Ethnographic Methods

Anthropology lives at the intersection of the social sciences and the humanities. In fact, we are often called the most humanistic social science, and the most scientific area of the humanities. Key to this ability to work across different disciplines and traditions is our primary methodology: ethnography. Though most anthropologists would agree that ethnography is key to the production of anthropological thought, its exact definition and methods are inherently flexible, allowing ethnographers to shape their methods to fit realities on the ground, rather than uncritically imposing outside theory on a cultural context.

Broadly, “ethnography” simply means “writing about people.” However, this broad definition applies to many methodologies and writing styles that we would not traditionally understand as ethnographic. This is because quality ethnography is based on long-term research through participant observation—living and working with people in order to gain an understanding of their reality—alongside social scientific methodologies like semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys. This commitment to longterm, engaged participant observations gives ethnographers a unique vantage point from which to more confidently draw conclusions. That said, ethnography is much more than simply observing people and recording what they do. It requires great care, attention, and ethical commitment to those were are working alongside.

Though we often discuss the importance of listening in anthropology, ethnographers should also be attuned to the wealth of non-verbal information that influences our research and conclusions. Why might a participant hesitate or wince when asked a certain question? How do participants express pain, excitement, joy, or displeasure? When observing interactions, how are people’s bodies positioned, how do they move, and what gestures do they use to communicate meaning? This embodied communication is often overlooked in favor of more tangible, verbal and textual data, but plays a crucial role in developing an analysis that goes beyond the superficial.

Similarly, ethnographers should take care to listen to their own bodies and instincts as well. Ethnographic fieldwork is exhausting, and requires great mental, and often physical, endurance. Ethnographers should ask themselves how their own levels of physical and social comfort influence their methods and conclusions. For example, how does exhaustion affect our ability to listen and process what our participants are telling us? Is there a reason that every interaction with a certain community member feels awkward or forced? How can these kinds of embodied knowledge increase or threaten our ability to conduct high quality research?