4c- Expanding and Revising Fieldnotes and Observations
  • 5a- Searching for Sources: Keywords, Databases, Catalogs, and Shelves
  • 5b- Ethical Considerations when Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
  • 5c- Impact of Technology on Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
  • 5d- Sorting Sources and Eating Books
  • 5e- Popular Culture Source Material
  • 5f- Summarizing Sources
  • 5g- Building an Annotated Bibliography
  • 6a- Introducing your Research
  • 6b- Presenting the Methodology and Focus
  • 6c- Selecting Examples and Evidence
  • 6d- Selecting Effective Secondary Source Evidence
  • 6e- Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Documenting Source Material
  • 6f- Concluding in a Meaningful Way
  • 6g- Reviewing and Revising Your Essay
  • Supplemental Modules
  • How to Use this Textbook
  • Teaching with EC
  • How to Become a Contributing Author

Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Ethnography

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Essays on Ethnography

Ethnographic essay topics and outline examples, essay title 1: unveiling cultural realities: an ethnographic study of [specific culture].

Thesis Statement: This ethnographic research paper provides an in-depth exploration of [specific culture], aiming to reveal the cultural practices, beliefs, social structures, and everyday life experiences of its members, while also shedding light on the impact of globalization and modernization.

  • Introduction
  • Research Context: Overview of [specific culture] and Its Significance
  • Research Methods: Participant Observation, Interviews, and Data Collection
  • Cultural Practices and Traditions: Rituals, Customs, and Social Norms
  • Community and Social Structure: Family, Hierarchy, and Social Roles
  • Impact of Globalization: Changes, Challenges, and Adaptations
  • Conclusion: Insights Gained and the Cultural Richness of [specific culture]

Essay Title 2: Urban Ethnography: Exploring the Dynamics of [Specific Urban Community]

Thesis Statement: This ethnographic study focuses on [specific urban community], examining the urban environment, social interactions, community networks, and the challenges and opportunities that residents encounter in their daily lives.

  • Research Context: Introduction to [specific urban community] and Its Demographics
  • Research Methods: Immersive Fieldwork, Surveys, and Ethnographic Data
  • Urban Landscape: Architecture, Public Spaces, and Neighborhood Characteristics
  • Community Bonds: Social Cohesion, Networks, and Support Systems
  • Challenges of Urban Life: Poverty, Gentrification, and Access to Resources
  • Aspirations and Resilience: Stories of Residents and Their Urban Experience
  • Conclusion: Understanding [specific urban community] and the Complex Urban Fabric

Essay Title 3: Ethnography of [Specific Subculture]: Navigating Identities, Belonging, and Expression

Thesis Statement: This ethnographic research paper explores the world of [specific subculture], shedding light on the subcultural identity, values, rituals, and modes of expression, while also examining the subculture's relationship with mainstream culture and the challenges it faces.

  • Subcultural Context: Introduction to [specific subculture] and Its Significance
  • Research Methods: Immersion, Interviews, and Documenting Subcultural Practices
  • Subcultural Identity: Shared Beliefs, Symbols, and Modes of Expression
  • Subculture vs. Mainstream Culture: Tensions, Resistance, and Integration
  • Subcultural Challenges: Stereotypes, Stigmatization, and Legal Issues
  • Subcultural Resilience: Community Building, Artistic Expression, and Social Change
  • Conclusion: Embracing the Diversity of [specific subculture] and Its Impact on Society

Ethnographic Report About The Sikh Diaspora

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Micro-ethnography Report: Observation of The Pool Area

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Ethnography in Relation to Marxist Geography

The analysis of ethnographic methods, the role of ethnography in jenkins work, autoethnography: a personal and cultural exploration.

Ethnography (from Greek ἔθνος ethnos "folk, people, nation" and γράφω grapho "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures.

Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnographers mainly use qualitative methods, though they may also employ quantitative data. The typical ethnography is a holistic study and so includes a brief history, and an analysis of the terrain, the climate, and the habitat.

Gerhard Friedrich Müller developed the concept of ethnography as a separate discipline whilst participating in the Second Kamchatka Expedition (1733–43) as a professor of history and geography. Whilst involved in the expedition, he differentiated Völker-Beschreibung as a distinct area of study. This became known as "ethnography," following the introduction of the Greek neologism ethnographia by Johann Friedrich Schöpperlin.

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How to Write an Ethnography Essay or Research Paper

How to Write an Ethnography Essay or Research Paper

How to Write an Ethnography Essay

How to Write an Ethnography Essay

Ethnographic writing is very common in colleges and universities. It involves ethnographic essays, research papers, and assignments. These papers are written at different levels in colleges and universities.

Therefore, as a student you have to be well versed on how these papers are written for you to score good grades.

ethnographic essay outline

If you have been looking for a guide on how to handle ethnographic essays look no further because this article provides you with all information you need to know about ethnographic writing and different topics that you can use to practice.

What is an Ethnography Essay or Paper?

An ethnographic essay is a piece of writing that focuses on a subculture, culture, or group. The emphasis and focus is usually on observation, field notes, and observations.

ethnography writing

The understanding that any ethnographic paper seeks is the way people think and live their everyday life. Therefore, spending time with people is necessary for the writer to determine how people live and what they are interested in.

An ethnographic essay should have an introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion.

How to Write an Ethnography Essay?

The following are important tips that one should consider when writing an ethnographic essay :

1. Research on Existing Studies on the Topic

primary research

By researching on the existing knowledge, you will be able to know areas of the topic that have already been explored and identify areas that need additional new knowledge.

Also, you are able to identify questions about the topic that have been left unanswered and the gaps that still exists. Additionally, you will be able to write your work confidently without the danger of duplicating the work of other people.

2. Research on the Topic or Focus Group

The purpose of researching on the topic or focus group is to test your hypothesis. For example, you can answer some research questions, try various methods of collecting data and record observations in real time. You can also learn about the ethics of the focus group.

This helps refine the topic and familiarize with the context of what you will write about. Also, you may get insight on any obstacle that you may have overlooked.

3. Use both Primary and Secondary Data when Conducting Research

When researching you should collect data through observation in real time, interviews, and focus groups. These are first hand sources of information that are authentic.

Also, you should use published studies and articles which present you with the ideas of how others have conducted ethnographic research.

4. Develop a Thesis Statement

writing thesis statement

While conducting your research, formulate a thesis statement which will be the main argument of the paper. It should describe what you are exploring in your research.

It is the main idea of your paper and not necessarily the questions that the topic poses.

It should be straight to the point and brief with no jargon to help the reader understand what your ethnography paper is all about

5. Use Retrospective or Prospective Study Design

Retrospective design involves the study of the past while prospective design involves data collection about an event that is ongoing.

The design you use depends on whether you want to pick up memories from people about an event of the past or if you want to find out something that is actually transpiring.

6. Take Notes during the Ethnographic Study

Taking notes will help clarify the observations made, provide audit trail for your research and look for patterns in data. Participants’ notes helps record observation in the real time that they happened and prevents the efforts of try to remember what was observed later.

Also through notes preconceived notions are avoided and relevant thoughts for your analysis captured.

7. Write the Introduction

introduction in research

The introduction of an ethnographic essay should provide the background information about the issue being written about.

A good ethnographic introduction should include a thesis statement that presents an argument and a proper investigation on why the topic is important to investigate.

Here you set the tone for the entire paper. Therefore, the introduction should be catchy to motivate the reader to continue reading.

8. Write the Background Information

This is where the information that gives the reader the context of what your ethnography paper is all about is written. The information included here should be relevant to your hypothesis or argument.

Geographical place where the research took place should also be included. Also, the literature review which consists of what has been written previously about the topic should be included.

Additionally, provide an explanation of how your research contributes to the understanding of the topic.

9. Write the Methodology

This is where you include how you as the ethnographer collected information and data. You can also include the limitations as well as the biases in the data process.

Data collection entails how you observed the data, the exact data you observed and how you recorded it.

10. Write the Findings

presenting research findings

These include the actual representation of your research which is data, quotes, keywords and illustrations. To do this you can choose a method of presentation which can be charts, tables, diagrams, and photographs.

Everything that is included in this part should be clear and concise for the reader to get the relevant facts of your research.

Everything that does not relate to your arguments directly should not be included in this part because it is unnecessary.

To keep it as simple as possible think of it as a presentation for non-specialists in your field of specialization.

11. Conclude your Ethnography

This is where you provide the summary for your paper. For any conclusion of an ethnography to be good it must include the argument that is presented on the thesis statement.

Also, it should provide the context of how your research fits into the larger researches already conducted about the topic. The language used to write it should be understandable by non-specialists. It should be clear and direct with no jargon.

Ethnography Essay Example Topics

  • Access the different career paths among children from rich families and poor families.
  • Outline the link that is seen as obvious between drug trafficking and violence experienced in South American Countries
  • In details, discuss the effectiveness of parenting practices used by African American parents to socialize their children
  • Analyse the perception of success and failure in low and middle class families compare to high social class families.
  • What policies can departments dealing with the welfare of children put in place to ensure that the rate of juvenile delinquency in America has achieved a significant drop. 
  • How religions especially Hinduism and Islam have influenced the perception of gender socialization
  • The effects of continued terrorism acts on migration and what that means for the tourism sector of affected countries
  • The plight of the homeless people in America and the rise of insecurity in urban centres
  • The discrimination of the minority races in America and its effects in the rise of incarceration rates in involved communities
  • The acceptance and opposition of euthanasia in Brazil and the effects it has on the population over time
  • How the increased adaptation of modern lifestyles of the western culture in Africa have impacted the traditional ways of African communities
  • The process of immigrants adapting to life in America and how it leads to the struggle to fit in
  • The toil for the American dream and its influence on criminality among the majority of African Americans
  • The rise of globalization and its impact on the economy of majority of African countries
  • The increased rate of drug abuse in Tertiary institutions and its effects on the quality of graduates

ethnographic essay outline

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Ethnography

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Ethnography

1 Introduction to Ethnography

  • Published: May 2018
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This introductory chapter introduces ethnography as a distinct research and writing tradition. The author begins by historically contextualizing ethnography’s professionalization within the fields of anthropology and sociology. While highlighting the formidable influences of, for example, Bronislaw Malinowski and the Chicago school, the author complicates existing understandings by bringing significant, but less-recognized, influences and contributions to light. The chapter next outlines three principal research methods that most ethnographers utilize—namely, participant-observation, fieldnote writing, and ethnographic interviewing. The discussion then shifts from method to methodology to explain the primary qualities that separate ethnography from other forms of participant-observation-oriented research. This includes introducing a research disposition called ethnographic comportment , which serves as a standard for gauging ethnography throughout the remainder of the book. The author presents ethnographic comportment as reflecting both ethnographers’ awarenesses of and their accountabilities to the research tradition in which they participate.

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Ethnographic Research – Complete Guide with Examples

Published by Carmen Troy at August 14th, 2021 , Revised On August 29, 2023

What is Ethnographic Research?

Ethnography is a  type of research where a researcher observes people in their natural environment.

Ethnographers spend time studying people and their day-to-day lives and cultural activities carefully. It takes a long-term commitment and exciting methods of data collection .

It has two unique features

  • The researcher carries out ethnographic research in a natural environment.
  • A researcher acts as a participant and researcher at the same time.

History of Ethnographic Research

During the period of colonialism, anthropology emerged as a formal and notable discipline. Anthropologists started to study traditional people and their cultures. There are many types of ethnographic studies used for various purposes.

Uses of Ethnographic Research    

Ethnographic research has the following uses;

  • Documentation of endangered cultures
  • Studying distant or new cultures.
  • Studying and observing people’s behaviour in a specific society or community over a more extended period with changing circumstances.

Example: Malinowski’s six years of research on the people of Trobriand islands in Melanesia.

Today ethnographic research is also used in social sciences.

Examples:                                                                                                                                  Investigations done by detectives, police officers to solve any criminal mystery.        Investigations are carried out to learn the history and details of culture, community, religion, or games. The research was performed to understand the social interactions of the people.                Research to understand the roles of families and organisations.

Advantages of Conducting Ethnographic Research

There are various  methods of research  based on the requirements and aim of the investigation. Here is the list of the key features of  ethnographic research

  • You can conduct ethnographic research alone.
  • It allows you to observe the changes in people’s behaviour and culture over time and record it.
  • You can conduct it in any place.
  • It allows you to be a part of the community as a participant and take a close look at their lifestyle.
  • You can gather a piece of detailed information with abundant experience, which helps you in further research.
  • It provides the opportunity and pleasure of adventure as well as research.
  • You don’t need to spend anything on the setup and equipment.
  • You can learn to use any language of your choice during the research.
  • You can find out about historical  changes and events.
  • You can use and enhance your skills and knowledge.
  • You are solely responsible for experimenting.
  • You get the opportunity to get to know the underlying realities and opinions of the people.
  • You get the chance to focus on the verbal and non-verbal behavior of the people.

Disadvantages of Ethnographic Research

  • It requires a lot of time.
  • It is challenging to conclude the results.
  • The researcher needs to work alone.
  • It requires patience, skills to interact with people, and staying within the community as a community member.
  • Personal safety and privacy would be at risk.

Does your Research Methodology Have the Following?

  • Great Research/Sources
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If not, we can help. Our panel of experts makes sure to keep the 3 pillars of Research Methodology strong.

Does your Research Methodology Have the Following

What to do Before Starting your Ethnographic Research?

You need to identify your  research question(s)  and decide the mode of data collection. It’s better to choose a small group of people and aim to complete your studies within a short period. 

It would help if you asked a few questions to yourself.

  • Who will be your target participants?
  • Do you have enough time to conduct the research?
  • What’s the purpose of your study?
  • What kinds of resources do you have?
  • Do you have enough funds to conduct your research?
  • Do you have access to the community you want to study?

Types of Ethnographic Research

Realistic ethnographic research.

It is unbiased documentation written in the third person. You can use the collected notes for interpretations. 

A  case study is a documented history and detailed analysis of a situation concerning organisations, industries, and markets. It aims at discovering new facts of the condition under observation. 

It includes data collection from multiple sources over time.

Critical Ethnographic Research

It focuses on the marginalised community to study inequality and dominance.

How to Conduct Ethnographic Research?

Step 1: problem formulation.

Before conducting any research, the essential step is selecting the problem  you want to carry out your study.

Step 2: Select a Research Setting

After Selecting a research problem, you need to select the location of your research. It will help if you prefer a familiar place and community in which you can fit comfortably.

Step 3: Get Access to the Community

You need to get access to the community you want to study. How do you reach the community you want to study? 

You need to get official permission to conduct your research on a specific group of people. You can also join the community as a volunteer instead of a researcher.

There are two types of access, such as:

Open access: You don’t need to seek permission to conduct your research and  collect data in this type of access. You can observe the population. You need to get accepted by the group to proceed with your research.

Example: Public in market places, parties, concerts, etc., are regarded as open-access groups.

Closed-access:  In this type of access, you need to get permission from the gatekeeper of the community you want to study. 

Example:  Schools, colleges, corporations, etc.

Step 4: Represent yourself to the Group

It would help if you asked yourself a few questions before introducing yourself to the group members.

  • How will you introduce yourself to the community you want to study?
  • What would be your role in the group?
  • How actively do you want to participate in the group’s day-to-day activities?
  • Will the group accept you as a researcher and allow you to conduct your research?

You can either inform the participants about the experiment, and it’s called the overt approach. You can hide the research and oversee people’s behaviour. It’s called a covert approach.

You can also act as a participant of the community performing the activities like the group, called active observation. It allows the community to feel more comfortable with the researcher.

Similarly, you can keep yourself away from the group without performing any activities like them and observe them as a researcher. It is called passive observation.

It would help if you tried various approaches until you find a suitable method to proceed with your research.

Step 5: Collecting and Recording the Information

You can collect the data by the following methods;

Observation: You can participate in the group activities or observe the group’s behavior, either informing them about the experiment or keeping them unaware of the investigation.

Interviewing:  You can carry out direct conversations with all group members or obtain information from a specific member of the group. It’s better not to rely on the informants as they may interpret the data according to their perception rather than delivering in its actual context. 

Archival Research:  You can also use existing information stored in the previous researchers’ records to proceed with your research.

It becomes difficult to gather and record the information at the same time. 

What should you do in this situation?

You can maintain a notepad to record your observation immediately or sometimes wait until you leave the setting to record your observation. It’s better to note down your observations as soon as possible before you forget them and struggle to recall them. You can write down your field notes or record the people’s audios or videos while talking to them.

Your notes should include the following features:

Running/Field Notes:  these are the observations that you note down daily. The idea is to record your observation immediately after observing it. It would help if you observed the individual activities of the group members and perspectives.

How to describe Ethnographic Research?

Ethnographic research involves immersing in a community or culture to understand its nuances. Researchers observe, participate, and interview to grasp social practices, beliefs, and behaviors. It provides rich insights into how people experience and interpret their world.

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Sampling methods are used to to draw valid conclusions about a large community, organization or group of people, but they are based on evidence and reasoning.

This post provides the key disadvantages of secondary research so you know the limitations of secondary research before making a decision.

In correlational research, a researcher measures the relationship between two or more variables or sets of scores without having control over the variables.

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English (EN) - Composition: Ethnographic Essay

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What is an Ethnographic Essay?

Some English instructors will assign an Ethnographic Essay for your English class. What is an Ethnographic Essay?

  • It's an essay that focuses on a group, culture or subculture
  • It emphasizes close observation, interview, and field notes
  • Additional research may be found through library resources
  • Other guidelines will be explained to you by your instructor
  • Ethnographic Essay Suggestions

Reference Books on Cultures & Subcultures

  • American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History by Gina Misiroglu Call Number: Reference 306.1 Am35 2009 (three volumes) Click the PDF document to see an index to this 3-volume reference set in GRCC's Reference collection. Off-campus users may request full-text articles through RaiderLoan.
  • Discovering the Peoples of Michigan (series) over 50 titles - a few are in ebook format
  • Guides to Subcultures and Countercultures (series) 7 titles, one in ebook format

Ethnographic Essay Databases

Be sure to take a look at the [Subject Guide] that deals with your topic more specifically.  For instance, if you're interested in writing about doctors, nurses, or other health professions, consider a Database from the [Health] , [Nursing] , or other health-related Subject Guides.

  • Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Reference E-Books
  • Grand Rapids Press This link opens in a new window Online access to the Grand Rapids press from 2000-current. See also MLIVE: http://www.mlive.com/
  • Points of View Reference Center This link opens in a new window This is a great database to help you understand the pro's and con's of different debatable topics. It's also a handy place to see a list of really interesting topics if you need paper topic ideas and don't know where to start.
  • Research Library This link opens in a new window ProQuest Research Library provides access to a wide range of popular academic subjects from business and political science to literature and psychology. The database includes more than 4,070 titles, nearly 2,800 in full text, from 1971 forward. It includes a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers.
  • SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new window Mostly full-text. Comprehensive sociology research database covering the broad spectrum of sociological study, including Communication studies. The database utilizes subject headings from a built-in sociological thesaurus for better search results.

Ethnographic Essay Topics/Sample Papers

For more ideas on ethnographic essay topics, review your textbook or visit the links below.

  • List of Subcultures from Wikipedia
  • List of Subcultures from Your-Dictionary.com
  • List of Hobbies from Discover a Hobby web page
  • Pew Research Center: Reports on politics, religion, and technology trends.
  • Google Trends: Highlights trends from Google search term
  • Sample Papers from BHM Schools
  • Last Updated: Feb 5, 2024 11:12 AM
  • URL: https://subjectguides.grcc.edu/englishcomposition

88 Ethnographic Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best ethnographic topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 interesting topics to write about ethnographic, 👍 good essay topics on ethnographic, ❓ ethnographic research questions.

Ethnographic essays are an excellent way to show your understanding of the science and the relationships that form a particular development or situation. You have to display your knowledge of anthropology and how it influences a particular population group based on a variety of circumstances.

There are many factors that can affect a group of people, including their geographic location, climate, relationships with other groups, numbers, and more. As such, compiling them to form a logical conclusion can be an overwhelming task.

The complex relationships between different variables may appear relevant when they are not and vice versa. However, there are several tips that will let you write an outstanding essay.

You should try to determine the root causes behind the formation of a particular culture or phenomenon and work outwards from them. For example, overpopulation does not generally occur without a definite reason, as human populations tend to regulate themselves.

Once you identify that it is present, search for causes such as immigration, poverty, or a sudden removal of a threat. After you identify the reason, you can mention it in your essay before overpopulation and use the two to develop a logical argument.

In doing so, you will establish a link and introduce a structure to your essay. The relationships may even provide you with ethnographic essay ideas that you may explore in detail.

Here are some tips for your writing process:

  • Write a clear and concise thesis that will describe the topic of your essay and include it at the end of the introduction. It will help the reader understand what you are discussing early on and evaluate your arguments.
  • Try to focus on one specific option among different ethnographic essay topics and have every point you make support it. The goal of the essay is defend ideas, and deviations into unrelated matters serve as distractions. The reader will not appreciate a deviation from the subject matter into unknown territory.
  • Separate the body of your essay into sections with concise and descriptive titles. A structure that divides the paper by topics makes navigation easier in case the reader wants to revisit your essay later.
  • Remember that you are writing about ethnography, the study of cultures. While it may be tempting to concentrate on the circumstances of a specific group, your goal is to explain its practices and traditions. As such, you have to provide concrete examples of how a behavior emerged to suit the population’s needs.
  • Make sure to cite relevant scholarly research whenever you want to make a statement of fact. Today’s science is founded on the achievements of past researchers, and their findings should not be taken as universal truths.

These considerations will help you improve your essay while you write it, reducing the workload and letting you achieve better results. The paper you will produce by following the tips will be easy to read and comprehend and show your understanding of the topic.

It will also demonstrate that you have studied the relevant sources and obtained accurate data for the formation of your conclusions.

However, you may struggle to write an essay from nothing using just these suggestions, as they require that you have some notion of the ideas you will discuss. For inspiration, visit IvyPanda to find ethnographic essay examples and other useful paper samples!

  • Twin Oaks Intentional Community Ethnographic Analysis It was through field work that the community was noted as one of the intentional communities. One of the main lessons learnt was their effort to bring gender equality in the community.
  • Ethnographic reflection Mixing the scientific and humanistic approaches and implementing the anthropological framework and the concept of the bio-cultural triad for covering various sides of life of Beaver community, Brody uses dialogic procedures for depicting and explaining […]
  • Ethnographic Field Notes from Starbucks The two large supermarkets, the large pharmacy, the three playgrounds, the community garden, the eclectic shopping and night life of South Street itself, the mural art of Isaiah Zagar, and other attractions, all pull a […]
  • Ethnographic Research: Coming of Age in Samoa Considering Margaret Mead’s ethnography, Coming of Age in Samoa, it is possible to say that dwelling upon that society she paid much attention to religion, education, upbringing and relation to each other within a family, […]
  • The Significance of Ethnographic Observation Thus, Arthur concentrates on the role of women in the use of lithics and the role of females in the development of Prehistoric communities, whereas Sillitoe and Hardy study the use of stone tools and […]
  • Cheyenne Indians History and Culture Furthermore, it was to emphasize the unique powers and the superiority of the chief priests and the prophets in the community.
  • Ethnographic Research Methods Participant observation can be defined as a qualitative method in ethnology research that is used by researchers in the areas of cultural anthropology in which the researcher in given the opportunity to get a close […]
  • Ethnographic State in India He stated that their ignorance of the customs and beliefs of the Indian people had a hit against the British and that this had resulted to a distant loss of administrative power to British government.
  • Kmart Department Stores: Ethnographic Study During the meeting, much attention was paid to the particular features of communication between the meeting participants in order to understand the aspects of the environment, characteristics of individuals, their interactions, and the presented culture.
  • Navajo Ethnographic and Ethnological Studies The story is preserved in myths and is recounted in the ceremony known as ‘blessing way’ which is the foundation of the Navajo way of life.
  • Mayan Ethnographic Interpretation: Traditions and Rituals According to The Mayan culture, the human body was viewed as a combination of the body and the souls. This means that the blood could communicate to the inner and the outer environment of the […]
  • Mesoamerican Ethnographic Interpretation The civilization of these people faced strong influences from the people in the non-Maya cultures which include the Olmecs of Mexico and the Izapa cultures of people who lived in the Pacific coast.
  • The Kurds Culture: An Ethnographic Study The most popular of the two dialects is the Kurmanji, it is the language of communication for most of the Kurds today.
  • Mayan Culture in Ethnographic Interpretation The Mayan elders were charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the traditions of the people and overseeing all the cultural practices.
  • Hong Kong Street Food in Ethnographic Studies Bronislaw Malinowski is often cited as one of the first practitioners of this method during his research of the people of Papua New Guinea.
  • Tourism Management as an Ethnographic Theme Thus, as it is stated in some of the interview, tourists generally expect the attitude of obeisance towards them, and the workers of the tourism sphere feel themselves as the obedient servants.
  • Ethnographic Interview of the Costa Rican People The analysis of the social environment is the important aspect of realizing the cultural background and the social problems of the clients.
  • Ethnographic Prospects in Teaching and Learning Such a controversial view on the approaches taken in the research complies with the changeability of the social life at the moment.
  • Clement Restaurant: Ethnographic Description The ethnographic analysis will be added with a demographic review of the region in order to identify whether the business success is stipulated by the ethnographic background of the restaurants, or the population that is […]
  • Ethnographic Design: Characteristics According to Abalos, “ethnography is the in depth study of naturally occurring behavior within a culture or a social group; it seeks to understand the relationship between culture and behavior, with culture referring to beliefs, […]
  • Ethnographic Design: Types The investigator is required to define the characteristics of the society under study. Abalos, argues that “critical ethnographic studies are a type of ethnographic research in which the author is interested in advocating for the […]
  • Ethnographic and Phenomenological Approaches to Research Ethnographic research is an approach to data collection and analysis that aims at evaluating and categorizing human experiences through the lens of the participants’ cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
  • A Critical Review of Ethnographic Analysis The difference between these two techniques is transparent: in the case of open observation, the group of respondents knows that the researcher is conducting an analysis and is aware of its goals, whereas covert observation […]
  • Understanding the Science of Ethnographic Through Oneirology
  • An Overview of the Dream State and the Concept of Human Ethnographic
  • Understanding the Unconcious Ethnographic
  • The Beauty Of Ethnographic: How Dreams Drive The Individual
  • The Skeptical Ethnographic Argument of Rene Descartes, and the Priori and the Posteriori
  • Ethnographic And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • An Overview of the Controversy of Ethnographic, a Cognitive Activity During Sleep
  • Animal Ethnographic And Substantiation A Connection To Humanity
  • The Psychological Theories Of The Function Of Ethnographic
  • The Ethnographic and Traditional Aboriginal Spirituality
  • Sleeping and Ethnographic and Theories of Sleep
  • Ethnographic Is Known As The Journey Your Mind
  • The Centrality of the Ethnographic and Its Importance for Aboriginal Spirituality
  • The Benefits Of Lucid Ethnographic
  • Procrastination and Day Ethnographic
  • Comparing and Contrasting Psychological Theories of Ethnographic
  • Ethnographic as Significant Process in Human Life Experience
  • The Use of Illusion Argument, Ethnographic Argument, and Evil Genius Argument by Descartes
  • Varieties of Lucid Ethnographic Experience, by Stephen Laberge
  • Day Ethnographic in the Middle of the Summer Heat
  • Ethnographic Various Amount Of People Experiences Different Effects
  • Dreams, Ethnographic and Phases of Sleep
  • Freud’s Theory of Ethnographic and Repression
  • Synchroncities in the History of Paranormal Ethnographic
  • Dreams and Ethnographic Nightmares in Children
  • Gender And Ethnographic In Mapuche Shamanistic Practices
  • Phenomenology of Ethnographic
  • Descartes’ Meditations: Ethnographic and Evil Demon Arguments
  • How Is the Power of Dreams and Ethnographic in the Novel of Mice and Men
  • Difference Between Astral Projection And Lucid Ethnographic
  • The Significance of Land to the Ethnographic for Aboriginal People and the Impact of the Land Rights Movement
  • The Importance of Ethnographic and Sleeping
  • Ethnographic Can Bring Misery in the Great Gatsby By F. Scott
  • Exploring Causes of Sleep Difficulty and Ethnographic Problems
  • The Importance of Ethnographic and the Sub-Conscious
  • What Are the Problems and Constraints of Making Films on Ethnographic?
  • What Importance May the Sex of the Anthropologist Have on the Ethnographic Process?
  • What Does Ethnography Mean?
  • What Is an Ethnographic Example?
  • What Is Considered Ethnographic?
  • What Is Ethnography Used For?
  • What Is the Difference Between Ethnography and Anthropology?
  • Why Is Ethnography Critical in Research?
  • What Is Ethnography in Sociology?
  • What Is Ethnography in Social Research?
  • What Kind of Research Is Ethnography?
  • What Is a Synonym for Ethnography?
  • Is Ethnography a Research Design?
  • How Do You Use Ethnography in a Sentence?
  • When Did Ethnology Appear?
  • How Does Ethnography Work in Real Life?
  • What Are the Critical Characteristics of Ethnography?
  • What Is the Difference Between Phenomenology and Ethnography?
  • Who Was the First Ethnographer?
  • Who Is the Father of Ethnography?
  • How Do Ethnologists Study Culture?
  • What Is the Difference Between Archaeology and Ethnography?
  • What Is the Ethnological Argument?
  • Is Ethnography a Theory?
  • What Is the Weakness of Ethnography?
  • What Is the Difference Between Ethnography and Qualitative Research?
  • What Are the Problems With Traditional Ethnographic Film-Making?
  • What Is Relationship Between Students and Teachers in Ethnographic?
  • What Are the Pros and Cons of Ethnographic Reflexivity?
  • What Are the Defining Activities and Principles of Ethnographic Research?
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Ethnographic Essay: how to write an ethnography paper/report + Examples (2024)

Ethnographic writing may include writing ethnography assignments, ethnographic essays, or ethnographic research papers. In this article we will guide you how to write an ethnography paper – all types for college and graduate level students. We will also discuss how to conduct an ethnographic research study.

Ethnographic research is one of the most important branches of anthropology . It is a type of research that focuses on understanding how society functions by studying its members within their natural environment. Most often it is carried out in natural settings rather than laboratories for obvious reasons: researchers are able to observe human behaviors more closely when they are not artificially confined to a certain space or time.

Let first define ethnography and related terms.

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What is ethnography?

Ethnography is a research method that can be used to explore people’s experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the world around them. Ethnographers look closely at their subjects’ behaviors and interactions with one another. They might observe how people communicate or examine how they work together, share tasks, resolve conflicts, etc. The ethnographer also listens carefully to the people they are studying so that they can describe their perception of what is happening. They might ask questions, take notes, and/or use recording devices to document specific incidents or longer interactions.

Ethnographers work with either a participant observer focus (participants are active participants in the research) or an outsider perspective (researchers are simply observers of the group). In either case, ethnographers try to build a solid rapport with those they are studying. It is important that participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings with the researcher.

Ethnography as a method has been around for many years. Anthropologists have used ethnography to study people’s beliefs and customs in far-flung places. Marketers, political scientists, leaders in education and healthcare, journalists, sociologists, and many others have used ethnography to study human behavior – both their own behaviors as well as those of people they are interested in learning more about (e.g., the customers who use their product or service, children who attend school, patients, etc.).

The purposes of ethnography.

There are many potential reasons for conducting an ethnographic study including:

  • To explain how events and/or people may be connected to certain outcomes
  • To understand the dynamics within a group or culture
  • To promote understanding about one’s own cultural practices or those of others from different cultures
  • To assess the impact that a program or policy might have on a particular community (e.g., could it negatively impact self-esteem?).

Ethnography can help us better understand why we think and behave the way we do. It also helps us become more culturally aware so we can work together more effectively. Ethnography has proven to be particularly when studying groups such as children, people from diverse cultures, and those impacted by a program or policy.

Writing Ethnography: Tips for an Effective Ethnography Paper

When preparing to write your ethnographic research paper, consider the following tips: See Also Your Name Without Space Between Letters And Words : How To Add Spaces In Instagram Captions And Bios Shane Barker - Or, you can change the vertical space between paragraphs in your document by setting the spacing before or spacing after paragraphs. How to prevent users from changing profile photos in Microsoft 365 Free Construction Progress Report Template [XLS] South Korea Customs Regulations & Import Restrictions (Items restricted)

  • Conduct research of existing studies on the topic you plan to explore. This will allow you understand what has already been done in this area of inquiry and identify any new knowledge that needs to be added., As well, knowing what others have contributed can help you avoid duplication of efforts and lift some of the “fear” about conducting this type of study which is often accompanied by information overload. It also gives you an idea about the field – what questions are still unanswered and what gaps exist.
  • Conduct your own pilot study or focus group to test out your hypotheses, answer some of your research questions (e.g., about the kinds of questions you want to ask), and/or try out a few methods for collecting data (e.g., asking open-ended questions, recording observations in real time, etc.). You may also learn more about ethics as well as discover whether those you are studying might feel exploited by the researcher (and how such issues might be addressed). The pilot study can help you refine your topic and become familiar with its context as well as give you insight into any potential obstacles that may have been overlooked.
  • Write a detailed research proposal so others will know exactly what you plan to do and how you plan to go about it. Doing so will help you get the green light for your study, ensure that you have sufficient resources to conduct your research, and may give you an opportunity to secure funding or other material assistance (e.g., access to equipment or software, recruited participants).
  • Use both primary and secondary data when conducting your ethnographic research. Primary data are those collected by the researcher through observations in real time, interviews, focus groups , etc. These types of data are considered “first-hand” information because they were collected firsthand by the researcher rather than gathered from a third party (which is referred to as secondary data ). Secondary sources might include published studies/articles which can give us an idea of how others have conducted their ethnographic research.
  • Conduct your study using either a retrospective or prospective design . A retrospective design is one in which the researcher looks back on the past (e.g., what influenced you to buy that particular brand of cereal) whereas a prospective design is where the researcher collects data about an ongoing event (e.g., what influences children’s food choices at school). The choice between these two will depend upon whether you are looking for people’s memories of how things transpired (retrospective) or want to find out how something is actually happening (prospective).
  • Consider adopting multiple sites and perspectives throughout your paper by using embedded case studies and/or vettes (i.e., short, focused ethnographic accounts). Doing so will allow you to develop a more contextualized understanding of your research topic. It can also help you answer questions about how different aspects of the phenomenon being studied are shaped by context.
  • Take participant notes during each phase of your ethnographic study, which will assist in clarifying observations, looking for patterns in data , and providing an audit trail for your research. Participant notes are particularly helpful when writing fieldnotes because they provide a kind of “diary” that is reflective in nature – allowing you to record what was observed at the time it occurred (i.e., in real time) rather than trying to remember after the fact . This way, what initially appears random may later be interpreted as emerging patterns when systematically reviewed by the researcher. Participant notes also help you to avoid preconceived notions (which can become evident when re-reading fieldnotes) and capture relevant thoughts, feelings , etc., which may be important for your analysis .
  • Conducting participant observation is one of the most common research methods used in ethnographic studies. Participant observers are expected to remain unbiased, invisible , and silent during data collection rather than disrupting their surroundings or relationship with participants through either overt attention or self-disclosure. There are several ways that the researcher can ensure that he/she is remaining neutral : taking copious but impersonal notes ; never initiating interaction with others; making sure not to give off any clues about his/her personal or professional life; and observing from a distance. In addition, there are some practical things to keep in mind when conducting participant observation: you will need to establish rapport with participants so that they feel comfortable opening up to you; you shouldn’t disappear right before your study begins or immediately after it ends because people might wonder where you went and/or be offended about the sudden departure; and if in doubt , do not hesitate to contact your advisor .
  • When writing an ethnography paper, include a section that summarizes the approach taken in order for readers to get a sense of how your research question was investigated (i.e., the journey ). This section is typically titled “From X To Y” where X refers to what exists at the beginning of your study, and Y refers to what exists at the end. For example, “From Hard Power To Soft Power” or “From Public To Private.”
  • You should begin writing an ethnography paper by first identifying one or more research questions . Your choice of research question(s) should be driven by your interests as well as any hypotheses you have regarding the phenomenon being studied. For instance, if you are interested in understanding how people negotiate via technology (e.g., text messaging), then you may initially want to examine how gender differences play out during online chat sessions. However, if this initial topic doesn’t provide you with enough information about negotiation practices (e.g., because participants don’t mention gender-related issues or because you are more interested in how people communicate online vs. the negotiation process itself), then you will need to revise your research question(s) accordingly (e.g., “How do people negotiate via text messaging?”).
  • When writing an ethnography paper, it is best if you include concrete details throughout your analysis . You can do this by either directly quoting or paraphrasing participants’ words, including full sentences from fieldnotes/transcripts , and/or giving specific examples that illustrate a particular aspect of the phenomenon being studied. This will help readers get a sense of what your everyday reality was like during data collection, which may be particularly important for them to understand considering that they were not present while you did the work.
  • It is important for ethnography papers to make a connection between the participants and larger issues . In order to do this effectively, you will need to think about how your specific research site connects with other sites/contexts. For instance, let’s say that you conducted an ethnography on parenting practices in New York City. If you find that a lot of parents enroll their kids into sports activities then you could explore how this practice may reflect broader changes that have taken place with regards to work and family life during the past few decades.

Main Parts of an Ethnography Paper

An ethnography is a research study that tries to understand the way that people think and behave in their everyday lives. In order to do this, researchers typically spend time with a group of people in order to get a sense of how they live and what they’re interested in.

There are several parts of an ethnography paper which are:

  • Introduction – Background information, Thesis statement .
  • Literature review – review of the existing literature.
  • Methodology – Data collection methods.
  • Data analysis
  • Conclusions and suggestions.

Ethnography Introduction

The introduction provides background information on the issue being written about. This section should be written clearly and directly, with no jargon. It is the first section that the reader will encounter, so it must immediately engage them. Also, consider writing about what would interest people not working in your specific subfield.

A good ethnography introduction includes two main elements:

  • A thesis statement that presents an argument; and
  • An explanation of why this topic is important to investigate.

If you are able to state your argument as a question, then so much the better (e.g., “What do young children learn from playing video games?” or “How have digital technologies influenced how people negotiate?”).

Here’s an example of a thesis statement for an ethnography paper :

“This paper explores what happens when people with mobility-related disabilities use smart technologies when they search for accessible transportation options in their daily lives.”

Here’s another example of a thesis statement for an ethnography paper :

“My study examines how families use social media to share selfies with each other and what effect, if any, this has on parent-child relationships.”

Ethnography – Background Information

The next part of an ethnography paper is the background section. This provides the reader with information that will give them context about exactly what your research project investigates. To write this section effectively, you need to provide information that is relevant to your specific argument or hypothesis. In doing this, it helps to consider these questions: “What prior theories/research does my study build on?” and “What are the limitations of prior research/theories that I am exploring in my study?”

Also, consider providing information about the geographical location where your research took place. This is especially important if there are cultural norms or practices described in your writing that could be unfamiliar to some readers.

The literature review part of an ethnography paper provides a summary of what has been written previously about the topic you’re investigating. It also allows you to explain how your own research contributes to our understanding of this issue. To write this section effectively, consider these questions: “Who are the researchers who have written about my topic before?” and “What arguments do they make?”

Ethnography Methodology

The next two parts of an ethnography paper are the research methodology and findings. The methodology includes information on how the ethnographer gathered data, including the limitations and biases in this process. Data collection is where you describe how and what research data you collected during your ethnography (i.e., what did you actually observe and what did people say to you/write down?).

Ethnography – Research Findings

The final section of an ethnography paper is the presentation of your actual data (key words, quotes, illustrations, etc.). This can take many forms including tables, charts, photographs or diagrams. When writing this section remember to keep it as clear and concise as possible. You should not present large amounts of unnecessary data that does not relate directly to your argument. It’s helpful to consider how you might explain what you’ve found through a presentation at a conference for non-specialists in your sub-field.

An Ethnography Conclusion

A good conclusion for an ethnographic paper will do these things:

  • Conclude the argument presented in your thesis statement;
  • Give some context for how your study fits into the larger body of research on this topic;
  • Be written clearly and directly with no jargon. The language should be accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Steps to write an ethnography paper

Here are core 11 steps in conducting an ethnographic research study and writing a perfect ethnographic report for your study.

Step 1. Choose a good topic:

The first step is to pick a topic for your paper. You should choose an issue that you want to explore and that has not been covered in depth in the existing literature. Topic ideas may include: See Also What Is Spacing and Kerning and Why They Are Crucial To Typography | HipFonts

What children learn from video gaming, digital technologies and how they’ve influenced people’s relationships and negotiating styles.

How mobility-related disabilities affect people’s daily lives when trying to find transportation options.

The interaction between social media and family relationships such as what power it provides to parents and children, the benefits of parenting via social media, and its role in strengthening families.

Step 2. Develop a thesis statement

The second step is to develop a thesis statement for your paper. Your thesis statement is your argument; it should describe what you are exploring in your research (i.e., what question or problem are you trying to answer). It’s not necessary to state the actual questions at this point, but rather identify the main idea of your argument.

Step 3. Conduct literature review

Next, conduct a literature review by reading about existing theories and research around the topic that will help provide context for your argument. You can choose any articles or books that suit your specific requirements, but most often students read articles from peer-reviewed journals because they tend to be more comprehensive than other sources. References cited in these articles may also be useful for further exploration on this topic so keep track of any relevant information that you find.

Step 4. Develop research questions/hypotheses when necessary

If your paper requires hypotheses or specific questions to be answered, develop these here. You should list any hypothesis that you want to test in the experiment, and describe why the question is important and how it builds on existing literature. It’s important to note that a hypothesis should be a single claim, not several claims joined by “and” or “or”.

Step 5. Choose a qualitative method for data collection

The next step in writing an ethnography paper is choosing a method of data collection appropriate for your topic and argument. Ethnographic researchers collect data through observation – by talking to people, through photographs or videos, or from artifacts such as drawings.

Step 6. Find an appropriate research site

You should find a site for your observations, interviews or other data collection. This can be your first choice of research sites, but if it doesn’t work out you may have to choose another. It’s important to note that many ethnographic studies involve spending extensive time at the research site observing and interviewing participants; this may require moving away from home or taking time off school to conduct fieldwork (for example). Think carefully about how much time and energy this will take before choosing your study site! Your study should be carried out in a location where you can observe people participating in whatever activity is central to your research question; i.e., someone playing video games, talking on their mobile phone, or taking the bus/train to work.

Step 7. Gain approval from research site

Once you’ve chosen a site for your study, you should discuss your plans with the people in charge and get their approval (to ensure that they will cooperate). You’ll also need to get written permission from them to use quotes and other data collected during your observations; it’s important to be completely transparent about this since most people will not want you using their name in your paper without prior approval – even if you anonymize all of the details! Anonymizing participant information is especially important when working with minors who are participating in online activities.

Step 8. Plan data collection schedule & roles

Plan out dates for conducting data collection, and who will do what at each observation session. Once you have approval from the research site it’s a good idea to circulate a preliminary schedule with them so that they can give their input on your proposed dates for observations. If possible, try to collect observational data around the same time of day if this makes sense – e.g., everyday at 2pm or every Wednesday from 10am-12pm etc. It’s also important to clarify which students should be interviewed and when these interviews will take place so there is no overlap in scheduling with observation sessions.

Step 9. Conduct Data Collection

Once you’ve finalized your plan, you should start conducting data collection! You’ll need to go into the field and conduct observations, make recordings, take photographs or videos, and interview participants. You can also collect artifacts if they are important to your study (e.g., a student’s phone during an observation session).

Step 10. Analyze Data

This step in writing an ethnography paper is where you analyze the data that was collected throughout the research process. It’s not always necessary to conduct analysis in this step; some researchers only finalize their analysis after they’re sure that all of their data collection is complete (to avoid altering responses by asking follow up questions later on) – but it’s usually best to let your readers know when you’ve completed data collection and how/when you analyzed the data for your paper! Analysis should be related directly to the research question that you posed in step 1 of writing an ethnography paper.

Step 11. A write up of your findings

The final component of writing an ethnography paper is the write-up – this section should include all of your findings and discussion related to each specific research site. You should also reference any relevant articles or theories that are tied back into the context of your study (and provide full citations for these references). It’s important to think about how your research fits into existing literature on the topic; if possible, refer to previous studies that examined similar phenomena at different times or in different places (this will help validate/replicate your own work) – e.g., other studies on playing video games, chatting online, or taking public transit.

Ethnographic research examples

When conducting an ethnographic study, here are some ethnographic research examples to consider:

  • Develop a research plan that includes fieldwork, interviews and observation of the population. Collect data on the behavior, beliefs and attitudes of people in a community.
  • Create an ethnographic research design. The study may explore issues such as culture, economics or biology from the point of view of people who live within a particular area or region. For example, some researchers have attempted to define culture by taking into account lifestyle aspects such as eating, drinking and holiday rituals. Ethnographers approach cultural lifestyles with respect for tradition while focusing on changes that occur over time due to economic influences or other factors. This type of ethnographic research attempts to determine what is unique about life in various areas around the world. Other types of ethnographic study may focus on specific topics such as the study of language, kinship or politics.
  • Conduct an ethnographic study about a community in your area. For example, some communities may have problems that you can explore using this type of research approach. For example, various countries that are experiencing political change may be affected by violence, ethnic cleansing and other issues after years of oppression under ruling regimes. Area studies provide new opportunities for ethnographers who look at how people living in certain areas perceive themselves; their culture; and how they interact with members of their community. Areas studied could include urban areas, isolated rural regions or areas where indigenous people strive to maintain traditional lifestyles while dealing with outside influences on their way of life.

Ethnography is very descriptive, but can also be explanatory. It is part of social science research which helps us to understand how people live, interact and construct meaning. Through ethnography, we are able to see the perspectives of different groups of people across society. When doing an ethnography you have to be extremely watchful for bias or personal views that you have on the topic that may influence your judgement on what you are witnessing – it is important not to assume anything! If you are studying a group of people it is good practice to always give them the right to remove themselves from the situation if they wish, this should be explained at the beginning so there are no surprises later on in your research. This article aims to explain some key things about carrying out an ethnographic study. It will give you an idea of what is involved, the skills required and how to make sure your findings are accurate and credible.

Ethnography is concerned with studying people in their natural setting, over a period of time through participant observation. These observations may be written up into field notes or into journals to provide accounts of daily life that can then be used as individual pieces for contextual analysis. The focus here is on ‘bricolage’, using multiple sources so as to produce accounts which are full and rich rather than simply relying on one method alone. Ethnographers rely heavily on observation but do not discount other information gathering techniques such as interviews, questionnaires or discourse analysis where appropriate.

The practice of ethnography has frequently been considered an observational method though this may be restricted. Hence, it should not simply equate to methods of data collection or analysis, but mean observation in the widest sense, including what is collected through other means. This includes thoughts and feelings as much as social interactions between members of specific groups within a community under study. It also requires a detailed interest in processes and events so that they can be understood in their own terms rather than simply being classified according to externally imposed disciplines such as economics or politics. Ethnographers often seek out intensive long-term relationships with informants so that they can understand interpersonal aspects and how this relates to wider social structures.

Ethnographic research is most frequently conducted by anthropologists, sociologists and social scientists though it is not limited to these.

Ethnographic research allows an in-depth understanding of a particular group or community, allowing us to see things from their perspective. This is particularly useful for gaining information about specific groups that are often marginalised, such as immigrants within host countries, subcultures within urban centres or ethnic minorities living predominantly outside ‘majority’ cultures.

The approach can provide vital opportunities for the exchange of ideas by improving knowledge between individuals who have little exposure to one another’s lives or way of thinking. It also enables members of different communities to understand each other better so they don’t have preconceptions which may lead to conflict. Ethnographic research can be used in various academic disciplines including education, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and psychology. It not only contributes to our understanding of particular groups but can also be highly useful for marketing purposes as well as for medical research and healthcare services – the list is endless!

Ethnographic research requires a high level of both organisational and observational skills. As with any research project there needs to be a clear purpose and set objectives which you must explain clearly in your introductory section. This should include what you would like to find out, why it is important to know this information (or how it will benefit others) and the methods you intend to use including who or what is involved; where, when and how long; as well as ethical considerations such as whether informed consent was obtained from those involved. Ethnographic studies are particularly useful for exploring everyday life, including the topic of health and illness.

Ethnographers are often interested in how societies function, focusing on the way that people communicate with each other about their lives. As a result there is usually some account given to social structure – that is to say how groups within society relate to one another through social institutions such as family, education or work. Understanding this adds depth to what might otherwise be considered as separate domains or activities if they were studied independently. For example, daily routine can be better understood when ethnographers consider it in relation to wider issues such as transport links, travel time between work/home/shopping facilities etc., types of establishments visited (for leisure or shopping), reasons for visiting and so on.

Ethnographers typically conduct research over a significant length of time, often employing diary-keeping techniques in order to record changes and developments as they occur. It is also useful to think about ways that you can help the groups you are studying by participating in their activities rather than just observing them or asking questions – for example taking part in cultural events such as festivals, dance styles etc., sharing tasks such as childcare with indigenous women, working alongside labourers perhaps visiting your GP surgery with friends/neighbours/acquaintances who might otherwise not have access to healthcare services…

Four key points:

  • Ethnographic research involves a detailed study of social groups or communities which requires a high level of both organisational and observational skills.
  • Ethnographers are usually interested in how societies function, focusing on the way that people communicate with each other about their lives.
  • It is useful to consider social structure which can be better understood when ethnographers consider it in relation to wider issues such as transport links, travel time between work/home/shopping facilities etc., types of establishments visited (for leisure or shopping), reasons for visiting and so on.
  • Ethnographers typically conduct research over a significant length of time, often employing diary-keeping techniques in order to record changes and developments as they occur. It is also useful to think about ways that you can help the groups you are studying by participating in their activities rather than just observing them or asking questions.

Ethnographic Report Writing Help – Essay, Research Papers, Study Report

Do you need help writing an ethnographic research paper, ethnographic essay , ethnographic report, or you just need to know how to write an ethnography paper? Well, we are ready to help you write ethnography paper examples, ethnographic essay examples or any other essay on ethnography.

Ethnographic research is a type of qualitative, inductive research approach in which the researcher studies a group of people to uncover their beliefs and behaviours. Ethnography papers are a unique form of academic writing that require you to explore someone’s culture.

Writing an ethnographic research paper may seem simple enough, but actually requires special attention and knowledge about how this type of project should be carried out successfully… To write an outstanding paper on ethnography, follow these steps:

  • Find some interesting topic for your ethnographic term paper;
  • Start with general idea of what will be included into your work;
  • Write down sub-topics related to the main topic;
  • Make a list of sources you will use for your paper;
  • Compose the draft.

Though ethnography is an intensive form of participant observation, it can also be used to study non-humans. Researchers often think of animals as ‘cultural’ in some sense, because they are adept at passing on information about their species through social learning – but humans are not the only animals that pass on culture…

Anthropology Ethnography Paper Writing Help Online

Since anthropology is all about studying different cultures around the world, it would make sense to say that ethnography research papers are one of the most common forms of academic writing in the field. While there are many branches within anthropology, ethology or cultural studies , ethnography focuses on people’s culture in particular. For example, an ethnography may look at aspects of people’s life, including their diet , social behavior , religious beliefs etc…

Whether you need help writing an anthropology ethnography paper, religion ethnography paper or a simple ethnographic essay about people or animals, just hire our tutors who will assist you in obtaining top grades!

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Ethnographic Essay: how to write an ethnography paper/report + Examples (2024)

What is a good example of ethnography? ›

A classic example of ethnographic research would be an anthropologist traveling to an island, living within the society on said island for years, and researching its people and culture through a process of sustained observation and participation.

Ethnography is a type of qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community or organization to observe their behavior and interactions up close. The word “ethnography” also refers to the written report of the research that the ethnographer produces afterwards .

What is an Ethnographic Essay? It's an essay that focuses on a group, culture or subculture . It emphasizes close observation, interview, and field notes. Additional research may be found through library resources.

  • Choose a good topic: ...
  • Develop a thesis statement. ...
  • Conduct literature review. ...
  • Develop research questions/hypotheses when necessary. ...
  • Choose a qualitative method for data collection. ...
  • Find an appropriate research site. ...
  • Gain approval from research site. ...
  • Plan data collection schedule & roles.

Conclude your ethnography with a suitable conclusion page that sums up what you did and what you learned . Restate your main points so that the reader is left with the impact of your work and what it will mean in the overall study of that culture.

Ethnography can often answer questions about the social rules, the conventions and the contingencies which operate in a particular setting .

Ethnographic methods are qualitative, inductive, exploratory and longitudinal .

Writing and Presenting Ethnographic Findings - YouTube

A 10-page paper will have approximately 2500 to 2750 words, double-spaced. It can be written within few hours to a week . It all depends on the writer, including how easy the topic is. So, how long it takes you to finish each part of the structure will determine how long it takes you to write the overall paper.

To be clear, I agree that 8-12 months is an appropriate estimate for good ethnography. My point is that a researcher may face repeated pressure to shrink that timeframe. Thijs's and Tobias Köllner 's experiences demonstrate that good work is, of course, possible in a corporate setting.

How do you analyze ethnographic data? ›

  • be familiar with the ways in which the data collected through ethnographic research can be systematically searched for patterns; and.
  • know in which ways those patterns can be explained and used as the basis for further research.

Ethnography can be briefly defined as the systematic study of people and cultures . It is designed to explore cultural phenomena where the researcher observes society from the point of view of the subject of the study. It is a means to represent graphically and in writing the culture of a group.

  • Photo Elicitation. ...
  • Rephotography. ...
  • Photovoice. ...
  • Visual Narratives.

Ethnography is characterised by long-term participant observation as a central method, where the researcher spends an extended period of time in a social group in order to collect data.

This is because ethnography focuses on developing an understanding of the design problem . Therefore, it makes more sense to conduct ethnographic studies at the beginning of a project in order to support future design decisions (which will happen later in the user-centred design process).

Ethnography is a qualitative method for collecting data often used in the social and behavioral sciences. Data are collected through observations and interviews, which are then used to draw conclusions about how societies and individuals function.

Ethnographic fieldwork typically begins with participant observation which is later complemented by other data (e.g. interviews and documents). Keeping field notes is a key activity performed by the ethnographer. Everyday events are recorded along with the participants' viewpoints and interpretations.

How long does it take to write a 2,000 word essay? It takes about 6 hours and 40 minutes to write a 2,000 word essay.

Writing 5,000 words will take about 2.1 hours for the average writer typing on a keyboard and 4.2 hours for handwriting . However, if the content needs to include in-depth research, links, citations, or graphics such as for a blog article or high school essay, the length can grow to 16.7 hours.

Typed Words The most common format required for essays is double-spaced, font type Times New Roman, and font size 12pt. With that in mind, 1,000 typed words is about four pages .

How does ethnography work in real life? ›

Ethnography is a study through direct observation of users in their natural environment rather than in a lab . The objective of this type of research is to gain insights into how users interact with things in their natural environment.

Ethnographic data can be quantitative or qualitative in nature, and can include the following: Interviews conducted with a population of nurses in Finland . Audio recordings of folk songs from a local Appalachian community. Photographs of backcountry areas in National Parks in New Zealand.

Ethnography is a qualitative method for collecting data often used in the social and behavioral sciences . Data are collected through observations and interviews, which are then used to draw conclusions about how societies and individuals function.

Ethnography is a research method central to knowing the world from the standpoint of its social relations . It is a qualitative research method predicated on the diversity of culture at home (wherever that may be) and abroad.

  • Observing a group of children playing. ...
  • Observing employees in a corporate office. ...
  • Observing medical personnel in a high-volume hospital. ...
  • Observing an indigenous village. ...
  • Observing a high school classroom. ...
  • Observing motorcycle riders.

For something to be ethnography it needs to, of course, involve use of ethnographic methods, such as participant observation (as one element), and also time. I see a minimum of 6 months as being necessary for good ethnographic research and it is much better if one spends at least a year at one's field site.

Analysing data The data analysis in the ethnographic methodology is iterative and unstructured. There are three aspects of data analysis: description, analysis and interpretation . Description refers to the recounting and describing of data, inevitably treating the data as fact.

  • Narrative research.
  • Phenomenology research.
  • Grounded theory research.
  • Ethnographic research.
  • Case study research.

What is the difference between ethnography and ethnography? ›

Ethnography is the in depth study of a particular cultural group, while ethnology is the comparative study of ethnographic data, society and culture . Many of the readings for this course and your own research project have been ethnographic in nature.

Doing ethnography The hallmark method of ethnographic field research in anthropology is known as participant-observation . This type of data-gathering is when the anthropologist records their experiences and observations while taking part in activities alongside local participants or informants in the field site.

Ethnology: the comparative and analytical study of cultures ; cultural anthropology. Anthropologists aim to describe and interpret aspects of the culture of various social groups--e.g., the hunter-gatherers of the Kalahari, rice villages of the Chinese Canton Delta, or a community of physicists at Livermore Laboratory.

ethnographic essay outline

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40 Most Interesting Ethnographic Research Topics

Ethnographic Research Topics

Finding A-grade examples of ethnographic research topics may not be a walk in the park for college students.

The way of writing an effective ethnographic paper depends on the points discussed below.

So, here is a ready solution.

What is an Ethnographic Research Paper?

Ethnography is a social science method of research that counts on personal experiences within a subject group or a culture. Different instructors may recommend several writing guidelines for such a paper, but it generally follows a standard format. Such an arrangement incorporates a proper analysis and evaluation of the problem. Before we embark on learning how to write an ethnography, let us have a look at an ethnographic essay outline.

Structure of an Ethnographic Essay

The paper should follow the outline below: Introduction It is where you introduce your thesis statement, which is the main idea of the whole project. A proper ethnographic research topic would form a strong foundation for this part. The reader should be able to see an overview of what to expect in the essay. Methodology In this part, you explain how you did your research. Mention all the tools used and why you settled on them. It should be detailed and even a couple of in such a way that the reader can verify the information you used. Presentation and Analysis of Collected Data The findings should be placed on the table first. They should be in a logical manner, beginning with the essential facts. After that, analyze and precisely interpret the data. Let your readers know your criteria for interpretation before you start. Conclusion Different ethnographic research paper topics have different endings. However, the standard procedure is that you reiterate the most important points. Ensure that they are presented in an original way to make your conclusion not to look like a reversed introduction. That is the first part; however, finding quality examples of ethnographic research topics is another battle. Yet, don’t panic, we’ve got a legion of professional soldiers to cover your back on this.

We are going to explore a list of ethnography topics in clusters of ten each to prompt you for more. Get that notebook as we embark on this exciting experience. The items strive to meet your high school and college ethnography topics requirements.

Let’s get right into it, gang.

We will start with the easiest ones as we slowly advance to the technical topics. There is something for everybody!

Easy Ethnography Topics for High School

  • A study of the incisor tooth
  • The best careers that people can settle on in 2023
  • A survey of the lifestyle of a teacher
  • A study of the health benefits of taking water daily
  • A look at the importance of the sun to children
  • How greetings are in Africa
  • A study of the eating habits of dogs and cats
  • A comparison of the red meat and white meat
  • How wealthy children compare to needy children in academic performance
  • A look at how children behave at home versus in school

Interesting Ethnography Topics for College

  • An ethnographic study of the Chinese diets
  • The inner perspective of the culture of skateboarders
  • Critical issues on the social, cultural experience of the dancing
  • How nurses make sense of their caring abilities on the job
  • A study of how second-hand merchants impact the bookselling industry
  • Evaluating the satisfaction of a patient with the quality of care in a hospital
  • What myths and misconceptions surround the global connection
  • A study on the effect of uniforms in schools
  • How language impacts culture
  • A survey of qualitative sampling in data collection

Great Mini Ethnography Topics

  • How have malls changed the shopping sector?
  • Racism and its effects on campus
  • Values promoted by media productions
  • How cultural productions interpret the history
  • A study of the communities in New York
  • Teamwork and its impact on football
  • Reasons for differences in families
  • How service staff view people
  • Lives and cultures of the hotel industry
  • How immigrants express their identity
  • The view of people on gays
  • Adjustments made by women to fit in societies
  • Homeschooling and low grades
  • Hunting as a rite of passage
  • Wrestling and men
  • Concerts and teens
  • Cultural differences between different ethnic groups
  • How political clubs are changing
  • A study of street children in Africa
  • Politics and the U.S

How to write an effective ethnographic paper depends on the points discussed above. There are several ethnography paper examples online to give you more ideas on what you can write. Do not limit yourself to the topics above; create more unique ones on your own.

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How to Put Together an Ethnographic Research Paper

25 jun 2018.

How to Put Together an Ethnographic Research Paper

Ethnography is a social science research method that relies heavily on very personal experiences within a subject group or culture. Once the ethnographic research is complete; however, it is time to write up your findings. Although specific institutions may have their own guidelines, putting an ethnographic research paper together generally follows a standard format which encourages proper analysis and evaluation.

Define your guiding question. A good ethnographic research paper is guided by a central question and thesis statement. The aim is to write a concise and clear overview of the focus of your research, such as a description of the behavior or values of a particular social group. Clarify why this selected question is important and worthy of investigation.

Write up your methodology. This is a description of what you did during your research and how you did it. Include your ethnographic method, such as participant observations or interviews, and why you chose this method. Data should also be included when putting the paper together, such as how many times you visited a particular site and how many people you interviewed.

Report your findings. Use evidence taken directly from your research field notes to report your findings and to back up any assertions you make. Remember to attribute any quotes or ideas to the participants in your bibliography. Be selective with your material by only including relevant information to prevent your paper from becoming trivial or floating off-topic.

Interpret and evaluate the research. This consists of two parts. Analyze the raw data to make conclusions about your research. Look for any emerging patterns, trends, beliefs or processes. Then evaluate your research methods. Consider the strengths and weaknesses in your methodology and data collection, and any possible limitations of the study. If your findings do not answer your research question (as in step one), make some recommendations for further study.

Complete a final draft. Your paper should be double-spaced and word processed. Include a title page, references, bibliography and, if necessary, an appendix. Check for any errors in spelling or grammar and ensure you have written within the boundaries of the word count.

  • Ethnographic research is subjective, so it can be interpreted in numerous ways.
  • Always seek permission before using a participant's real name or place in your research paper. Or, you can use a pseudonym. In contrast to other types of academic papers, ethnography can be written in the first person.
  • 1 University of Pennsylvania: Department of Anthropology

About the Author

Kaye Jones has been a freelance writer since 2009, specializing in history, education and mental health. Her undergraduate dissertation was published by the Internet Journal of Criminology. Jones has a first-class honors Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Manchester.

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The Autoethnography: Ten Examples

Instructions, choosing a topic.

For our final project for the class, you will be asked to select a subculture that you have currently chosen to be a part of or one that you will choose to connect yourself to and to investigate this subculture in a larger research paper called an autoethnography.

For this immediate assignment, I would like you to identify two subcultures that you are currently a part of and that you would find interesting to research. For each of the subcultures you identify, I would like you to give a brief description (three to four lines or more if necessary) that gives an overview of what the subculture is and your position in the subculture (how long you’ve been a part of it and how you feel about it).

From these two options, you will be choosing a topic for your final research paper. We will be sharing these ideas with the entire class. Please be as specific as possible. Your topics must fulfill the following criteria:

You must be able to do background and preliminary research on your topics. In other words, written and visual material must be readily available for analysis.

Topics must be local and accessible.

There must be a place, field site, or event space for the topic that you will be able to visit at least twice during the semester.

There must be at least two people you can interview who have different roles relevant to the topic.

Topics must be new and cannot overlap with research topics in any other course work.

Interviewing

The purpose of the interview is to help you gain insight into the perspective of another member of your subculture. This can be valuable on a number of levels and for a number of reasons. It can help you understand the subculture more as an outsider, offer additional information you can use to examine your own positionality, and provide interesting narrative content for the final project.

As you plan for your interview, consider what information you would like to get out of the interview, and write out your questions accordingly.

For this assignment, write up a minimum of ten questions you plan to ask your interviewee. Make sure the questions are in an order that is logical. This will allow you to know what you intend to get out of an interview and enable you to adapt when an interviewee inadvertently answers more than one question at a time or shares information you would like to ask about in greater depth.

Make sure you ask leading questions rather than questions that can be answered with one-word responses. It is helpful to incorporate phrases such as these into your interview questions: “Tell me a story about the time…”; “Can you explain in detail when…”; “Describe your favorite memory about . . “; “At length, describe….”

This kind of questioning will help your interviewee to feel comfortable and willing to share more information about which you can then ask follow-up questions.

Interviews can be conducted in various ways: through online chats, via telephone or in person. Each method has its own plusses and minuses, so be aware that they will yield different products.

In-person interviews are usually the most productive in that they allow you to take notes on the interviewee’s manner, dress and composure in addition to getting your verbal answers. The benefit on online interviews conducted in writing is that they are already written up for you, and the task of writing up in-person interviews is time-consuming. You will miss out on observation details, however, in any form that is not face-to-face.

Please bring to class at least one set of questions with a brief description of whom you will be interviewing, what you already know about that person and what you would like to learn from her or him. Ultimately, you will be picking two people to interview and writing questions for each interview.

Observations

When we engage in autoethnographic writing, it is important to try to re-create the spaces we are visiting—in other words, to explore the field sites where we are spending our time.

As part of our larger assignment, you need to identify a field site that will be relevant for your subculture. This can be a location where it meets, a place where history, event or memory is held.

For this assignment, I want you to walk into a space or event related to your subculture and spend at least twenty minutes there. You will be engaging in a stream-of-consciousness freewrite, making notes on everything you experience with your five senses. As in earlier assignments, I will then ask you to create a narrative from the details you have noted.

Rely on all five of your senses to convey not just what the space looks like but what it feels like. Sight, smell, touch, sight, sound are all important to consider as we try to re-create an environment we are experiencing for an outsider. Do not edit! Just write for the entire twenty minutes in the space without picking up your pen or pencil or relinquishing your keyboard, and see what you come up with!

As you did with earlier assignments, you should write the narrative version of your notes as close to the time of observation as possible.

Putting It All Together

When trying to incorporate your research into a final paper, it is important to realize that you will not be using all of it. As in our essays earlier in the semester, you will be drawing on important pieces of it to make your larger arguments (parts of the observation, pieces of the interview, etc.). You should not try to use all of the information you gathered in the final paper. Any kind of personal and qualitative writing is about making choices and creating narratives and subtext while maintaining your own voice as a participant-observer.

The most important thing to do is to find common threads in your research, identify your main themes and use the information you have gathered, combined with your own narrative understanding or experience, to create your final piece.

Your final paper will end up being roughly six to ten pages long, given the amount of data you have collected. It is important to ask questions as you go through this final drafting process, so please feel free to contact me at any point about concerns and ideas.

When transcribing interviews, please include only your questions and the full responses that will appear as quotes or paraphrases in your final paper. Since transcribing is time-consuming, this will be the most efficient use of your time. I ask you to attach these documents as well as the observations you completed to the final paper.

You will be asked to present your findings and read a brief piece of your project on the last day of class.

Student Samples

These essays went through multiple drafts at each point. Observations, interviews, and the final draft were all peer and instructor reviewed.

Adriana explores Anarchism in New York.

Tyana explores the group Student Activists Ending Dating Abuse (SAEDA).

Hannah explores the world of computer programmers.

Heather explores the world of Bronies.

Jillian explores modern artistic taxidermy.

Emma explores a religious institution for the first time.

William explores the world of Manhattan Drag.

Joomi explores National Novel Writing Month.

Justine explores the world of Manhattan-based metal band Steel Paradise.

Neziah Doe explores science culture on YouTube.

Teaching Autoethnography: Personal Writing in the Classroom Copyright © by Melissa Tombro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write an Ethnographic Essay

How to Write an Ethnographic Essay

If you’re unsure about how to write an ethnographic essay, you can follow these basic steps. They include the Methodology, Outline, Data collection, and Revision assignment. When you’re finished, you should be able to write a professional-looking ethnographic essay that will get you the highest grades in your class. Listed below are the steps to follow to make this assignment a success. If you’d like to learn more about ethnography, read on.

Methodology

Writing an ethnographic essay requires you to follow a process. There are three key steps that will help you produce a high-quality piece of writing: gathering data, conducting interviews, and composing an outline. While conducting the research, your outline can serve as a guide for your writing. You can follow the steps in the outline to ensure that you stay on track and on topic. It also helps you engage people and organize your experiences. It can also help you to streamline your writing.

The first step in ethnography is to conduct research. You need to conduct interviews, observations, and direct interaction with your subject population. You can then use these experiences to create an explanatory framework for your findings. Once you have gathered sufficient data, you will need to analyze the findings to create a theory. Your theory is not intended to predict or determine the outcome of your study, but to provide a context for events, conversations, and phenomena you observed. It is important to note that theories are only suggestions and must be tested against the data.

Outline an ethnographic essay by following the steps outlined below. The body should be informative and provide a clear description of what you observed, studied, or learned. In the conclusion, discuss the cultural aspects of your subject and conclude with any remaining questions. Finally, consider the impact your research will have on the readers. Outline an ethnographic essay and follow the steps outlined above to make it a success. This paper should include all the essential elements, so it is important to follow these steps carefully.

First, conduct a literature review. This step helps you analyze previous research on the theme of your ethnography paper and gives credibility to your research. It also provides the background for your argument. Include between three and five scholarly articles that provide background information about your topic. Next, you should analyze the research methods and data analysis techniques of previous ethnographers. This part will give your audience an understanding of the reliability of your data and how it was obtained.

Data collection

A writer of an ethnographic essay explains the practices, traditions, and cultural aspects of a group by using scholarly research. To avoid misunderstandings about the research, the writer should list down the limitations of the study, and it is important to cite past works. While scholarly research may not be completely correct, it will help the reader understand how their research compares to other studies. By writing about your research, you will be able to convince readers of its value and make them want to read more.

The first thing to do when writing an ethnographic essay is to think about the causes of the phenomenon you are studying. Often, human populations are self-regulating. Immigration, poverty, or the sudden removal of a threatening factor can lead to overpopulation. When identifying the causes of the phenomenon, you can link them together and introduce a structural element to your essay. The relationships between the causes will help you come up with ideas to write your essay.

Revision assignment

Revision is an important part of writing an ethnographic essay. If you haven’t yet worked with your sources, it’s a great idea to do so before you submit the final paper. In addition, revision will help you strengthen your argumentative skills and develop the skills necessary to argue effectively with your sources. After all, you’re writing for a professor, not a grader. You should be aware of the rhetorical purposes of each source, and how to use the information you gather to make a compelling argument.

Revision should also include analyzing the literature. In a literature review, you analyze past studies on your research theme to understand how yours relates to their findings. The purpose of this step is to determine if your research supports the goals of your assignment, and if the suggestions made by your readers are relevant to your audience. Use these standards to decide whether to accept or reject revision feedback. There are many resources available to help you overcome common writing obstacles.

Research questions

When writing an ethnographic essay, it is essential to formulate a specific research question and hypotheses. These questions should not be generic, but should be one claim that supports your findings. In addition, you should also be sure to use qualitative data collection techniques, such as photography, video, and artifacts. The literature review should be between one and five research articles. Once you’ve written your research question and hypotheses, you’ll need to collect data.

A good starting point for your essay is to consider the causes of the phenomenon. For example, overpopulation is a result of immigration, poverty, or the sudden removal of a threatening element. After defining the causes of the phenomenon, you can link them in a chronological manner to introduce structure to the essay. Lastly, you can develop your topic through relationships. For example, you could write an ethnographic essay about the relationship between a male-dominant culture and a female-dominated culture.

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COMMENTS

  1. What Is Ethnography?

    Ethnography is a type of qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community or organization to observe their behavior and interactions up close. The word "ethnography" also refers to the written report of the research that the ethnographer produces afterwards.

  2. 6- Drafting Your Ethnographic Essay

    Write a brief summary of each idea/passage on a separate sheet. After you identify what interests you most, move on to search for patterns that will lead you to focus. You can follow the step-by step-process below as a path to create a kind of umbrella or guiding focus statement for your essay:

  3. How to Write An Ethnography

    An ethnography is a lengthy written description that brings awareness and creates an understanding of social patterns in a cultural context. Ethnography are utilized by social scientists, such...

  4. PDF Ethnography as Practice and Genre

    It delves into the issues of participation, power, and perspective; the nature of evidence; the reliability of representation; the relation between description and interpretation and between narrative and theory; and the role of different viewpoints and of the author's voice.

  5. Ethnography Essays

    1 Ethnographic Report About The Sikh Diaspora 6 pages / 2514 words For nearly a century, anthropologists have studied the lives of immigrants and their children by engaging in ethnographic encounters in which these families carry out everyday tasks.

  6. PDF Putting Ethnographic Writing in Context

    Along with the benefits to your writing, ethnography really high-lights and emphasizes human relationships: between participants and researchers; between writers and readers of ethnographic narratives/ reports; between students and teachers in classrooms.

  7. How to Write an Ethnography Essay or Research Paper

    An ethnographic essay should have an introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion. How to Write an Ethnography Essay? The following are important tips that one should consider when writing an ethnographic essay: 1. Research on Existing Studies on the Topic

  8. Introduction to Ethnography

    Abstract. This introductory chapter introduces ethnography as a distinct research and writing tradition. The author begins by historically contextualizing ethnography's professionalization within the fields of anthropology and sociology. While highlighting the formidable influences of, for example, Bronislaw Malinowski and the Chicago school ...

  9. Ethnographic Research

    Example: Malinowski's six years of research on the people of Trobriand islands in Melanesia. Today ethnographic research is also used in social sciences. Examples: Investigations done by detectives, police officers to solve any criminal mystery. Investigations are carried out to learn the history and details of culture, community, religion ...

  10. English (EN)

    Ethnographic Essay Databases Be sure to take a look at the [Subject Guide] that deals with your topic more specifically. For instance, if you're interested in writing about doctors, nurses, or other health professions, consider a Database from the [Health] , [Nursing] , or other health-related Subject Guides.

  11. Useful Tips on Writing an Ethnography Paper

    An ethnography paper is a lengthy composed description that provides awareness and builds comprehension of social models in a cultural context. Usually, social scientists (anthropologists and sociologists) write ethnography papers in order to present them to a bigger public.

  12. Easier Said than Done: Writing an Autoethnography

    Abstract Autoethnography is an intriguing and promising qualitative method that offers a way of giving voice to personal experience for the purpose of extending sociological understanding.

  13. 88 Ethnographic Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    Ethnographic essays are an excellent way to show your understanding of the science and the relationships that form a particular development or situation. You have to display your knowledge of anthropology and how it influences a particular population group based on a variety of circumstances. We will write.

  14. Ethnographic Essay: how to write an ethnography paper/report + Examples

    Choose a good topic: Step 2. Develop a thesis statement Step 3. Conduct literature review Step 4. Develop research questions/hypotheses when necessary Step 5. Choose a qualitative method for data collection Step 6. Find an appropriate research site Step 7. Gain approval from research site Step 8. Plan data collection schedule & roles Step 9.

  15. Ethnographic Research Topics: Writing Tips And Best Examples

    Before we embark on learning how to write an ethnography, let us have a look at an ethnographic essay outline. Structure of an Ethnographic Essay. The paper should follow the outline below: Introduction. It is where you introduce your thesis statement, which is the main idea of the whole project. A proper ethnographic research topic would form ...

  16. Ethnographic Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    PAGES 2 WORDS 476. Ethnographic study of a culture reveals the insider perspective of that culture. In this article, the author chose an interesting sub-culture i.e. skateboarders and tried to present an insider view of the world of skateboarders including their psyche, their clothing, their beliefs etc.

  17. I'm Interested in Autoethnography, but How Do I Do It?

    findings. These recommendations draw from both narrative and ethnographic research methodologies, as well as descriptive and arts-based approaches. This discussion may serve as a resource for those interested in teaching and conducting autoethnography. Keywords . autoethnography, qualitative research, cultural analysis . Creative Commons License

  18. How to Put Together an Ethnographic Research Paper

    Ethnography is a social science research method that relies heavily on personal experiences within a subject group or culture. Once the ethnographic research is complete it is time to write up your findings. Putting an ethnographic research paper together generally follows a standard format

  19. The Autoethnography: Ten Examples

    Heather explores the world of Bronies. Jillian explores modern artistic taxidermy. Emma explores a religious institution for the first time. William explores the world of Manhattan Drag. Joomi explores National Novel Writing Month. Justine explores the world of Manhattan-based metal band Steel Paradise.

  20. Ethnography Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    Ethnography is a method of sociology research which explores the ways of life of a culture. There are a number of different types of ethnography, and each sociologist must decide the method to employ in their research. hile there are many different cultures throughout the world, we all share the common thread that we are part of ethnology.

  21. How to Write an Ethnographic Essay

    Outline an ethnographic essay by following the steps outlined below. The body should be informative and provide a clear description of what you observed, studied, or learned. In the conclusion, discuss the cultural aspects of your subject and conclude with any remaining questions. Finally, consider the impact your research will have on the readers.

  22. Ethnographic Essay Outline

    Ethnographic Essay Outline "The impact of cultural..." Review > Finished Papers Well-planned online essay writing assistance by PenMyPaper Writing my essays has long been a part and parcel of our lives but as we grow older, we enter the stage of drawing critical analysis of the subjects in the writings.

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