ETHNOGRAPHY

ETHNOGRAPHY

1. ATKINSON ET AL 2007 '...first hand experience and exploration of a particular social or cultural setting on the basis of (though not exclusively by) participant observation'.

   • ATIKINSON AND HAMERSLEY 2007 shaped by URBAN ECOLOGY! No standard definiton as there are many forms of ethnographic research i.e. virtual ethno/ fieldwork etc.
   • Key Features- BRYMAN AND ATKINSON 2012
     • AIM develop indepth understanding of a cultural/group/community
     • Detailed DISCIPTIVE ACCOUNT of settings in a narrative form
       • SEYMOUR 2007 'THICK DESCIPTIONS' capture an absolute reality.
         • OBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE but argued not possible 'going native'. BREWER 2000 argued descriptions are 'partially selective even autobiographically tied to the ethnographer and contingencies under which the data is collected'.
     • LENGTHY IMMERSION in an everyday social setting ('IN THE FIELD')
       • WACQUANT 2003 researcher fully immerse themselves into the study in order to detect WHY and HOW the subjects feel and act as they do.
     • Regular 'UNSTRUCTURED' ENGAGEMENTS i.e. observation, conversations, interviews, collection of documents.
     • ANAYLSIS focusing on INTERPRETATION of meanings, functions, consequences.
   • METHODOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE= philosophical/ theoretical stance the researcher takes whilst conducting a study. It is a continuous adapting nature of new ideologies and time period.
     • DENZIN AND LINCOLN 3 characteristics- OBJECTIVISIM, IMPERIALISM, MOMUMENTIAISM/ TIMELESSNESS.
       • FETTERMAN 1989 researchers required to be in two places at once- SCIENTIST/ STORYTELLER.

2. LIMITATIONS

   • ACCESS- complex in how to gain it.
     • INCARDI- established strong drug contact list= allowed social networking ties (array of people i.e. those who are classed as 'hang on's' in the street world of heroin,cocaine etc also drug dealers, or drug traffickers)- integrated into area.
     • INCARDI- gained a 'protector' (gatekeeper) who vouched for his presence. ATRUISM is associated with letting anyone in, therefore he was ascribed the identity of a 'pervert'- more suitable to atmosphere/social groups he entered, not rise any suspicion.
     • RISKING VALIDITY- if the researcher becomes known- 'informant' threatened INCARDI about contacting police or authority agencies in relation to what he saw. It reflects bad on his 'protector'.
     • Access within criminal court= merely taking in a notebook.
     • BURGESS 1984- GATEKEEPER 'Those individuals...that have the power to grant or withhold access to people or situation of the situations for the purpose of the research'.
   • 'GOING NATIVE'- LOSS OF OBJECTIVITY (AVERSION). Ethnographic skills are thought to be an innate quality and not a masterable one. Question of Ethics at stake.
     • Main goal is to produce knowledge which has minimum political conviction or practical interest (interest of the researcher). ARGUEMENT - to separate the researcher between the social word and science is hard as they physically live in and tkaing part in the world we live in.
     • BENSON AND STRANGROOM 2006 economical with the truth- manipulate the study/findings to correlate with their opinions. Either over sympathise with subjects or not.
       • INCARDI - 'House girl' try to provide an avenue to treatment/ help, too emotionally attached- hence a side goal, not help all though
         • MALINOWSKI critised for being racist- 'exterminate the brutes' he took a subjectively strong dislike to the native when giving tabaco.
     • PEARSON 1993 'messy business'
       • SHARPE 1998 emotional and physical turmoil experienced i.e. laughed at, sworn at, frustration '...makes library research seem a trifle dull in comparison'.
       • INCARDI unable to purely observe due to the constant bombardment of offers for sex or to sell drugs.
   • MAGUIRE 2000 modern ethnographers spend little time talking to criminals
   • LeCOMPTE 2002 Not rigorous in that the method is hard to repeat sue to the lack of using controlled experiments. Therefore researchers must, in a way, justify the nature and anaylse of their study to academics audiences and policy makers
   • Element of socially construction to all potential documentation- courts input/portrays or the researchers subjectivity.

3. STRENGHTS

   • PRODUCES Rich data on topics/ groups we know little about. NATUALISTIC REALISM- how subjects act in their 'natural state', undisturbed by the researcher. 'Philosophical view remains true to the nature of the phenomenon under study'.
   • MATZA 1969 achieves a direct contact with the social world- not understand human actions by mere causal relationships because human actions are based on cultural meanings i.e. intentions, beliefs, rules and discourses.
   • PO= hallmark of ethnography. Questions how individuals engage in the constant process of interpretation and definition as they move from one situation to another. This would otherwise remain a poorly addressed area.
   • MAGUIRE 2000 argues to ulitizing a triangulated method is productive due to the diverse sources of evidence as one method may strengthen the study whereas another highlights weakness.

4. History

   • MALINOWSKI was the first British anthopologist. He expose people to a detailed account of working 'in the field'
   • Second school of chicago- ethnographies on DEVIANCE. BECKER studied marijuana users, explained how social processing involved ascribing them a deivant label and the effects. BREWER stated this provided a common sense approach-' offers a detailed description of things FOREIGN, EXOTIC and PECULIAR'.
     • LIAZOUS 1972 simplified this symbolic interactionist perspective (which emphasised the socially constructed the nature of crime and deviance) as 'NUTS, SLUTS AND PERVERTS'.
   • FEMINIST ENTHOGRAPHERS. GELSTHROPE 1990- identified 4 common themes. 1. Chose topic that is relevant or sympathetic to women. 2. Reflextive approach used. 3. Record subjectively the experiences in doing the research. 4.Preferences that not exclusively focus on qualitative research.
     • REINHARZ 1992 double contribution- HOW we chose a subject matter and the research method/ strategy.
     • PROBLEMS- acknowledge compromises in respect of the participant and whether authentic accounts can be produced if the participant has control on the final product.
     • HOBBS 2001- 'Ethnographies of deviance, both authorship and subjects are dominated by men'