Primary Research and Ethnography
What: For this project, we will conduct primary research and compose a piece of cultural writing often referred to as
ethnography. Ethnography involves studying and writing about a particular group, community, or subculture.
Why: Your role in this assignment is that of a primary researcher. The point of ethnography is to observe and investigate, to try to
understand what is going on from the perspective of an insider, and to ask questions to test your observations. You are the expert
on the community—how it works and its relation to society. There is no one way to write an ethnography. So, as a writer, this
assignment pushes you to synthesize the information you have gathered and make determinations about its importance, relevance,
and placement in your paper.
How: We will tackle this in steps. Please note that you will not be able to complete the work the night before it is due. You are
responsible for budgeting your time in advance. You are required to work with your community and around their convenience
and restrictions. You should not change anything about the community for the benefit of this assignment.
Step one: Choose a community that you want to research. I require that you choose a community you are already a part
of or involved with. The most important factor in your choice should be access to the community in order to complete
your interviews (i.e. ability to complete the assignment on time). Here are some examples to generate ideas:
Barber shops, nursing homes, firefighters, church groups, self-help groups, emergency medical squads,
athletic teams, day care centers, businesses of all sorts (fast food restaurants, stores, bars), farmers and farm
families, hang-outs with regulars (coffee houses, etc.), fraternities, sororities, clubs, internet forums, exercise
groups, fringe groups (punk rockers, hipsters, etc).
Step two: Prepare for your interviews. This step has multiple aspects that may vary based on what you’ve decided to
study, but could include contacting a member of the community for permission to observe, writing down your initial
thoughts about the community, preliminary research on your community, interview preparation and gaining permission
to interview, and familiarizing yourself with ethical issues in research. You should have at least EIGHT thoughtful
interview questions for each participant.
Step three: Don the hat of a primary researcher. Remember that for the purpose of this project, you are a researcher,
not only a participant. You are to interview at least five participants of the group (these interviews can take a
number of different virtual approaches: email, discussion forums, live video meetings, etc.), taking notes
throughout. I will provide you with sample interview questions. Instead of using those questions exactly, you should
develop your interview questions specifically for your unique project. Once you have your notes and interviews
complete, organize them into a typed record on your community. This should not be a report; instead, it should be the
raw informations gathered during your research. This research will serve as the foundation of your Ethnography. Also,
be sure to record specific interview information, as you will need it for your works cited page.
Refer to course schedule for due dates—Submit to iCollege.
Step four: You will move from primary researcher to academic writer. This begins by reflecting on your community
research and choosing a focus. Instead of giving an overview of your experience doing research, you should
concentrate on specific points. Consider yourself an expert in this paper. You should not only restate what others have
told you, but should develop your own conclusions from your research. However, all of these conclusions must be
supported by your gathered data. Specific details and quotes must be included for your ethnography to be complete.
You should assert a developed claim about your community and support that claim throughout with material from your
research. While it is up to you how to structure your paper, you should still have an organized and logically structured
essay. You should cover important aspects of the community that relate to your thesis or focus. If you cover only one
aspect of your community, you must adequately research that aspect and ask interview questions that relate to it. Be
sure to include an original title that reflects the content of your ethnography and a descriptive thesis.
Your final draft will be 3-4 pages, but if you do the assignment properly, you should not be at a loss for words.
When:
Refer to pdf of course schedule for due dates.