Authors :
Sujay Rao Mandavilli
Volume/Issue :
Volume 7 - 2022, Issue 7 - July
Google Scholar :
https://bit.ly/3IIfn9N
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/3PYNZbO
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6956709
Abstract :
Trends in Ethnography have changed over
the years, and just as in the initial years, fieldwork and
the Participant Observation method replaced armchair
ethnography, shorter-duration in locales close to the
Ethnographer’s residence have come into vogue.
Ethnographic studies have traditionally been long,
stretching for durations of twenty-four months or more,
and in exotic faraway locations driven by a desire to
study exotic cultures. Bronislaw Malinowski’s study of
Trobriand Islands spanned several years and the
ethnographer stayed with his subject for extended
durations. Radcliffe Brown likewise spent a considerable
amount of time in the Andaman Islands studying his
subjects in great detail, just like Margaret Mead did in
Samoa, studying adolescence and puberty. Of late,
shorter ethnographic studies have become commonplace
and in urban settings closer to the Ethnographer’s
residence. In some cases, the same subject has been
studied more than once by different Ethnographers. Of
late, the research dimension of ethnography is being
emphasized along with its use in problem solving. In a
previous paper we recommended that ethnography be
used in Economics and economic theory formulation,
complementing its use in Developmental studies.
However, long-term ethnography which is a planned
long-term study using the same or different teams (often
combined with Critical ethnography and other
techniques) can up the ante a little more, and take it
towards the fulfilment of its objectives.
Trends in Ethnography have changed over
the years, and just as in the initial years, fieldwork and
the Participant Observation method replaced armchair
ethnography, shorter-duration in locales close to the
Ethnographer’s residence have come into vogue.
Ethnographic studies have traditionally been long,
stretching for durations of twenty-four months or more,
and in exotic faraway locations driven by a desire to
study exotic cultures. Bronislaw Malinowski’s study of
Trobriand Islands spanned several years and the
ethnographer stayed with his subject for extended
durations. Radcliffe Brown likewise spent a considerable
amount of time in the Andaman Islands studying his
subjects in great detail, just like Margaret Mead did in
Samoa, studying adolescence and puberty. Of late,
shorter ethnographic studies have become commonplace
and in urban settings closer to the Ethnographer’s
residence. In some cases, the same subject has been
studied more than once by different Ethnographers. Of
late, the research dimension of ethnography is being
emphasized along with its use in problem solving. In a
previous paper we recommended that ethnography be
used in Economics and economic theory formulation,
complementing its use in Developmental studies.
However, long-term ethnography which is a planned
long-term study using the same or different teams (often
combined with Critical ethnography and other
techniques) can up the ante a little more, and take it
towards the fulfilment of its objectives.