Ethnographic Tales

ETHNOGRAPHY, a long-established data collection method in anthropology, provides rich, detailed information about individuals and groups. As a qualitative research method, ethnography typically involves PARTICIPANT or NON-PARTICIPANT observation and/or in-depth interviews, allowing researchers to get a comprehensive look at the population of interest.

A good ethnographic account provides “thick description,” or a detailed account of the social context and shared meanings of a particular group (Geertz, 2000). As such, ethnographic studies yield a vast amount of data—literally hundreds of pages of FIELDNOTES, analytic MEMOS, and/or interview transcripts. In part because of the magnitude of information gathered by ethnographic approaches, the stories social scientists construct from their data may take many different forms. Indeed, although ethnographers share the goal of providing an in-depth look at a group or social phenomenon, they may choose a number of ways to present their findings.

In his book Tales of the field: On writing ethnography, Van Maanen (1988) identified three main types of ethnographic tales: realist, confessional, and impressionist. The realist tale aims at presenting an objective view of the group being studied. Thus, the realist tale is akin to the more traditional ethnographic account wherein readers get a clear, concise description of the individuals or groups under study. They do not get a sense of the author’s reaction to that setting, the impact the author feel she or she has had on the findings, or the reflexive thoughts the author has after returning from “the field.”

The confessional tale, on the other hand, lets the reader in on what the author’s fieldwork experience was like. Although some may argue that the subjective nature of this tale is less scientific and therefore flawed, confessional tales can be a valuable tool in assessing the strength of the research because they allow the reader to get a sense of the author’s approach and biases, as well as the methodological lessons learned while conducting the research. REFLEXIVITY and disclosure of the process of research have always been important to feminist qualitative researchers who aim at demystifying the scientific research method in addition to providing meaningful findings.

The impressionist tale is an account of atypical phenomena. The impressionist tale is intended to shock and engage the reader with stark description of unique findings. In this type of tale, the researcher does not offer an interpretation of findings but rather brings unusual stories forward to speak for themselves.

Van Maanen’s types of ethnographic tales are not mutually exclusive categories; one may present two or all three types of tales in a narrative account. As Miller (1998) explained in her research on soup kitchens for the homeless, these tales may emerge somewhat unexpectedly as authors reflect on and share their findings. In addition, a primary goal of ethnography and other qualitative methodologies is to give a voice to marginalized groups (Ragin, 1994). Giving a voice to individuals whose experiences are not widely recognized and providing sound interpretation of research findings may well necessitate the use of various ethnographic tales.