‘An ethnography usually starts with a very open ended question and that question may well change as the participant observation brings new ideas to light. It is therefore quite a flexible approach – and one that might suit a study where there is a group or community of interest, but not yet a clear idea of what the most interesting elements of that community are.’ (Bhatti)
5 thoughts on “‘An ethnography usually starts with a very open ended question and that question may well change as the participant observation brings new ideas to light. It is therefore quite a flexible approach – and one that might suit a study where there is a group or community of interest, but not yet a clear idea of what the most interesting elements of that community are.’ (Bhatti)”
Clare, I am finding the observation that you quoted about need for a “flexible approach” to be true. As I get deeper into my selected MOOC and approach it from an ethnographic perspective, I am beginning to realize that the research can go in several different directions. However, I am reminding myself that we were tasked with a ‘micro-ethnography.’ Limiting the scope of the research also presents decisions and dilemmas, and I sense some ‘risk-taking’ is necessary; e.g., if wrong decisions are made, then one has to make adjustments to recover, perhaps even abandon original path in favor of ‘Plan B’. Cheers, PJ
Hi PJ, studying ethnography in research methods this week has helped me better understand Hine’s adaptive nature of ethnography and how ethnographic research emerges from the researcher’s ‘sustained interest and engagement in the field’.
I also like Bhatti’s definition of a successful ethnographer as ‘one who is self-aware and reflexive, someone who has the capacity for both empathy and distance’.
These past few weeks have opened up a whole new world of approaches to research!
Hi Clare, can you give me citation for your Bhatti reference? Thanks for your time and attention. I am interested in this train of thought, may perhaps use it for my micro-ethnography. Thx, PJ
Hi PJ, the Bhatti reference is from chapter 10 in Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. and Hedges, L. (eds) (2012). Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. London, Sage. It’s the course book for Research Methods and it’s really useful. You can get the Kindle version on Amazon for £25.
The introductory chapter “What is Ethnography” and the “Epilogue: A distinctive analytic mentality” in Hammersly and Atkinson (2007) Ethnography: principles in practice are very interesting too. http://www.tandfebooks.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/isbn/9780203944769
Clare, thanks for providing the Bhatti citation. As it turns out, I have the Research Methods textbook! I read parts of it, but not Bhatti Chapter 10, last summer intending to take that course sometime in the future. I deferred taking the course because I felt that I was not ready for it. The second paragraph on p. 82 really resonates with me this weekend, about the need for ethnographers “to cultivate the ability to live with uncertainty and self-doubt”…. Thanks again for sharing this valuable reference. Cheers, PJ
Clare, I am finding the observation that you quoted about need for a “flexible approach” to be true. As I get deeper into my selected MOOC and approach it from an ethnographic perspective, I am beginning to realize that the research can go in several different directions. However, I am reminding myself that we were tasked with a ‘micro-ethnography.’ Limiting the scope of the research also presents decisions and dilemmas, and I sense some ‘risk-taking’ is necessary; e.g., if wrong decisions are made, then one has to make adjustments to recover, perhaps even abandon original path in favor of ‘Plan B’. Cheers, PJ
Hi PJ, studying ethnography in research methods this week has helped me better understand Hine’s adaptive nature of ethnography and how ethnographic research emerges from the researcher’s ‘sustained interest and engagement in the field’.
I also like Bhatti’s definition of a successful ethnographer as ‘one who is self-aware and reflexive, someone who has the capacity for both empathy and distance’.
These past few weeks have opened up a whole new world of approaches to research!
Hi Clare, can you give me citation for your Bhatti reference? Thanks for your time and attention. I am interested in this train of thought, may perhaps use it for my micro-ethnography. Thx, PJ
Hi PJ, the Bhatti reference is from chapter 10 in Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. and Hedges, L. (eds) (2012). Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. London, Sage. It’s the course book for Research Methods and it’s really useful. You can get the Kindle version on Amazon for £25.
The introductory chapter “What is Ethnography” and the “Epilogue: A distinctive analytic mentality” in Hammersly and Atkinson (2007) Ethnography: principles in practice are very interesting too. http://www.tandfebooks.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/isbn/9780203944769
Clare, thanks for providing the Bhatti citation. As it turns out, I have the Research Methods textbook! I read parts of it, but not Bhatti Chapter 10, last summer intending to take that course sometime in the future. I deferred taking the course because I felt that I was not ready for it. The second paragraph on p. 82 really resonates with me this weekend, about the need for ethnographers “to cultivate the ability to live with uncertainty and self-doubt”…. Thanks again for sharing this valuable reference. Cheers, PJ