Ethnography

Etymologically the composite of two roots: ethno-(people) and -graphy (describing), ethnography is a research methodology that enables researchers to describe a particular human society as understood by the members of the society itself, especially in relation to collective behaviors such as the use of language and observation of customs and religion. Aiming to achieve deep understanding of the actions, motives, [Page 256]feelings, and beliefs of the members of a society under study, an ethnographer typically conducts the study by immersing himself or herself within the traditional cultural setting of the society. What makes ethnography stand out from many other research designs is that, as opposed to simply collecting data from the researcher's convenient location and interpreting the data solely by the values and standards of ...