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Sociology vocabulary · Research Methods

Ethnography

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/eθˈnɒɡrəfi/nounCore term

In sociology, ethnography means: A research approach in which the researcher spends a long time with a group, observing and taking part in its daily life, in order to describe its culture from the inside.

In Turkish: etnografi, etnografik araştırma

How it is used

Originally from anthropology and now common in sociology. The word means both the method and the book or report that results from it. Ethnographers keep field notes and often combine observation with informal interviews.

Example sentences

  1. Her ethnography of a night market in Ankara was based on eighteen months of fieldwork.

  2. Ethnography lets researchers see what people actually do, not only what they say they do.

Common collocations

  • conduct an ethnography
  • urban ethnography
  • ethnographic fieldwork
  • ethnographic study
  • participant observationA research method in which the researcher joins in the activities of the group being studied while observing and recording what happens.
  • fieldworkResearch carried out in the real settings where people live and work, rather than in a library or office, by observing, interviewing and collecting material on site.
  • qualitative researchResearch that collects non-numerical data, such as interviews, observations and texts, to understand people's experiences, meanings and points of view in depth.
  • case studyA detailed study of one particular case, such as a person, organisation, community or event, often using several methods to understand it in depth.

More terms: Research Methods

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