Essay about Ethnography - 1634 Words

Ethnography One of the most complex and interesting aspects of cultural anthropology is the ethnography. The idea of being able to read stories about groups of individuals is something that is intriguing to many people. With the ethnography, the authors many times feel that they have control and understanding over the individuals that they are writing about. Furthermore, many of these authors assume that the individuals among whom they are living and studying exemplify the entire society as a whole. Ethnographers have used many different means of establishing their ethnographic authority. One such method is the use of reflexivity in the ethnography. Ethnographers such as Renato Rosaldo in his work Culture and Truth: The Remaking of†¦show more content†¦Marcus is stating that with the use of reflexivity the author can in fact produce an ethnography that informs the reader of the role in which the ethnographer plays in the story, and furthermore, demonstrates the fact that the ethnographe r is not an omnipotent character. In order to illustrate the notion that with reflexivity the ethnographer can explain to his or her audience the fact that they are not omnipotent, this knowledge has to be stated as fact. For example, Marcus states â€Å"Cultural translation, which is what ethnography is, never fully assimilates difference. In any attempt to interpret or explain another cultural subject, a surplus of difference always remains†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Marcus 186). Marcus’ definition is very important because he is stating that there are always differences between the ethnographer and those in which he or she is studying. He is explaining that by definition ethnography is composed of a conglomeration of differences which cannot be reconciled and always remain constant. With this fact in mind, one can demonstrate through reflexivity that the belief of the ethnographer’s superiority is false due to these differences. Marcus discusses the fact that there are ethnographic texts in which the ethnographer strays away from the classic assumptionShow MoreRelated Ethnography Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesEthnography Works Cited Missing Reflexivity is a qualitative method of research that takes an ethnography one step further, displaying the personal thoughts and reflections of the anthropologist on his informants. Ethnographies generally take an outside or foreign perspective of a culture, like reading a text, and reflexivity introduces a new component of inside description. Here, the anthropologist may describe personal interactions and experiences with natives and use this inside informationRead MoreCritical Analysis : Critical Ethnography1457 Words   |  6 PagesIt takes caution, dedication, and morality, among many other traits, to be a good ethnographer. Adding to this, one requires a passion for justice and just change in the world to be a good critical ethnographer. Critical ethnography makes its name as a subfield in its participants’ need to alter what they view as less than acceptable conditions within a community. It extends beyond the mere study of cultures and ethnic groups and their historic problems, into territory that explores ways in whichRead MoreAnthropology, Ethnography, And Ethnology1568 Words   |  7 Pageswhen studying culture, ethnography, and ethnology. Ethnography and Ethnology may share a zeal for culture, they possess distinctive methodology and unique goals. Life on the field does not lack its myriad of challenges which the anthropologist must work through daily. Through the studies of ethnography and ethnology, we are able to educate ourselves on the lives and rich variegated cultures with whom we share our world. We see the fruitful work of ethnology and ethnography all around us. EthnologyRead MoreEssay about The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography1395 Words   |  6 PagesThe Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography Reflexivity, as I understand it, is very well named.It is the practice of reflecting upon oneself and one’s work, of being self-aware and self-critical. In anthropology, it is well exemplified by the work of Renato Rosaldo, Ruth Behar, and Dorinne Kondo, among others. In its most obvious form (or at least the form most obvious to me), reflexivity is manifest in the practice of an ethnographer including herself in her own ethnographic research---seeing herselfRead MoreEssay about Writing an Ethnography2331 Words   |  10 Pageseven more pertinent if posed about ethnographies. An ethnography is, by nature, meant to be a description of a people (the dictionary definition actually refers to â€Å"scientific description of individual cultures,† but that brings up questions about the meaning of â€Å"scientific† and â€Å"culture†). How can a people (or a culture) be described truthfully? And what is the relationship between the idealized pursuit of truth and ethical practices? In writing an ethnography, both what the ethnographer sees (asRead MoreThe Perils And Privileges Of Auto Ethnography1141 Words   |  5 PagesReading Response Week 4: The Perils and Privileges of Auto-Ethnography Although not mentioned in this week’s Marshall/Rossman chapter, feminism and autoethnography has popped up before in prior readings, so there is some familiarity with both concepts. Now comes what their synthesis looks like in practice. In this light the readings forced me to re-examine positionality, especially in the framework of auto-ethnography. At first I thought this was too obvious but in light of the titularRead MoreThe Science Of Desire : Ethnography And Its Proponents Play1144 Words   |  5 PagesSummary The article The Science of Desire presents ethnography and its proponents play an important role in modern business world. Author Ante began with an example, the satellite-radio war, to show how ethnography worked in business. In satellite-radio war, Sirius Satellite Ratio made a team of social scientists, designers, and ethnographers. Through studying customers’ habit of listening to music, watching TV and reading magazines, the team concluded several facts that can defeat competitors. ThenRead MoreKung Life: An Ethnography by Majorie Shostak1023 Words   |  5 PagesThe many ethnographies produced from the fieldwork of anthropologist, account for much of our knowledge of cultures we may co nsider foreign of our own. Ethnographies are often written to provide an understanding of the practices of the studied culture, thus bridging the gap between separate ways of life. Majorie Shostak is one of the well known anthropologist who attempts to do just this in her writings. During her stay in the Dobe regions of Botswana, she studied the life of !Kung women to findRead MoreEthnography And Its Difference From Other Research Methods1439 Words   |  6 PagesEthnography is a complex process it s not just simply viewing children in their environment.Ethnography allow research to examine children in ways other research cannot because ethnography allows the researcher to see and be a part of a children s peer culture.Ethnography involves prolonged fieldwork where researchers study a group to understand their mundane practices of life. the observation allows them to see their physical and institutional settings, their daily routines,their beliefs andRead MoreEthnographic Backgrou nd Of Ethnography And Ethnography1492 Words   |  6 Pages 2.5.1 Ethnographic Background Ethnography is essentially the description of a group of people (Agar 1982). Ethnography involves a holistic (general) approach to the study of cultural systems (knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values and other mental predispositions), preferred behaviors and structural (social) relationships (Whitehead 2012:3). An ethnography is an all-inclusive description of a group of people by a researcher immersing him or herself in the study scene, for an extended period of time