An ethnographic interview includes “purposeful, documented conversations with research participants” and is one element of an ethnographic study. Researchers engage in ethnography by “studying multiple aspects of life in a particular place or among a group of people to create a picture of how those people understand and live in the world” Ethnography can be used in any context and is a useful tool because it enables the researcher to explore the world through the eyes of the research participants. This is the first of four assignments in the Ethnographic Interview series.
Instructions
The five concepts listed below will provide insight into the ethnographic interview process. Use the Howell and Paris textbook and Dr. Harper’s Worldview presentation to respond to the questions provided for the five concepts. Use complete sentences and do not copy the questions in the assignment submission.
Use the Howell and Paris textbook in the discussion of concepts 1-4, however, do not simply submit a list of quotes from the textbook. Be sure to include your own analysis of the textbook content and cite the borrowed textbook material using Turabian formatted footnotes.
1. Anthropological Perspective – What is the anthropological perspective and how does it help the researcher better understand the research participant and even their own culture? What role does the “insider” perspective play and why is this concept significant to the ethnographic interview process?
2. Participant Observation – How does the researcher typically move from observer to participant? Why is this transition essential for ethnographic research? How does the researcher’s openness about their research intentions impact participants and research findings? What is rapport in the research context and how might it impact the researcher/research participant relationship and the research findings?
3. Ethnographic Interviews – Describe ethnographic interviews and other methods that could be used in ethnography. Discuss how one interview method could be used and the benefits of using this method.
4. Rapid Ethnographic Assessment Procedures (REAP) – What is REAP? Discuss one benefit and one challenge of using REAP.
Use the Worldview presentation for concept 5. Be sure to cite content from the Worldview presentation using Turabian formatted footnotes.
5. Worldview – What is a worldview and how does it impact the beliefs and practices of an individual and their community? How does worldview impact the researcher’s approach to their research and the interactions between the researcher and research participant?
The assignment may be formatted as a bulleted or numbered list but must include complete sentences. The questions should not be copied into the final assignment submission. The assignment should include the following elements:
• Length of Assignment: 2 pages of content
o In addition to the 2 pages, the paper should include a title page and bibliography.
• Format of Assignment: Current Turabian formatting is required.
• Number of Citations: 5 citations from the Howell and Paris textbook and the Worldview presentation are required.
• Acceptable Sources: Introducing Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective by Brian M. Howell and Jenell Paris and Dr. Melody Harper’s Worldview presentation. Additional sources should not be used for this assignment.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
