Doing Ethnography: Look, Listen, and Learn

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Doing EthnographyLook, Listen, and Learn

• Mary Racelis
• Department of Anthropology
• University of the Philippines, Diliman
• Presentation at the Extramural Program, CSSP
• UP-Diliman Summer Training Seminar
• for Social Sciences and Social Sciences Teachers
• 25-28 April 2006, Palma Hall

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What is ethnography?
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Ethnography

• A kind of research used mostly by
  anthropologists, which features direct,
  qualitative observation of and interaction with
  people in their natural settings

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Ethnography

• The researcher engages in fieldwork, utilizing
  participant observation and intensive
  interviewing to understand the culture of the
  group being studied, or some aspect of it
  intensive interaction with communities achieved
  by living among them or visiting them frequently
  in a short span of time or over the years
• The result is a written (or filmed) ethnographic
  account or report.

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Why is ethnography important?
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Importance of ethnography

• It gives primary attention to people as they live
  their everyday lives or are involved in
  particular situations affecting them
• Data-gathering emphasizes their perspectives and
  meanings, and the validity of their ways of
  thinking and behaving in their particular
  setting categories of information come from
  their testimony and observed behavior empirical
  research

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Importance of ethnography

• It is non-judgmental, embodying intrinsic respect
  for peoples views, behaviors and cultural logic
• Any individual can do ethnography armed with pad
  and pencil, tape recorder, or audio-visual
  equipment, provided he/she has the proper
  orientation and basic knowledge of the
  methodology ethnography is not capital or
  technology intensive
• Students come to appreciate other ways of
  thinking and doing, the meanings people give to
  their lives, and gain respect for perspectives
  often different from their own a powerful
  learning methodology

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Characteristics of ethnography
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Characteristics of ethnography

• Aim is to understand the nature of particular
  socio-cultural phenomena in contrast to testing
  hypotheses
• Heavily descriptive in investigating unstructured
  data in a holistic framework low priority to
  quantification and statistical description
• Intense focus on a small number of cases rather
  than large sample sizes

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Characteristics of ethnography

• Commitment to data reflecting peoples own
  explanations of their behavior and values
• Analysis builds on peoples discussions and
  actions explanations seek patterns and generate
  theory
• Brings a depth of understanding to peoples
  behavior, values and culture in holistic and
  historical modes that are not readily available
  through sample surveys

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Anthropological concepts underlying ethnography
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Anthropological concepts underlying ethnography

• Culture
• Holistic perspective
• Contextualization
• Emic and Etic insiders perspective with
  multiple realities versus external social
  scientists perspectives

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Anthropological concepts underlying ethnography

• Nonjudgmental orientation
• Inter-and intracultural diversity
• Structure and function
• Symbol and ritual

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Some examples of ethnographic studies
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Ethnographic studies of community groups

• Indigenous peoples
• Eric Casino, The Jama Mapun
• Evelyn Caballero, Small-scale Gold Miners in the
  Cordillera
• Albert Alejo, S.J., Generating Energies in Mt.
  Apo (Manobo in Davao geothermal area)

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Ethnographic studies of community groups

• Rural folk
• Cristina Blanc-Szanton, The Right to Survive
  (Fisherfolk in Capiz)
• Mary Racelis, The Dynamics of Power in a
  Philippine Municipality
• Urban poor
• F. Landa Jocano, Slum as a Way of Life
• Mary Racelis, Inner Tondo as a Way of Life

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Ethnographic studies of specific topics

• Tourism and local communities Sally Ann Ness,
  Where Asia Smiles (an Ethnography of Philippine
  Tourism)
• Families in global migration diaspora studies
  Rhacel Salazar Parrenas
• Indigenous communities contesting logging
  companies in a globalization setting Anna
  Lowenhaupt Tsing, Indonesia

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Ethnographic studies of specific topics

• Market organization
• Tsukiji, Tokyo fish market
• William Davis, The Baguio Market
• Commercial sex workers in Bangkok, Jakarta,
  Lahore
• Poverty, governance, militarism, and
  globalization in a Bolivian city, Leslie Gill
• Hoboes, prisoners, drug abusers in the US
• Detainees in early Martial Law Ed Gerlock

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Issues in ethnographic research
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Issues in ethnographic research

• Entry and introduction known sponsor, honesty as
  to purpose
• Immersion language, living like the people,
  length of time (from normative to behavioral)
• Purposeful sampling maximum learning through key
  informants, focus group discussions

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Issues in ethnographic research

• Fieldnotes jottings, diary, log, notes are the
  essence of ethnography
• Coding
• Validity and reliability
• Personal involvement feminist ethnography,
  health issues

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Issues in ethnographic research

• Ethics
• Representation
• Informed consent
• Privacy
• Sensitive topics
• Confidentiality
• Benefits to the community
• Feedback
• Compensation
• Mutual disclosure

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Personal experience
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Personal experience

• As ethnographer
• The Tondo Foreshore stereotypes of gangsterism
  and violence
• Informal settlements defining the problem
  houses versus security of land tenure as linked
  to employment, food, a future for the children
• Poverty in Lisbon neighborhoods
• Bringing out childrens and adolescents voices in
  Payatas, Quezon City and BASECO, Manila

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Personal experience

• As development administrator (UNICEF in Africa,
  Ford Foundation Philippines)
• Gender and economic roles in Africa nomadic and
  rural cultures feminist perspectives
• Programs involving women in Pakistan
• Childrens roles boys and girls and
  development programs
• Anthropologist as administrator understanding
  culture, cultural change, and the insider view

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Personal experience

• As classroom professor
• Seeing another reality
• Taking the insiders view

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Enriching classroom learning through partial
ethnographic studies discussion