NEW PLAN
Intro – qualitative data
Provides detail/depth, not reductionist, provides natural picture, ecological validity
Less pre-judgement, encourages people to expand and open new areas.
Cannot be generalised, or replicated, however, not the aim of ethnography.
POSSIBLE POINTS
The research itself – merit of naturalism, people behaving as they would. Negative point – the
researcher could collect biased data, linked to idea of don’t go in expecting a certain thing.
Developed into the writing itself – the researcher could be biased in the way they write it. Use
figurative language to persuade the reader of their opinion. Eliminate/include information to
support an idea they may have previously had, rather than reflect the actual information. Bring in
idea of publication problems i.e. Berkeley student.
Idea of reflexivity – emphasized in many texts. Idea of reading lots of different ethnographies to
learn how best to write about it.
QUOTES
“One of the major problems is that the social world does not present itself as a series of separate
analytic themes” (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007:193)
“A recognition of the power of figurative language should lead also to recognition of the need for
disciplined and principled usage” (ibid, 2007:297)
“Issues of economy and redundancy will always arise. The question of economy reflects the fact that
we cannot include every detail and scrap of knowledge” (ibid, 2007:198)
“The choice of exemplification or illustration must reflect adequate analysis of the data” (ibid,
2007:198)
DRAFT
Analyse the merits and limitations of one of the methodological approaches
considered in the lectures have heard so far. You should support your response
with evidence of further reading.
According to Robert Aunger, “ethnography, or the representation of unfamiliar groups’
lifeways in the form of written records, has a long and distinguished history in cultural anthropology”
(Aunger, 2004:1). However, ethnography is not a method which is solely restricted to the field of
cultural anthropology, and since its development during the nineteenth century has been used by
other disciplines such as sociology, and most recently, those studying performance (Zarrilli,
2010:143). However, as Aunger acknowledges, “major debates have been sparked about the nature
of ethnographic authority” (Aunger, 2004:1). This essay will aim to raise some of these debates, with
particular focus on the issues surrounding the written records themselves, and the challenges faced
by a researcher aiming to produce a valid ethnography.
The first issue which will be examined here is related to the nature and volume of the data
collected for an ethnography. Ethnography as a methodological approach to research involves the
researcher “participating, overtly or covertly, in people’s daily lives for an extended period of time…
gathering whatever data are available to throw light on the issues that are the emerging focus of
inquiry” (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007:3). What this means in practise is that a researcher will be
gathering information mostly using participant-observation – which involves recording observations
through mediums such as field notes, video, maps and pictures - and informal interviewing (Kruger,
2008:58). This gathers a
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Atkinson, P. and Hammersley, M. (2007) Ethnography: Principles in Practice, 3rd Edition,
Abingdon: Routledge
Aunger, R. (2004) Reflexive Ethnographic Science, Walnut Creek: Alta Mira Press
Barfield, T. (1997) The Dictionary of Anthropology, Oxford: Blackwell
Ember, M. (1985) ‘Evidence and Science in Ethnography: Reflection on the Freeman-Mead
Controversy’ in American Anthropologist, Vol.87, No.4
Holloway, I. (1997) Basic Concepts for Qualitative Research, Oxford: Blackwell
Kruger, S. (2008) Ethnography in the Performing Arts: A Student Guide, Lancaster: Palatine
Mitchell, M. and Jolley, J. (2010) Research Design Explained, Belmont: Wadsworth
Zalewski, D. (2000) ‘Ideas & Trends; Anthropology Enters the Age of Cannibalism’ in The New
York Times, 8 October, [Online] http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/08/weekinreview/ideastrends-anthropology-enters-the-age-of-cannibalism.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Zarrilli, P. (2010) ‘CASE STUDY: Kathakali dance-drama: Divine “play” and human suffering
on stage’ in Williams, G. (ed.) Theatre Histories: An Introduction, 2nd Edition, New York:
Routledge