Ethnography is the study of social phenomena and human communities through fieldwork. It involves living among the population being studied and writing down experiences. Ethnographers work in various environments and use multiple disciplines. Ethnography is important for cultural anthropology and can provide clues to trends in human society. Those interested in pursuing ethnography should study cultural anthropology and have strong communication skills.
Ethnography is the scientific study of social phenomena and human communities, through such means as fieldwork. It is considered a branch of cultural anthropology, the branch of anthropology that focuses on the study of human societies. Some people use “ethnography” and “cultural anthropology” interchangeably, although cultural anthropology includes more research techniques than just ethnography.
The practice of ethnography usually involves fieldwork where the ethnographer lives among the population being studied. While trying to maintain objectivity, the ethnographer lives an ordinary life among the people, working with informants who are particularly knowledgeable or well placed to gather information. This fieldwork can last for a long time; usually over a year, and sometimes much longer.
At the end of a period of fieldwork, the ethnographer writes down his experiences. This paper includes a catalog of daily life, along with a discussion of rituals, phenomena, and an assortment of other events. Many people working in the field of ethnography integrate multiple disciplines; using biology, for example, to analyze available food supplies or geology to study the soil and environment.
While many people view ethnography as a field of study about “other” people such as obscure native tribes in the South Pacific, ethnographers also work in environments that can be quite familiar. Someone may choose to live among gangsters in the inner city, for example, or an ethnographer may follow a nudist colony in the wilds of Northern California. Ethnography is about the study of the entire human experience, from nomadic tribes in Asia to the wealthy mothers of Park Slope.
The field of ethnography is a very important part of cultural anthropology, as many anthropologists use other people’s fieldwork in their research. It can also provide clues to trends in human society, and ethnographers can be found in some surprising places. Many advertising agencies, for example, use ethnography in their work to ensure that ads are actually targeting a desirable population.
People interested in pursuing ethnography as a career should start by studying cultural anthropology. If possible, they should take fieldwork opportunities when they arise at school, to see if ethnography is something they like to do or not. A good ethnographer is able to calculate statistics, learn new languages quickly, and instantly assess a range of situations. Above all, ethnography is about observing and cataloging, and written communication skills are a strong asset for those interested in this academic field.
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