Ethnography

Ethnography is participant-observation research. Ethnographers study cultures, i.e., the relationships, rituals, values, and habits that make people understand themselves as members of a group.

Including ethnography in your writing can be really useful, effective, but simultaneously disastrous and unfavorable. Ethnography is very personal. It’s a reflective piece consisting of experience and understanding, but instead of past experiences for analysis, it’s presently happening. Since ethnographies are about actual people there is potential for insult or wrongly interpreting your experience. There are so many processes that are possible to utilize this style. The key thing to remember is how will your audience respond to your writing. Seth Kahn gave a personal story of how the reaction of his audience to his writing was destructive. He lost contact with someone he truly respected. Kahn goes on to explain the importance of keeping identities of participants in field notes discrete.

I don’t have much experience with putting ethnographic writing in context. But as I am volunteering for an organization for Service Learning, I am internally analyzing my day to day work and my experiences working with these children. Everything I do and all the information I am given is confidential, just as my field notes should be. This program is completely based on participant observation. We as facilitators must monitor our participants and their behaviors, tendencies, and motivators.

All of this relates to writing personal journals because it leaves you aware and present. You have to understand what’s going on around you, understand why things are happening. Participant observation is a tool for writers to better understand people, relationships, and culture.