ethnography

eth·nog·ra·phy / e[unvoicedth]ˈnägrəfē/ • n. the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures. DERIVATIVES: eth·nog·ra·pher / -fər/ n. eth·no·graph·ic / ˌe[unvoicedth]nəˈgrafik/ adj. eth·no·graph·i·cal adj. eth·no·graph·i·cal·ly adv.

ethnography A term usually applied to the acts both of observing directly the behaviour of a social group and producing a written description thereof. Sometimes also referred to as fieldwork, the term is most commonly linked with the research techniques of social anthropology, although sociologists involved in a community study would certainly do fieldwork, as might those doing almost any form of case-study. The principal technique of ethnographic research is participant observation. A classic example is William Foote Whyte's study of the social structure of an Italian slum district in an American city (Street Corner Society, 1943). Subsequently, Whyte also wrote a fine piece of descriptive methodology, reflecting on his ethnographic work (Learning from the Field: A Guide from Experience, 1984).

ethnography Study of the culture of an ethnic group or society. Ethnographers gather anthropological data by direct observation of a group's economic and social life. See also anthropology; ethnology