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• What Is Ethnography? | Definition, Guide & Examples

What Is Ethnography? | Definition, Guide & Examples

Published on March 13, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 22, 2023.

Ethnography is a type of qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community or organization to observe their behavior and interactions up close. The word “ethnography” also refers to the written report of the research that the ethnographer produces afterwards.

Ethnography is a flexible research method that allows you to gain a deep understanding of a group’s shared culture, conventions, and social dynamics. However, it also involves some practical and ethical challenges.

Table of contents

What is ethnography used for, different approaches to ethnographic research, gaining access to a community, working with informants, observing the group and taking field notes, writing up an ethnography, other interesting articles.

Ethnographic research originated in the field of anthropology, and it often involved an anthropologist living with an isolated tribal community for an extended period of time in order to understand their culture.

This type of research could sometimes last for years. For example, Colin M. Turnbull lived with the Mbuti people for three years in order to write the classic ethnography The Forest People .

Today, ethnography is a common approach in various social science fields, not just anthropology. It is used not only to study distant or unfamiliar cultures, but also to study specific communities within the researcher’s own society.

For example, ethnographic research (sometimes called participant observation ) has been used to investigate  football fans , call center workers , and police officers .

Advantages of ethnography

The main advantage of ethnography is that it gives the researcher direct access to the culture and practices of a group. It is a useful approach for learning first-hand about the behavior and interactions of people within a particular context.

By becoming immersed in a social environment, you may have access to more authentic information and spontaneously observe dynamics that you could not have found out about simply by asking.

Ethnography is also an open and flexible method. Rather than aiming to verify a general theory or test a hypothesis , it aims to offer a rich narrative account of a specific culture, allowing you to explore many different aspects of the group and setting.

Disadvantages of ethnography

Ethnography is a time-consuming method. In order to embed yourself in the setting and gather enough observations to build up a representative picture, you can expect to spend at least a few weeks, but more likely several months. This long-term immersion can be challenging, and requires careful planning.

Ethnographic research can run the risk of observer bias . Writing an ethnography involves subjective interpretation, and it can be difficult to maintain the necessary distance to analyze a group that you are embedded in.

There are often also ethical considerations to take into account: for example, about how your role is disclosed to members of the group, or about observing and reporting sensitive information.

Should you use ethnography in your research?

If you’re a student who wants to use ethnographic research in your thesis or dissertation , it’s worth asking yourself whether it’s the right approach:

• Could the information you need be collected in another way (e.g. a survey , interviews)?
• How difficult will it be to gain access to the community you want to study?
• How exactly will you conduct your research, and over what timespan?
• What ethical issues might arise?

If you do decide to do ethnography, it’s generally best to choose a relatively small and easily accessible group, to ensure that the research is feasible within a limited timeframe.

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There are a few key distinctions in ethnography which help to inform the researcher’s approach: open vs. closed settings, overt vs. covert ethnography, and active vs. passive observation. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Open vs. closed settings

The setting of your ethnography—the environment in which you will observe your chosen community in action—may be open or closed.

An open or public setting is one with no formal barriers to entry. For example, you might consider a community of people living in a certain neighborhood, or the fans of a particular baseball team.

• Gaining initial access to open groups is not too difficult…
• …but it may be harder to become immersed in a less clearly defined group.

A closed or private setting is harder to access. This may be for example a business, a school, or a cult.

• A closed group’s boundaries are clearly defined and the ethnographer can become fully immersed in the setting…
• …but gaining access is tougher; the ethnographer may have to negotiate their way in or acquire some role in the organization.

Overt vs. covert ethnography

Most ethnography is overt . In an overt approach, the ethnographer openly states their intentions and acknowledges their role as a researcher to the members of the group being studied.

• Overt ethnography is typically preferred for ethical reasons, as participants can provide informed consent…
• …but people may behave differently with the awareness that they are being studied.

Sometimes ethnography can be covert . This means that the researcher does not tell participants about their research, and comes up with some other pretense for being there.

• Covert ethnography allows access to environments where the group would not welcome a researcher…
• …but hiding the researcher’s role can be considered deceptive and thus unethical.

Active vs. passive observation

Different levels of immersion in the community may be appropriate in different contexts. The ethnographer may be a more active or passive participant depending on the demands of their research and the nature of the setting.

An active role involves trying to fully integrate, carrying out tasks and participating in activities like any other member of the community.

• Active participation may encourage the group to feel more comfortable with the ethnographer’s presence…
• …but runs the risk of disrupting the regular functioning of the community.

A passive role is one in which the ethnographer stands back from the activities of others, behaving as a more distant observer and not involving themselves in the community’s activities.

• Passive observation allows more space for careful observation and note-taking…
• …but group members may behave unnaturally due to feeling they are being observed by an outsider.

While ethnographers usually have a preference, they also have to be flexible about their level of participation. For example, access to the community might depend upon engaging in certain activities, or there might be certain practices in which outsiders cannot participate.

An important consideration for ethnographers is the question of access. The difficulty of gaining access to the setting of a particular ethnography varies greatly:

• To gain access to the fans of a particular sports team, you might start by simply attending the team’s games and speaking with the fans.
• To access the employees of a particular business, you might contact the management and ask for permission to perform a study there.
• Alternatively, you might perform a covert ethnography of a community or organization you are already personally involved in or employed by.

Flexibility is important here too: where it’s impossible to access the desired setting, the ethnographer must consider alternatives that could provide comparable information.

For example, if you had the idea of observing the staff within a particular finance company but could not get permission, you might look into other companies of the same kind as alternatives. Ethnography is a sensitive research method, and it may take multiple attempts to find a feasible approach.

All ethnographies involve the use of informants . These are people involved in the group in question who function as the researcher’s primary points of contact, facilitating access and assisting their understanding of the group.

This might be someone in a high position at an organization allowing you access to their employees, or a member of a community sponsoring your entry into that community and giving advice on how to fit in.

However,  i f you come to rely too much on a single informant, you may be influenced by their perspective on the community, which might be unrepresentative of the group as a whole.

In addition, an informant may not provide the kind of spontaneous information which is most useful to ethnographers, instead trying to show what they believe you want to see. For this reason, it’s good to have a variety of contacts within the group.

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The core of ethnography is observation of the group from the inside. Field notes are taken to record these observations while immersed in the setting; they form the basis of the final written ethnography. They are usually written by hand, but other solutions such as voice recordings can be useful alternatives.

Field notes record any and all important data: phenomena observed, conversations had, preliminary analysis. For example, if you’re researching how service staff interact with customers, you should write down anything you notice about these interactions—body language, phrases used repeatedly, differences and similarities between staff, customer reactions.

Don’t be afraid to also note down things you notice that fall outside the pre-formulated scope of your research; anything may prove relevant, and it’s better to have extra notes you might discard later than to end up with missing data.

Field notes should be as detailed and clear as possible. It’s important to take time to go over your notes, expand on them with further detail, and keep them organized (including information such as dates and locations).

After observations are concluded, there’s still the task of writing them up into an ethnography. This entails going through the field notes and formulating a convincing account of the behaviors and dynamics observed.

The structure of an ethnography

An ethnography can take many different forms: It may be an article, a thesis, or an entire book, for example.

Ethnographies often do not follow the standard structure of a scientific paper, though like most academic texts, they should have an introduction and conclusion. For example, this paper begins by describing the historical background of the research, then focuses on various themes in turn before concluding.

An ethnography may still use a more traditional structure, however, especially when used in combination with other research methods. For example, this paper follows the standard structure for empirical research: introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

The content of an ethnography

The goal of a written ethnography is to provide a rich, authoritative account of the social setting in which you were embedded—to convince the reader that your observations and interpretations are representative of reality.

Ethnography tends to take a less impersonal approach than other research methods. Due to the embedded nature of the work, an ethnography often necessarily involves discussion of your personal experiences and feelings during the research.

Ethnography is not limited to making observations; it also attempts to explain the phenomena observed in a structured, narrative way. For this, you may draw on theory, but also on your direct experience and intuitions, which may well contradict the assumptions that you brought into the research.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Ecological validity

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

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How to Write an Ethnography?

By: Henrique Bertulino

Before we elaborate on how to write an ethnography, we need to understand what it is. The word "ethnography" has a Greek origin. "Ethos" means people, and "graphic" means to write. It is a tool used in social sciences, such as cultural anthropology. It is a detailed description based on different social aspects and patterns within a culture. It focuses on using research methods from social sciences to explain the uniqueness in human behaviors and experiences.

What is Ethnography?

Understanding your audience and topic, students away from their targeted community, the thesis statement and outline, literature reviews, data collection and analysis, quantitative research, qualitative research, reflexivity, writing the introduction and conclusion, the final draft.

Ethnographic writing is time-consuming. The research and data analysis can take months. An ethnographer lives with a particular community, allowing him to learn about their culture. They observe the behavior and lifestyle of people. Besides observation, they gather data using different methods. The data is the basis of the ethnographic report. Here, we are going to unfold three different styles to approach it:

• Interpretive;
• Descriptive.

Steps to Writing an Ethnography

When you begin the research, you should make fieldnotes. The field notes should entail all your experiences, no matter how trivial they seem. They will help in determining what type of style to adopt for your writing. Many students get overwhelmed when writing it due to the heavy volume of observations. They find it challenging to narrow their focus down. With human behavior and social theories, it is easy to go off on a tangent instead of sticking to the topic. You need to break down the paper into different parts. The main steps may include:

When writing any document, you need to know your audience. It will help you tailor your tone and style to perfection. To get your point across to the reader, you need to know who they are. If you write it for a student, it will involve a brief explanation of why and how you used those methods. If it is for a journal, you may focus on the writing style of the journal articles.

As social behavior is a broad area, many students find it challenging to keep their focus narrow. If they fail to do so, they are likely to end up creating a vague write-up. It may hardly catch the readers' attention. It will confuse the readers rather than educating them. You must realize what aspect of the culture they want to study. Once you have a clear view of your goal, you can embark on it right away.

If you are not fortunate enough to be a part of a community that your ethnography is to be based on, you have a way out. You may ideally glean insights from the works of other ethnographers focusing on your targeted group of people.

The thesis statement is a key part of an ethnography. It sets the theme of your research. It will help the reader understand the central idea of the paper. When writing your paper, it helps to refer to the thesis statement. It will help you stay focused around the central theme and help integrate your findings logically. It can help organize your creative writing in the paper. The aim of the thesis statement is for the audience to recognize the importance of the social aspect you studied.

After you have determined the theme, central idea, and thesis statement, you move on to the next step. It is a creation of an outline for ethnographic writing. You can use your own work gathered during fieldwork to facilitate you. The outline will help you stay on track with writing and data gathering. You will have an insight into what group of people to engage with more, how to use your daily life experiences, and much more. You will review all the ethnographic data from the field sites to help craft the outline. It will make the writing process easier as well. Your report will be broken down into sections, and you can focus on each section at a time and prevent unnecessary overlapping of information.

A literature review is a vital element of an ethnographic report. It is a brief roundup of previous research regarding your current topic. It helps you gather information and adds credibility to your work. Furthermore, it provides a foundation for you to build your argument on. When writing a literature review, you have to focus on the entire study, from the topic to the conclusion. Analyzing the research methodologies and data analysis techniques can help you better understand the methods to use for your ethnographic descriptions. Typically, you should add 3 to 5 literature reviews to your paper.

Your ethnographic report should consist of the data collection tools you used. Besides, you have elaborated the reasoning for using those methods. You have to provide the results of the data you have gathered. There are two methods for data collection:

The next step is the analysis of the data. It is based on how a researcher interprets the ethnographic data from the field site. With data collection, you only gather information. In this step, you use it to get results. You may use various social theories to interpret the data and relate it to their thesis statement. This step also helps remove any unnecessary data.

When writing, reflexivity refers to the details of the research. It explains who the researcher is and why he chooses to study that particular ethnic group or aspect of the culture. The writer also elaborates the reasoning for the research tools used to gather the ethnographic data. It removes any misunderstanding with the data analysis. Furthermore, you may use this part to list any limitations you faced. In reflexivity, you can differentiate your study from previous studies in the field. You also get a chance to elaborate on how your research adds value to the social sciences.

A helpful tip is to write the introduction and conclusion at the end. The introduction is the summarization of the report. It provides the reader with the basics of what to expect from the paper. Writing it at the end can help better articulate your thoughts. It will help you create a platform for the thesis statement.

Every academic report requires a conclusion. The conclusion should be concise and to the point. A lengthy conclusion will lose the interest of the audience. It should highlight the key findings of the research and your interpretation of it.

The final step in writing an ethnography is proofreading and editing. When you have written the paper, you have proofread it to weed out any errors or mistakes. You can even ask a colleague to read it like a case study and help you make any appropriate changes. At this step, you can determine whether the document is focused on the thesis statement's central theme. Once you have to edit the final draft, it is ready to submit or publish.

Writing an ethnography is a daunting task. It is challenging for students to find a starting point due to the overload of data from the field sites. By following these steps, a writer can articulate their research points and integrate them into a well-written ethnographic paper.

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6- Drafting Your Ethnographic Essay

Chapter 6 provides a step-by-step process for developing, writing, and revising your ethnographic research essay.

Finding a Focus, Choosing a Controlling Idea for Your Research

The first step in finding a focus is to read through all of your fieldnotes two times. As you read, notice when and where you become particularly interested in what you have written. Circle, mark or note these passages in some way. Write a brief summary of each idea/passage on a separate sheet. After you identify what interests you most, move on to search for patterns that will lead you to focus.  You can follow the step-by step-process below as a path to create a kind of umbrella or guiding focus statement for your essay:

• Read through the list you compiled from your fieldnotes and identify which parts of your fieldnotes interest and engage you most. Look at the larger arc. Are most of your points taken from your thoughts and feelings or are you more interested in the analysis observation?
• Search for patterns in your list, and make a new list of those patterns. Keep an eye out for things that strike you as meaningful and interesting and that happen again and again.  As you explore patterns, also look for things connected to those patterns.  Find patterns within patterns. how do you connect ideas with language?  Do you seem to repeatedly use the same phrases?  When and with respect to what observations?  This may help identify relevant patters of observation.
• From your list of patterns and connections, select the ONE larger idea/pattern that interests you most. You know you’re on to something if you find a pattern and can see how it connects to other observations you’ve made during your research and /or to what other scholars or writers have said.
• Take that one interesting idea/pattern and develop an “umbrella” statement or a broad focus statement. You can start, for drafting purposes, with something as simple as “In this paper, I will…(discuss, explore, explain, analyze, etc.).”  Here you are articulating the big idea for your essay. You can always return to the statement to make is more sophisticated in the context of a focus paragraph later,
• Expand that statement by breaking the pattern that you are focusing on into any number of supporting observations. Follow your initial broad or umbrella focus statement with that break down. “First, I will….Second…Third….” with each of those statements specifying the supporting material. These first, second, and third statements provide the framework for the body sections of your research essay.

As you examine patterns you find in your own comprehensive observation list and look for an idea, theme, or metaphor to connect them, keep in mind the ways in which a focus moves from observations to a more developed discussion of the ideas you note.  As you connect the dots of your pattern, you may begin to understand where your essay could “land,” which implications become most compelling to you, and which elements for discussion could make clear the complexity of reality and truth.  When you identify some of these more powerful elements, take the time to write about any connections you see between those patterns or expand on any unfinished thoughts. From this list, you need to choose the idea/pattern that interests you most, that you think you can really write about, and that you can support with other observations from your notes. You have found your focus!

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1a- Connecting to Ethnographic Writing
• 1b- Identifying with Ethnographic Writing
• 1c- Rhetorical Strate­gies for Ethnographic Writing
• 2a- Writerly Ethos
• 2b- Under­stand­ing Pla­gia­rism
• 2c- Eth­i­cal Conun­drums in Com­munity Research
• 3a- Examining Culture as Text
• 3b- Selecting a Research Site
• 3c- Access to Your Research Site
• 3d- Rhetorical Strategies for Research Proposals
• 4a- Rhetorical Strategies for Writing Observations
• 4b- Considering Types of Fieldnotes
• 4c- Expanding and Revising Fieldnotes and Observations
• 5a- Searching for Sources: Keywords, Databases, Catalogs, and Shelves
• 5b- Ethical Considerations when Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
• 5c- Impact of Technology on Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
• 5d- Sorting Sources and Eating Books
• 5e- Popular Culture Source Material
• 5f- Summarizing Sources
• 5g- Building an Annotated Bibliography
• 6a- Introducing your Research
• 6b- Presenting the Methodology and Focus
• 6c- Selecting Examples and Evidence
• 6d- Selecting Effective Secondary Source Evidence
• 6e- Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Documenting Source Material
• 6f- Concluding in a Meaningful Way
• 6g- Reviewing and Revising Your Essay
• Supplemental Modules
• How to Use this Textbook
• Teaching with EC
• How to Become a Contributing Author

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Writing your thesis statement

A thesis statement clearly identifies the topic being discussed, includes the points discussed in the paper, and is written for a specific audience. Your thesis statement belongs at the end of your first paragraph, also known as your introduction. Use it to generate interest in your topic and encourage your audience to continue reading. 

A strong thesis statement is refutable and specific. It makes a new point about theory or examines how two ideas relate in a new way. I adapts or critiques someone else's argument. Strong research thesis statements are:

• Specific : talk about a specific idea rather than a broad theme, the more concrete the better. 
• Text-based : your argument should arise from the text, your interview, or ethnographic research; it should not be an imposition of your own personal moral or ethical views. Don't cast judgment on the social actors.
• Unified : be sure that you're arguing one thing, and avoid bifurcated thesis statements.
• Not too obvious:  your paper should point out something that isn't immediately obvious to someone without a close examination of the texts or ethnographic data. Make sure that what you're writing about demands that a paper be written about it.
• Refutable : it should be possible to come up with a reasonable and valid counter argument to your thesis statement.
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• Last Updated: Apr 26, 2024 8:26 AM
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Qualitative research methodologies: ethnography

• Related content
• Peer review
• Scott Reeves , associate professor 1 ,
• Ayelet Kuper , assistant professor 2 ,
• Brian David Hodges , associate professor and vice chair (education) 3
• 1 Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Centre for Faculty Development, and Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto, 200 Elizabeth Street, Eaton South 1-565, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4
• 2 Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M4N 3M5
• 3 Department of Psychiatry, Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4
• Correspondence to: S Reeves scott.reeves{at}utoronto.ca

The previous articles (there were 2 before this 1) in this series discussed several methodological approaches commonly used by qualitative researchers in the health professions. This article focuses on another important qualitative methodology: ethnography. It provides background for those who will encounter this methodology in their reading rather than instructions for carrying out such research.

What is ethnography?

Ethnography is the study of social interactions, behaviours, and perceptions that occur within groups, teams, organisations, and communities. Its roots can be traced back to anthropological studies of small, rural (and often remote) societies that were undertaken in the early 1900s, when researchers such as Bronislaw Malinowski and Alfred Radcliffe-Brown participated in these societies over long periods and documented their social arrangements and belief systems. This approach was later adopted by members of the Chicago School of Sociology (for example, Everett Hughes, Robert Park, Louis Wirth) and applied to a variety of urban settings in their studies of social life.

The central aim of ethnography is to provide rich, holistic insights into people’s views and actions, as well as the nature (that is, sights, sounds) of the location they inhabit, through the collection of detailed observations and interviews. As Hammersley states, “The task [of ethnographers] is to document the culture, the perspectives and practices, of the people in these settings. The aim is to ‘get inside’ the way each group of people sees the world.” 1 Box 1 outlines the key features of ethnographic research.

Box 1 Key features of ethnographic research 2

A strong emphasis on exploring the nature of a particular social phenomenon, rather than setting out to test hypotheses about it

A tendency to work primarily with “unstructured data” —that is, data that have not been coded at the point of data collection as a closed set of analytical categories

Investigation of a small number of cases (perhaps even just …

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15 Great Ethnography Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Ethnography is a research method that involves embedding yourself in the environment of a group or community and recording what you observe. It often involves the researcher living in the community being studied. This leads to a much richer understanding of the people being examined than doing quantitative research.

The thing I love about ethnography is that it paints a thorough picture of people’s lives. It is, in its own way, the most raw, honest, and detailed form of academic research.

In my previous blog posts, I have discussed my admiration for thick description as a way to pierce beyond stereotypes and view the world through the lens of our subjects.

And there’s no doubt that ethnographic research has helped us learn so much more about how people navigate their cultural circumstances.

Below are some examples of ethnography – both abstract (with the hope that it helps students think about some ways they can do ethnography) and real-life (with the hope that you will read some inspiring ethnographic studies).

Ethnography Examples

To start, here are some ways you could potentially do ethnography:

• Ethnography of Indigenous People: There are many examples of ethnographic studies that look at indigenous cultures and how they’re similar or different to Western culture. Beware of the trap of colonialism during this work.
• Mundane Ethnography: Remember, ethnography doesn’t have to happen in a far off land. You can do autoethnography where you study yourself , or a study of somewhere very banal, like your workplace or home.
• Educational Ethnography: There is a rich history of teachers and researchers using ethnographic methods in classrooms to explore how learning happens.
• Ethnography in a Shop: Be the ethnographer within a supermarket by interacting with the people there on a daily basis (maybe as the cashier) and observe how people interact and collide within the space.
• Working-Class and Immigrant Ethnography: Many sociologists use ethnographic methods to take an inside look at how people on the margins of society grapple with global concepts like capitalism, globalization, and race.
• Digital Ethnography: Since the rise of the internet, there have been many researchers interested in the digital lives of people. Some of my favorite studies have revealed how we create our identities online.

My Favorite Ethnographic Research Books

1. learning to labour.

Author: Paul Willis

One of my favorite ethnographic works, Learning to Labour follows working-class ‘lads’ in the British Midlands as they participate in counter-cultural and ‘anti-social’ behaviors.

The most fascinating aspect of this book is the rich elucidation of how these working-class boys reject narratives of upward mobility and revel in rejecting mental work at school. But at the same time, they create their own value hierarchies.

In fact, the boys don’t even leave school when they are legally allowed, despite giving a veneer of being anti-school. Instead, they remain there, because there is their own social and even educational value they can get out of it. They prize the manual labor they do in class and, after leaving school, continue to prize physical labor in the workplace while deriding and dismissing mental labor.

2. Being Maori in the City

Author: Natacha Gagné

When indigenous people live in urban environments, their authenticity as indigenous peoples is often brought into question.

Thus, Gagné’s examination of Maori identity in Auckland presents a valuable insight into how people continue to live out their indigenous identities in a changing, urbanized, and colonized landscape.

Gagné spent two years living with Maori people in Auckland and highlights in the book how their identity continues to be central to how they interact both with one another and with broader society.

3. Ethnography of a Neoliberal School

Author: Garth Stahl

While a wide range of academic research has looked at how neoliberalism can affect education, an ethnographic approach allows Stahl to demonstrate how it turns up as lived experience.

Neoliberalism is an approach to governance that focuses on the corporatization of society. In education, this means that schools should be run like companies.

There is no better example, of course, than charter schools .

In my favorite chapter, Stahl demonstrates within one anonymized charter school how teachers are increasingly subjected to performance quotas, KPIs, and governance that narrow down the purpose of education and give them very little freedom to exercise their expertise and provide individualized support to their students.

4. Coming of Age in Samoa

Author: Margaret Mead

Margaret Mead’s groundbreaking ethnography, Coming of Age in Samoa , had implications for two important reasons:

• It highlighted the importance of feminist perspectives in ethnographic research.
• It challenged a universalizing stage-based conceptualization of human development.

Mead’s work was conducted at a time when the Western world was in a moral panic about adolescents’ stress and emotional behaviors. The prevailing idea – promoted mainly by male psychologists – was that most of those behaviors were a natural part of the developmental cycle.

Mead, however, saw that female Samoan adolescents had much different experiences of adolescence and would not have fitted into the western mold of how a female adolescent would behave or be treated.

The Samoan society’s liberal ideas around intimacy and the lower levels of academic stress placed on the girls meant they lived very different realities with far less stress and social pressure than their Western counterparts.

5. Ghetto at the Center of the World

Author: Gordon Mathews

Mathews’s Ghetto at the Center of the World explores a multiethnic high-density housing complex in Hong Kong.

While seen by many locals as a ghetto (despite its relative safety!), Mathews shows how the motley group of residents, migrants, and tourists in the building live rich lives at what appears to be ground zero of globalization.

For the people in the building, globalization has offered opportunities but hasn’t solved all their problems. Each person that Mathews follows has their own story of how they navigate a globalized world while maintaining hope for a better future.

Additional Influential Ethnographic Studies

• Argonauts of the Western Pacific – This study was notable because it presented a turn toward participant observation in ethnography rather than attempts at fly-on-the-wall objectivity.
• The Remembered Village – A study of caste systems in India, this study is most notable for its methodological influence. Srinivas, the author, lost his field notes, but he continued on with presenting his findings, causing widespread controversy about its methodological merits.
• Space and Society in Central Brazil – This study explores the experiences of the Panará indigenous people of Brazil as they attempt to secure protected space from the colonialization occurring around them. It’s notable for its insights into how the Panará people organize themselves both culturally and spatially.
• White Bound – This book follows two groups, a white anti-racist group and a white nationalist group, and explores how each deals with whiteness. While the groups have fundamentally different goals, even the anti-racist group continue to contribute to white privilege .
• City, Street and Citizen – Suzanne Hall’s study of the mundane city street explores how multiethnicity is played out in globalized cities. It is a fascinating look at how lives take place within shared spaces where social contact occurs.

Ethnography is, in my humble (and of course subjective) opinion, the most exciting form of primary research you can do. It can challenge assumptions, unpick social norms, and make us all more empathetic people.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 119 Bloom’s Taxonomy Examples
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3 thoughts on “15 Great Ethnography Examples”

Thanks very much for that. I am an early childhood teacher, already published on the topic of bilingual and multilingual children in our sector. One of my lecturers has suggested an ethnographic study of some of our immigrant children. Not sure where to start with that, but this has put me in the right frame of mind. Thanks again

Dear Chris,

Any suggested topic on ethnographic research i can start with here in the hospital where i am working. I am a nurse for cardiovascular patients undergoing open heart surgeries.

As you’re in a high risk setting, you might be best asking your managers at the workplace about this one. You could also consider an autoethnography where you do a study on yourself within the settings.

Best of luck with the study.

Regards, Chris

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Ethnographic Research – Complete Guide with Examples

Published by Carmen Troy at August 14th, 2021 , Revised On August 29, 2023

What is Ethnographic Research?

Ethnography is a  type of research where a researcher observes people in their natural environment.

Ethnographers spend time studying people and their day-to-day lives and cultural activities carefully. It takes a long-term commitment and exciting methods of data collection .

It has two unique features

• The researcher carries out ethnographic research in a natural environment.
• A researcher acts as a participant and researcher at the same time.

History of Ethnographic Research

During the period of colonialism, anthropology emerged as a formal and notable discipline. Anthropologists started to study traditional people and their cultures. There are many types of ethnographic studies used for various purposes.

Uses of Ethnographic Research    

Ethnographic research has the following uses;

• Documentation of endangered cultures
• Studying distant or new cultures.
• Studying and observing people’s behaviour in a specific society or community over a more extended period with changing circumstances.

Example: Malinowski’s six years of research on the people of Trobriand islands in Melanesia.

Today ethnographic research is also used in social sciences.

Examples:                                                                                                                                  Investigations done by detectives, police officers to solve any criminal mystery.        Investigations are carried out to learn the history and details of culture, community, religion, or games. The research was performed to understand the social interactions of the people.                Research to understand the roles of families and organisations.

Advantages of Conducting Ethnographic Research

There are various  methods of research  based on the requirements and aim of the investigation. Here is the list of the key features of  ethnographic research

• You can conduct ethnographic research alone.
• It allows you to observe the changes in people’s behaviour and culture over time and record it.
• You can conduct it in any place.
• It allows you to be a part of the community as a participant and take a close look at their lifestyle.
• You can gather a piece of detailed information with abundant experience, which helps you in further research.
• It provides the opportunity and pleasure of adventure as well as research.
• You don’t need to spend anything on the setup and equipment.
• You can learn to use any language of your choice during the research.
• You can find out about historical  changes and events.
• You can use and enhance your skills and knowledge.
• You are solely responsible for experimenting.
• You get the opportunity to get to know the underlying realities and opinions of the people.
• You get the chance to focus on the verbal and non-verbal behavior of the people.

Disadvantages of Ethnographic Research

• It requires a lot of time.
• It is challenging to conclude the results.
• The researcher needs to work alone.
• It requires patience, skills to interact with people, and staying within the community as a community member.
• Personal safety and privacy would be at risk.

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What to do Before Starting your Ethnographic Research?

You need to identify your  research question(s)  and decide the mode of data collection. It’s better to choose a small group of people and aim to complete your studies within a short period. 

It would help if you asked a few questions to yourself.

• Who will be your target participants?
• Do you have enough time to conduct the research?
• What’s the purpose of your study?
• What kinds of resources do you have?
• Do you have enough funds to conduct your research?
• Do you have access to the community you want to study?

Types of Ethnographic Research

Realistic ethnographic research.

It is unbiased documentation written in the third person. You can use the collected notes for interpretations. 

A  case study is a documented history and detailed analysis of a situation concerning organisations, industries, and markets. It aims at discovering new facts of the condition under observation. 

It includes data collection from multiple sources over time.

Critical Ethnographic Research

It focuses on the marginalised community to study inequality and dominance.

How to Conduct Ethnographic Research?

Step 1: problem formulation.

Before conducting any research, the essential step is selecting the problem  you want to carry out your study.

Step 2: Select a Research Setting

After Selecting a research problem, you need to select the location of your research. It will help if you prefer a familiar place and community in which you can fit comfortably.

Step 3: Get Access to the Community

You need to get access to the community you want to study. How do you reach the community you want to study? 

You need to get official permission to conduct your research on a specific group of people. You can also join the community as a volunteer instead of a researcher.

There are two types of access, such as:

Open access: You don’t need to seek permission to conduct your research and  collect data in this type of access. You can observe the population. You need to get accepted by the group to proceed with your research.

Example: Public in market places, parties, concerts, etc., are regarded as open-access groups.

Closed-access:  In this type of access, you need to get permission from the gatekeeper of the community you want to study. 

Example:  Schools, colleges, corporations, etc.

Step 4: Represent yourself to the Group

It would help if you asked yourself a few questions before introducing yourself to the group members.

• How will you introduce yourself to the community you want to study?
• What would be your role in the group?
• How actively do you want to participate in the group’s day-to-day activities?
• Will the group accept you as a researcher and allow you to conduct your research?

You can either inform the participants about the experiment, and it’s called the overt approach. You can hide the research and oversee people’s behaviour. It’s called a covert approach.

You can also act as a participant of the community performing the activities like the group, called active observation. It allows the community to feel more comfortable with the researcher.

Similarly, you can keep yourself away from the group without performing any activities like them and observe them as a researcher. It is called passive observation.

It would help if you tried various approaches until you find a suitable method to proceed with your research.

Step 5: Collecting and Recording the Information

You can collect the data by the following methods;

Observation: You can participate in the group activities or observe the group’s behavior, either informing them about the experiment or keeping them unaware of the investigation.

Interviewing:  You can carry out direct conversations with all group members or obtain information from a specific member of the group. It’s better not to rely on the informants as they may interpret the data according to their perception rather than delivering in its actual context. 

Archival Research:  You can also use existing information stored in the previous researchers’ records to proceed with your research.

It becomes difficult to gather and record the information at the same time. 

What should you do in this situation?

You can maintain a notepad to record your observation immediately or sometimes wait until you leave the setting to record your observation. It’s better to note down your observations as soon as possible before you forget them and struggle to recall them. You can write down your field notes or record the people’s audios or videos while talking to them.

Your notes should include the following features:

Running/Field Notes:  these are the observations that you note down daily. The idea is to record your observation immediately after observing it. It would help if you observed the individual activities of the group members and perspectives.

How to describe Ethnographic Research?

Ethnographic research involves immersing in a community or culture to understand its nuances. Researchers observe, participate, and interview to grasp social practices, beliefs, and behaviors. It provides rich insights into how people experience and interpret their world.

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Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Ethnography

Essays on Ethnography

Ethnographic essay topics and outline examples, essay title 1: unveiling cultural realities: an ethnographic study of [specific culture].

Thesis Statement: This ethnographic research paper provides an in-depth exploration of [specific culture], aiming to reveal the cultural practices, beliefs, social structures, and everyday life experiences of its members, while also shedding light on the impact of globalization and modernization.

• Introduction
• Research Context: Overview of [specific culture] and Its Significance
• Research Methods: Participant Observation, Interviews, and Data Collection
• Cultural Practices and Traditions: Rituals, Customs, and Social Norms
• Community and Social Structure: Family, Hierarchy, and Social Roles
• Impact of Globalization: Changes, Challenges, and Adaptations
• Conclusion: Insights Gained and the Cultural Richness of [specific culture]

Essay Title 2: Urban Ethnography: Exploring the Dynamics of [Specific Urban Community]

Thesis Statement: This ethnographic study focuses on [specific urban community], examining the urban environment, social interactions, community networks, and the challenges and opportunities that residents encounter in their daily lives.

• Research Context: Introduction to [specific urban community] and Its Demographics
• Research Methods: Immersive Fieldwork, Surveys, and Ethnographic Data
• Urban Landscape: Architecture, Public Spaces, and Neighborhood Characteristics
• Community Bonds: Social Cohesion, Networks, and Support Systems
• Challenges of Urban Life: Poverty, Gentrification, and Access to Resources
• Aspirations and Resilience: Stories of Residents and Their Urban Experience
• Conclusion: Understanding [specific urban community] and the Complex Urban Fabric

Essay Title 3: Ethnography of [Specific Subculture]: Navigating Identities, Belonging, and Expression

Thesis Statement: This ethnographic research paper explores the world of [specific subculture], shedding light on the subcultural identity, values, rituals, and modes of expression, while also examining the subculture's relationship with mainstream culture and the challenges it faces.

• Subcultural Context: Introduction to [specific subculture] and Its Significance
• Research Methods: Immersion, Interviews, and Documenting Subcultural Practices
• Subcultural Identity: Shared Beliefs, Symbols, and Modes of Expression
• Subculture vs. Mainstream Culture: Tensions, Resistance, and Integration
• Subcultural Challenges: Stereotypes, Stigmatization, and Legal Issues
• Subcultural Resilience: Community Building, Artistic Expression, and Social Change
• Conclusion: Embracing the Diversity of [specific subculture] and Its Impact on Society

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Ethnography (from Greek ἔθνος ethnos "folk, people, nation" and γράφω grapho "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures.

Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnographers mainly use qualitative methods, though they may also employ quantitative data. The typical ethnography is a holistic study and so includes a brief history, and an analysis of the terrain, the climate, and the habitat.

Gerhard Friedrich Müller developed the concept of ethnography as a separate discipline whilst participating in the Second Kamchatka Expedition (1733–43) as a professor of history and geography. Whilst involved in the expedition, he differentiated Völker-Beschreibung as a distinct area of study. This became known as "ethnography," following the introduction of the Greek neologism ethnographia by Johann Friedrich Schöpperlin.

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How to Write an Ethnography Essay or Research Paper

How to Write an Ethnography Essay

Ethnographic writing is very common in colleges and universities. It involves ethnographic essays, research papers, and assignments. These papers are written at different levels in colleges and universities.

Therefore, as a student you have to be well versed on how these papers are written for you to score good grades.

If you have been looking for a guide on how to handle ethnographic essays look no further because this article provides you with all information you need to know about ethnographic writing and different topics that you can use to practice.

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What is an Ethnography Essay or Paper?

An ethnographic essay is a piece of writing that focuses on a subculture, culture, or group. The emphasis and focus is usually on observation, field notes, and observations.

The understanding that any ethnographic paper seeks is the way people think and live their everyday life. Therefore, spending time with people is necessary for the writer to determine how people live and what they are interested in.

An ethnographic essay should have an introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion.

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How to Write an Ethnography Essay?

The following are important tips that one should consider when writing an ethnographic essay :

1. Research on Existing Studies on the Topic

By researching on the existing knowledge, you will be able to know areas of the topic that have already been explored and identify areas that need additional new knowledge.

Also, you are able to identify questions about the topic that have been left unanswered and the gaps that still exists. Additionally, you will be able to write your work confidently without the danger of duplicating the work of other people.

2. Research on the Topic or Focus Group

The purpose of researching on the topic or focus group is to test your hypothesis. For example, you can answer some research questions, try various methods of collecting data and record observations in real time. You can also learn about the ethics of the focus group.

This helps refine the topic and familiarize with the context of what you will write about. Also, you may get insight on any obstacle that you may have overlooked.

3. Use both Primary and Secondary Data when Conducting Research

When researching you should collect data through observation in real time, interviews, and focus groups. These are first hand sources of information that are authentic.

Also, you should use published studies and articles which present you with the ideas of how others have conducted ethnographic research.

4. Develop a Thesis Statement

While conducting your research, formulate a thesis statement which will be the main argument of the paper. It should describe what you are exploring in your research.

It is the main idea of your paper and not necessarily the questions that the topic poses.

It should be straight to the point and brief with no jargon to help the reader understand what your ethnography paper is all about

5. Use Retrospective or Prospective Study Design

Retrospective design involves the study of the past while prospective design involves data collection about an event that is ongoing.

The design you use depends on whether you want to pick up memories from people about an event of the past or if you want to find out something that is actually transpiring.

6. Take Notes during the Ethnographic Study

Taking notes will help clarify the observations made, provide audit trail for your research and look for patterns in data. Participants’ notes helps record observation in the real time that they happened and prevents the efforts of try to remember what was observed later.

Also through notes preconceived notions are avoided and relevant thoughts for your analysis captured.

7. Write the Introduction

The introduction of an ethnographic essay should provide the background information about the issue being written about.

A good ethnographic introduction should include a thesis statement that presents an argument and a proper investigation on why the topic is important to investigate.

Here you set the tone for the entire paper. Therefore, the introduction should be catchy to motivate the reader to continue reading.

8. Write the Background Information

This is where the information that gives the reader the context of what your ethnography paper is all about is written. The information included here should be relevant to your hypothesis or argument.

Geographical place where the research took place should also be included. Also, the literature review which consists of what has been written previously about the topic should be included.

Additionally, provide an explanation of how your research contributes to the understanding of the topic.

9. Write the Methodology

This is where you include how you as the ethnographer collected information and data. You can also include the limitations as well as the biases in the data process.

Data collection entails how you observed the data, the exact data you observed and how you recorded it.

10. Write the Findings

These include the actual representation of your research which is data, quotes, keywords and illustrations. To do this you can choose a method of presentation which can be charts, tables, diagrams, and photographs.

Everything that is included in this part should be clear and concise for the reader to get the relevant facts of your research.

Everything that does not relate to your arguments directly should not be included in this part because it is unnecessary.

To keep it as simple as possible think of it as a presentation for non-specialists in your field of specialization.

11. Conclude your Ethnography

This is where you provide the summary for your paper. For any conclusion of an ethnography to be good it must include the argument that is presented on the thesis statement.

Also, it should provide the context of how your research fits into the larger researches already conducted about the topic. The language used to write it should be understandable by non-specialists. It should be clear and direct with no jargon.

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Ethnography Essay Example Topics

• Access the different career paths among children from rich families and poor families.
• Outline the link that is seen as obvious between drug trafficking and violence experienced in South American Countries
• In details, discuss the effectiveness of parenting practices used by African American parents to socialize their children
• Analyse the perception of success and failure in low and middle class families compare to high social class families.
• What policies can departments dealing with the welfare of children put in place to ensure that the rate of juvenile delinquency in America has achieved a significant drop. 
• How religions especially Hinduism and Islam have influenced the perception of gender socialization
• The effects of continued terrorism acts on migration and what that means for the tourism sector of affected countries
• The plight of the homeless people in America and the rise of insecurity in urban centres
• The discrimination of the minority races in America and its effects in the rise of incarceration rates in involved communities
• The acceptance and opposition of euthanasia in Brazil and the effects it has on the population over time
• How the increased adaptation of modern lifestyles of the western culture in Africa have impacted the traditional ways of African communities
• The process of immigrants adapting to life in America and how it leads to the struggle to fit in
• The toil for the American dream and its influence on criminality among the majority of African Americans
• The rise of globalization and its impact on the economy of majority of African countries
• The increased rate of drug abuse in Tertiary institutions and its effects on the quality of graduates

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Ethnography - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Ethnography, a qualitative research method central to anthropology and other social sciences, involves the in-depth study of cultures and communities through participant observation and other fieldwork techniques. Essays could delve into the methodological underpinnings of ethnography, its historical evolution, and its contributions to understanding complex social phenomena. Discussions might also explore the ethical considerations inherent in ethnographic research, including issues of representation, consent, and reflexivity. An analysis of seminal ethnographic works, the challenges and opportunities of conducting ethnographic research in contemporary settings, and the adaptation of ethnographic methods to digital and global contexts can provide a solid understanding of the evolving practice and relevance of ethnography. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary applications of ethnography, its role in policy-making and social intervention, and the debates surrounding its epistemological and ethical premises can be discussed, offering a comprehensive perspective on the nuanced practice and enduring significance of ethnographic inquiry. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Ethnography you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Discourse Community Ethnography: Yazaki

Abstract Discourse communities are a part of people’s lives whether they identify themselves in a discourse community or not. Throughout people’s lives, they acquire new skills or preferences that lets them join a certain discourse. To identify whether a community is a discourse, one must follow Swales six characteristics to see if a community qualifies. Following these six characteristics, I examined whether the Yazaki North America, Inc. could be categorized as a discourse community. In my research and after conducting […]

Research Methods and Ethnography Design of Research

Decision-making occurs in everyday life. Several factors exist that may influence the decision-making process, including drugs and substance abuse, brain injuries, neurological disorders, and genetics. Although various factors influence the decision-making process, it is important to observe specific factors. Thus, the question arises: how do neurological factors influence the decision-making process? It is suspected that drug abuse significantly impacts the decision-making process because it changes the chemicals in the brain. It is important to research various methodologies that provide a […]

US and Mexican Immigration Policies from a Holistic Anthropological Perspective

For my anthropology book review, I decided to read and analyze The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail by Jason de Leon. Jason takes a look at U.S.-Mexico immigration policies from a holistic anthropological view that includes forensic science, linguistics, ethnography, and archaeology. The book’s main argument about immigration is the Sonoran Desert is used by the United States government as a cruel and harsh method of border enforcement. After reading this text, I would […]

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The Concept of Discourse Community: a Response to the Ethnography of Branick and Mirabelli

The concept of a discourse community was new to me when we started this unit, but I quickly caught on to what exactly one is. I was under the impression that the "texts," "reading," and "writing" that a discourse community puts to use or carries out referred to physical, written works. But as I realized during unit one, literacy can take many forms--meaning, it is an activity in communication, called "social literacy"--not only reading and writing. Along those lines, the […]

Qualitative Research Related to Ethnography

Qualitative research provides a description of the holistic and individual aspects of how people experience a given issue. It looks at the person’s or community’s side of an issue in terms of behaviors, beliefs, opinions, emotions, and social experiences. It also focuses on people and communities holistically to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences. There are three methods of qualitative research: phenomenological, grounded theory, and ethnographic research. These methods offer a wider and deeper understanding of the research problem […]

The Circulation of Children by Jessaca B. Leinaweaver

The ethnography, The Circulation of Children, by Jessaca B. Leinaweaver, is about how she investigates child circulation in Peru. Child circulation is an unofficial style of arrangements that are made where indigenous Andean children are sent by their parents to live in other houses with other families. Child circulation can be established by the parents because they can not care for their children or because an elder either wants company since they have none, or it gives the children a […]

Problem of Sex Trafficking in Modern World

Not too long ago, the idea of slavery seemed like an event of the past. However, researchers have found modern day slavery to be a disastrous reality. Human trafficking is a global issue occurring in countries all around the world. Although it is assumed that these kinds of activities may only occur in third world countries, it is just as prevalent in developed, civilized countries as well. Today, millions of women, children, and men are trafficked all around the world […]

Racial, Gender and Sexual Identity

In the article "Fluid and Shifting: Racialized, Gendered, and Sexual Identity in African American Children," by Denise Isom, the author talks about a study on African American children and racialized gender identity. The researchers used various methods to conduct their research, including: 1) questionnaires, 2) face-to-face interviews, 3) ethnographic observation. The first part of the study was conducted from 2001-2002 in a "lower/working class African American community near a large mid-western city" (Isom, 2012). The subjects of this study were […]

Gathering Research about Social Enviroment

As indicated by Bronislaw Malinowski (Kuper, 1996), there's a contrast between the populace views within the community or whom Malinowksi alluded to as actors and the investigators. He analyzed the society in a participant perception technique. He asserts integrating details observed. The sociological mix of various application components is the ethnographer's role. Each observed detail, resulting from a cultural response, serves a capacity to the achievement of man's essential needs. This is apparently the reasons for developing infrastructure and designs […]

Aids and Accusation Unimagined Community

AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame by Paul Farmer, and Unimagined Community: Sex, Networks, and AIDS in Uganda and South Africa bring the Western reader into a confrontation of largely ingrained belief systems regarding self, wellness, disease, one's place in economy and privilege, and the vast differences in outcome that social isolation, economic position, and culture can effect on disease management. Farmer's book was initially published in 1992 and published again in 2006. Thornton's book was published […]

Ethnocentrism: Bridging the Gap between Cultural Perspectives

Ethnocentrism, a concept etched into the fabric of human sociology, serves as both a societal adhesive and a potential barrier to understanding. Its roots delve deep into the psyche, intertwining with our innate need for belonging and identity formation. From the bustling streets of urban metropolises to the quiet corners of rural villages, ethnocentrism weaves its way through the intricate tapestry of human interaction, shaping perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. At its essence, ethnocentrism embodies the natural inclination to view one's […]

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How To Write an Essay About Ethnography

Understanding ethnography.

Before starting an essay about ethnography, it's important to thoroughly understand what ethnography entails. Ethnography is a qualitative research method used in social sciences, particularly anthropology and sociology, to study cultures and societies. It involves immersive observation and often direct participation in the social world of the study subjects. Begin your essay by defining ethnography, discussing its origins, and explaining key concepts such as participant observation, field notes, and cultural relativism. Understanding the methodology, its purposes, and the ethical considerations involved in ethnographic research will provide a strong foundation for your essay.

Developing a Thesis Statement

A focused thesis statement is crucial for an effective essay on ethnography. Your thesis should present a specific viewpoint or argument about ethnography. For example, you might discuss the importance of ethnography in understanding different cultures, analyze its strengths and limitations, or explore a particular ethnographic study in detail. Your thesis will guide the structure and content of your essay, ensuring a coherent and focused argument.

Gathering and Analyzing Ethnographic Examples

To support your thesis, it's important to gather and analyze examples of ethnographic research. You might choose to focus on a particular ethnographic study, discussing its methodology, findings, and significance. Alternatively, you could compare and contrast different ethnographic studies to highlight various approaches within the field. Use these examples to illustrate your points and provide evidence for your arguments.

Discussing Methodological Approaches in Ethnography

An essay about ethnography should also discuss the various methodological approaches used in ethnographic research. This might include traditional participant observation, interviews, or the use of contemporary tools like digital ethnography. Discuss the advantages and challenges of these methods, and how they contribute to the understanding of different cultures and societies. This section should demonstrate your understanding of how ethnographic research is conducted and the considerations involved in choosing a method.

Concluding the Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your discussion and restating your thesis in light of the evidence and examples provided. Your conclusion should tie together your analysis and emphasize the importance of ethnography in social research. You might also want to reflect on the future of ethnography or its relevance in today’s increasingly interconnected world.

Reviewing and Refining Your Essay

After completing your essay, take time to review and refine it. Ensure that your arguments are clearly articulated and supported by evidence. Check for grammatical accuracy and ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors to further improve your essay. A well-written essay on ethnography should not only demonstrate your understanding of the methodology but also your ability to critically engage with research methods in social sciences.

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40 Most Interesting Ethnographic Research Topics

Finding A-grade examples of ethnographic research topics may not be a walk in the park for college students.

The way of writing an effective ethnographic paper depends on the points discussed below.

So, here is a ready solution.

What is an Ethnographic Research Paper?

Ethnography is a social science method of research that counts on personal experiences within a subject group or a culture. Different instructors may recommend several writing guidelines for such a paper, but it generally follows a standard format. Such an arrangement incorporates a proper analysis and evaluation of the problem. Before we embark on learning how to write an ethnography, let us have a look at an ethnographic essay outline.

Structure of an Ethnographic Essay

The paper should follow the outline below: Introduction It is where you introduce your thesis statement, which is the main idea of the whole project. A proper ethnographic research topic would form a strong foundation for this part. The reader should be able to see an overview of what to expect in the essay. Methodology In this part, you explain how you did your research. Mention all the tools used and why you settled on them. It should be detailed and even a couple of in such a way that the reader can verify the information you used. Presentation and Analysis of Collected Data The findings should be placed on the table first. They should be in a logical manner, beginning with the essential facts. After that, analyze and precisely interpret the data. Let your readers know your criteria for interpretation before you start. Conclusion Different ethnographic research paper topics have different endings. However, the standard procedure is that you reiterate the most important points. Ensure that they are presented in an original way to make your conclusion not to look like a reversed introduction. That is the first part; however, finding quality examples of ethnographic research topics is another battle. Yet, don’t panic, we’ve got a legion of professional soldiers to cover your back on this.

We are going to explore a list of ethnography topics in clusters of ten each to prompt you for more. Get that notebook as we embark on this exciting experience. The items strive to meet your high school and college ethnography topics requirements.

Let’s get right into it, gang.

We will start with the easiest ones as we slowly advance to the technical topics. There is something for everybody!

Easy Ethnography Topics for High School

• A study of the incisor tooth
• The best careers that people can settle on in 2023
• A survey of the lifestyle of a teacher
• A study of the health benefits of taking water daily
• A look at the importance of the sun to children
• How greetings are in Africa
• A study of the eating habits of dogs and cats
• A comparison of the red meat and white meat
• How wealthy children compare to needy children in academic performance
• A look at how children behave at home versus in school

Interesting Ethnography Topics for College

• An ethnographic study of the Chinese diets
• The inner perspective of the culture of skateboarders
• Critical issues on the social, cultural experience of the dancing
• How nurses make sense of their caring abilities on the job
• A study of how second-hand merchants impact the bookselling industry
• Evaluating the satisfaction of a patient with the quality of care in a hospital
• What myths and misconceptions surround the global connection
• A study on the effect of uniforms in schools
• How language impacts culture
• A survey of qualitative sampling in data collection

Great Mini Ethnography Topics

• How have malls changed the shopping sector?
• Racism and its effects on campus
• Values promoted by media productions
• How cultural productions interpret the history
• A study of the communities in New York
• Teamwork and its impact on football
• Reasons for differences in families
• How service staff view people
• Lives and cultures of the hotel industry
• How immigrants express their identity
• The view of people on gays
• Adjustments made by women to fit in societies
• Homeschooling and low grades
• Hunting as a rite of passage
• Wrestling and men
• Concerts and teens
• Cultural differences between different ethnic groups
• How political clubs are changing
• A study of street children in Africa
• Politics and the U.S

How to write an effective ethnographic paper depends on the points discussed above. There are several ethnography paper examples online to give you more ideas on what you can write. Do not limit yourself to the topics above; create more unique ones on your own.

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/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="ethnographic research thesis statement"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Donor’s gift supports students’ international research.

June 17, 2024

By Katya Hrichak

International fieldwork is essential for some doctoral students’ dissertation research, but for many, funding travel and expenses is a challenge. Recognizing the importance of extended, in-country research, Amit Bhatia ’01 created a fund to help close these gaps.

The Amit Bhatia ’01 Global Ph.D. Research Scholars program, administered through the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies , part of Global Cornell , supports six to seven graduate students annually as they conduct up to a year of international fieldwork to finish their dissertations. The opportunity is open to post-A exam doctoral candidates from all fields and disciplines for whom international fieldwork is critical to their dissertation research.

“When I learned about the challenges graduate students have in securing funding for international research projects, I wanted to help. I wanted to ensure that students eager to study remote or significant areas of our world did not have insurmountable hurdles,” said Bhatia.

“Establishing the Scholars Fund was a way for me to support students, support interesting new research projects around the world, and keep a strong international flavor on campus. I was also excited to make a difference for each of these students in their academic careers,” he said.

Anjana Ramkumar, an international global development doctoral candidate, found the Bhatia Global Ph.D. Research Award to be essential to her degree progress.

“The generous support of the Bhatia Global Ph.D. Research Award was particularly valuable for me as an international student,” Ramkumar said. “Given that international students are not eligible to apply for several external grants to support their fieldwork, and that the ones that we are eligible for also tend to be highly competitive, the support offered by the Einaudi Center through this award is key in allowing students like me to carry out substantial international field research.”

Ramkumar’s grant supported nine months in Tamil Nadu, India studying traditional rice cultivation through qualitative research including interviews, observation, on-farm activities, and off-farm events.

“The Bhatia Global Ph.D. Research Award was integral in allowing me to do fieldwork for this extended duration of time,” she said.

Itamar Haritan, a doctoral candidate in anthropology who conducted research in Israel and Poland on members of the Lubliner Jewish Organization and Family Constellation practitioners, agreed.

“This award made it possible for me to conduct a full year of fieldwork without obsessing over a food and housing budget. It made it possible for me to travel the length and breadth of the country to gather stories and conduct ethnographic observations without needing to draw on my savings,” he said.

Shirley Le Penne, a doctoral candidate in government who traveled to Paris and Marseille, France, used her award for international and local travel, living expenses and accommodation, purchasing research items and books, and participating in conferences and other activities essential to her work.

“Benefitting from the Bhatia Global Ph.D. Award was crucial to the feasibility of my research,” she said. “Thanks to the award, I did not have to worry about the costs related to traveling to different locations, as well as being able to purchase a dozen expensive and important books on French law and the French criminal justice system.”

International fieldwork is vital for students with an international component to their dissertation research, but it is beneficial to the university as well.

“This support from Amit has been invaluable to the students and so meaningful to Cornell as an institution with a longstanding tradition of excellence in field-based research. Created at a time when there are fewer and fewer external grants for international work, the Amit Bhatia ’01 Global Ph.D. Research Awards enable graduate students to maintain long-term intellectual and personal commitments in regions around the world,” said Wendy Wolford, vice provost for international affairs and Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Professor in the department of global development.

“Many of the recipients speak multiple languages and navigate cultural complexities that require sustained qualitative engagement,” she continued. “They have all written beautiful dissertations that illustrate the power of international studies for understanding questions of importance across the local and the global.”

When these students graduate, they take the lessons they learned from their time abroad and apply them beyond their studies, said Bhatia.

“In today’s world, we are all interconnected,” he said. “The global research these students are undertaking is not just to complete their dissertations; it is offering new solutions for difficult problems.”

Gifts of any amount support graduate students in pursuit of their degrees. Visit Cornell’s Giving website to explore your options.