Ethnography : step by step / by David M. Fetterman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fetterman, David M.

Contributor:

John G. Hartman Memorial Library Fund.

Series:

Applied social research methods series ; v. 17.

Applied social research methods series ; v. 17

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethnology--Methodology.

Ethnology.

Physical Description:

x, 165 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage, [1998]

Summary:

Sifting through notepads filled with illegible scrawl, listening to hours of tape recordings, labeling and organizing piles of photographs and slides, and cross-referencing disks of data are all too-familiar pictures to the ethnographic researcher. How does one manage a mountain of data and make meaningful statements? By using the new, updated Ethnography that has proved so reliable to thousands of researchers. This edition takes a step into a new frontier -- the internet, which is one of the most-powerful resources available to ethnographers. The book now provides insights into the uses of the Internet, including conducting searches about topics or sites, collecting census data, conducting interviews by "chatting" and video-conferencing, sharing notes and pictures about research sites, debating issues with colleagues on listservs and in online journals, and downloading useful data collection and analysis software. Maintained from the first edition is coverage of the nature of fieldwork, the equipment needed to conduct research, the analysis of data, the differences and similarities between qualitative and quantitative approaches, and writing the report. Throughout the book author David M. Fetterman provides insights into putting people at ease, research ethics, and sensitivity to other cultures. Popular with readers for the friendly and accessible style of writing, this new edition will be an indispensable resource for doing ethnographic research.

Contents:

The Problem 3

Basic or Applied Role 3

Theory 5

Research Design: Fieldwork 8

Formal Analysis 10

The Ethnography 11

2. Walking in Rhythm: Anthropological Concepts 16

Culture 17

Holistic Perspective 19

Contextualization 19

Emic Perspective and Multiple Realities 20

Etic Perspective 22

Nonjudgmental Orientation 22

Inter- and Intracultural Diversity 24

Structure and Function 25

Symbol and Ritual 26

Micro- or Macrolevel Study 27

Operationalism 29

3. A Wilderness Guide: Methods and Techniques 31

Fieldwork 31

Selection And Sampling 32

Entry 33

Participant Observation 34

Interviewing 37

Survey or Grand Tour Question 40

Specific Questions 42

Open-Ended or Closed-Ended Questions 43

Interviewing Protocols and Strategies 44

Key Actor or Informant Interviewing 47

Life Histories and Expressive Autobiographical Interviews 51

Lists and Forms 53

Questionnaires 53

Projective Techniques 55

Additional Eliciting Devices 56

Unobtrusive Measures 57

Outcroppings 57

Written and Electronic Information 58

Proxemics and Kinesics 59

Folktales 60

4. Gearing Up: Ethnographic Equipment 63

Pen and Paper 63

Tape Recorder 64

Cameras 65

Videotape 68

Cinema 69

Computers: Laptop and Desktop 70

The Internet 72

Search, Reference, and Directory Assistance Pages 74

Data Collection Software 76

Web Pages 78

Video- and Audioconferencing 78

Data Sharing and Analysis Tools 80

Virtual Office and File Sharing 81

Database Software 82

Printers and Speakers 84

5. Finding Your Way Through the Forest: Analysis 92

Thinking 93

Triangulation 93

Patterns 96

Key Events 98

Flowcharts 101

Organizational Charts 101

Matrices 102

Content Analysis 102

Statistics 103

Problems With Statistics 106

Crystallization 108

6. Recording the Miracle: Writing 111

Research Proposals 113

Field Notes 114

Shorthand, Symbols, and Mnemonics 114

Reconstruction 114

Field Note Organization 115

Memoranda 117

Interim Reports 117

Final Reports, Articles, and Books 117

Thick Description and Verbatim Quotations 122

Ethnographic Present 124

Ethnographic Presence 125

Ethnographically Informed Reports 126

Literature 126

Revising and Editing 127

7. Walking Softly Through the Wilderness: Ethics 129

The Ethnographer's Role 130

Academic and Applied Ethnography 130

Academic Ethnographers 130

Applied Ethnographers 132

Research Life Cycle 136

Inception and Prenatal Care: The Problem 136

Gestation and Birth: Proposals 137

Childhood: Field Preparation 138

Adolescence and Adulthood: Fieldwork 138

Retirement and Last Rites 145.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-154) and indexes.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the John G. Hartman Memorial Library Fund.

ISBN:

076191384X

0761913858

OCLC:

37527588