ethnographic short essay

15 Great Ethnography Examples

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)

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]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Forest Schools Philosophy & Curriculum, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori's 4 Planes of Development, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori vs Reggio Emilia vs Steiner-Waldorf vs Froebel

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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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

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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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 as methods of anthropology, strengths and weaknesses of ethnography in relation to marxist geography, the analysis of ethnographic methods, the role of ethnography in jenkins work, autoethnography: a personal and cultural exploration.

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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55 Ethnographic Essay Topics

Table of Contents

Ethnographic Essay Topics: A Comprehensive Guide

Ethnography is a fascinating field that delves into the study of cultures, societies, and human behaviors. An ethnographic essay allows writers to immerse themselves in different cultures and present findings in an engaging manner. If you’re struggling to pinpoint the right topic, this guide will walk you through some brilliant ideas and explain how to make your choice.

How to Choose the Best Ethnographic Essay Topic?

Modern ethnographers often hone in on specific aspects of cultures rather than trying to cover everything. Some focus on particular nations based on ethnicity, language, or geography, while others might delve into aspects like migration, interethnic relations, or religion across multiple cultures. To choose a topic, follow these steps:

Identify a Specific Theme : Decide on a particular cultural element you wish to explore. For instance, if you’re interested in rituals, you could delve into traditional wedding ceremonies in a particular region.

Research : Before diving in, spend some time online familiarizing yourself with your chosen cultural area. This will help you narrow down your topic and ensure it’s unique.

Personal Connection : Choose a topic that resonates with you or that you have a personal interest in. It will make your writing process more enjoyable and your essay more compelling.

Top Ethnographic Essay Topics:

• Exploring professional and ethical differences in gender indicators.
• Delving into Egyptian funeral rites and their cultural significance.
• The role and significance of traditional calendar rituals.
• Migration patterns and ethnocultural adaptation in the Jewish Autonomous Region in recent decades.
• The historical and mythological roots of Korean ethnic identity.
• Preserving the traditional culture of Akha Thailand amid modernization.
• Unpacking ‘Englishness’ in contemporary Northern England.
• The roots and progression of Chinese tea culture.
• Linguistic diversity in Spain: Between theory and practice.
• The socio-anthropological study of youth political movements.
• The cultural significance of names in Japan.
• The Sociocultural Journey of Jews in the Jewish Autonomous Region.
• Re-emigration patterns in Israel at the turn of the century.
• The role of tolerance in multi-faith cultures.
• Challenges of globalization in today’s diverse world.
• Spatial behaviors in multi-ethnic youth groups.
• Internet resources and their role in ethnic discourse.
• Traditional gaming practices in Japanese culture.
• Collective identity territories in contemporary French discourse.
• The role and significance of puppets across cultures.
• Ethno-caste communities and their role in India’s traditional social organization.
• Unpacking Korean dance: Ethnic and cultural dimensions.
• Artistic expressions of early European farmers.
• The role of magic in traditional rituals.
• The pantheon of Ancient Greek deities: A study in typology and personification.
• Role-playing games as a modern subculture.
• The cultural significance of women’s tattoos.
• Traditional Micronesian shipping: An ethnohistoric perspective.
• Female deities in Central Asian religions and worldviews.
• The significance of animals in traditional cultures.

Cultural Practices and Rituals

• The significance of coming-of-age rituals in indigenous Australian tribes.
• Wedding traditions and their symbolic meanings in Southeast Asia.
• Culinary customs: Exploring the communal dining practices in the Middle East.
• The role of music and dance in West African ceremonies.
• Birth and naming ceremonies in Native American cultures.

Language and Communication

• Sign language communities and their cultural significance in the U.S.
• The oral storytelling traditions of the Maasai tribe.
• How language preservation efforts shape cultural identity among the Welsh.
• The evolution and modernization of the Gaelic language in Ireland.
• The intricate art of Inuit throat singing and its societal implications.

Religion and Spirituality

• Voodoo practices in Haiti: Beyond the misconceptions.
• The intricate temple rituals of Balinese Hinduism.
• Shamanic practices and their role in Mongolian tribal communities.
• The blending of indigenous beliefs and Catholicism in the Philippines.
• Pilgrimage trails and their socio-cultural importance in Tibetan Buddhism.

Economic and Social Structures

• The role of marketplaces in shaping community ties in Morocco.
• Barter trade systems and their continued relevance in Papua New Guinea.
• Nomadic lifestyles and economic adaptations among the Bedouins.
• The cultural significance of cowrie shells as currency in ancient Africa.
• Traditional and modern coexistence: The tech hubs of Bangalore amidst age-old practices.

Art and Aesthetics

• The cultural and spiritual significance of Polynesian tattoo art.
• Maori wood carvings: A story of ancestry and legends.
• The evolution of sari designs and weaving techniques in India.
• The symbolism behind Native American totem poles.
• Balinese mask-making: A blend of craft, drama, and spirituality.

Core Themes in Ethnography:

When considering your essay, you might want to explore some of these overarching themes:

• The main goals and categories of ethnography.
• The impact of the terrestrial environment on human development.
• The intricate relationship between language and cultural traits.
• The unique religious beliefs across global societies.
• A study of paganism versus global religions.
• An insight into primitive beliefs and regional religions.
• The daily lives and traditions of different ethnic groups.
• The history and significance of ethnonyms.

Should you find yourself still grappling with a topic, it can be valuable to seek guidance from experts. For top-quality essays crafted to perfection, our team at writeondeadline.com is at your disposal anytime. And if you’re racing against time or need professional input, our skilled writers are just a click away . Don’t hesitate to reach out!

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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.

People Also Read: Costco Essay: Analysis And How to Write a Better One

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.

People Also Read: Is an Essay a Research Paper: The Differences from Each

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.

People Also Read: IB English Written Assignment: Examples and How to Pass It

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

With over 10 years in academia and academic assistance, Alicia Smart is the epitome of excellence in the writing industry. She is our chief editor and in charge of the writing department at Grade Bees.

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Street vendor, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Photo by Argy Rizos, 2012

Urban-scapes, street art mural, Berlin, Germany. Photo by Argy Rizos, 2013

Edinburgh. Photo by Beth Simpson, 2021

A peer-reviewed, open-access, interdisciplinary journal exploring the potential of ethnography as a form of creative research practice and expression.

Our objective is to provide a platform for undergraduate student work which seeks to better understand the everyday life of ourselves and others through ethnographic research.

We invite submissions in the form of academic essays, short informal/reflective pieces, short films and photo-essays.

Accepted Forms of Submission

Note - submissions must comply with re:think’s Author Guidelines .

1. Academic article or essay - A piece of writing based on original ethnographic research. Articles should typically be maximum 5,000 words , including reference list. All submissions should be based on the author's own fieldwork, alongside relevant methodological and theoretical materials. Illustrations (photos, drawings, maps, cartoons, etc.) are welcome.

2. Short informal/reflective piece of writing - This could be a reflective essay, an excerpt of fieldnotes or shorter article concerned more with the ethnographic process of writing. This could describe, but is not limited to, a specific incident, situation, place, or conversation. A reference list is not required in this format but welcome at the author’s discretion. Reflective pieces should be maximum 2,000 words . Illustrations are welcome.

3. Photo-essay - An ethnographic account portrayed predominantly through photographs with some accompanying text. A short text must be provided under each image, including all relevant footnotes. Within this format there must be between 5-15 images.

4. Short film - A short ethnographic film accompanied by a text up to 500 words. Films must be based on original ethnographic fieldwork. If the film includes any dialogue, then a full transcript must also be provided. Films must be between 3 -10 minutes long, including any credit scenes.

For enquiries, please get in touch using the details below.

Current Issue

Academic essays, short informal/reflective pieces, photo-essays.

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re:think - a journal of creative ethnography

ISSN: 2516-8088 (Online)

Contact us at: [email protected]

Supported by the School of Social and Political Science  and the University of Edinburgh Social Anthropology Society .

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3 Writing Up Ethnographic Methodologies

• Published: May 2018
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Chapter 3 offers a roadmap for presenting ethnographic methodologies that emphasizes the importance of contextualizing both the researcher and the experiences of research. Building on Chapter 2’s discussion of research design, the author argues that writing up ethnographic methodologies is less about outlining specific research steps and procedures and more about providing a good-faith accounting of the context and conditions surrounding the work. The author details the historical rise of self-consciousness in ethnography, explaining that its emergence both raised the profile of the ethnographer as an actor in research situations and, in turn, set the stage for ethnography’s reflexive, critical, and collaborative turns. The author next presents a series of goals to which contemporary ethnographers should aspire when representing their research experiences. The chapter closes with an elaboration on the different ways methodological discussions have been placed within ethnographic texts.

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Autoethnography Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Understanding of ocd discourse through institutional autoethnography, works cited.

What is an autoethnography? Essays like the one on this page provide the answer to this question.

Autoethnography is a research and writing method that uses autobiographical personal narrative that explores writer’s life experience, reflective of a cultural accounting through employing features such as concrete action, emotion, embodiment, self-consciousness, and introspection (Denzin 419).

It totally differs with ethnography, as it uses the researcher’s experience instead of other people beliefs and practices while the latter uses fieldwork to interview people in order to get their views and narration that is analyzed to get a better understanding of their culture.

Autoethnography, apart from revealing personal experiences in relation to some cultural account, presents a platform for questioning cultural aspects generally viewed as appropriate by the vast majority of practitioners of a given practice such as diagnostic processes. Thus, involvement of personal aspects can provide valuable insight on issues that are mostly overlooked in culture such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), sexuality, eating disorders and others.

Institutional Autoethnography in the diagnosis of OCD presents an opportunity of using knowledge and daily events to accelerate rational and logical reasoning on social transformations needed to change psychiatric oppression (Tam 2010). Institutional Autoethnography may involve application of Autoethnography and institutional ethnography to understand a given situation.

This paper will further look at the understanding of OCD discourse through institutional Autoethnography by feminist psychiatric experiences and approach. The words madness and sense-making are used in this paper severally, and they are used in the following context.

Madness is used to refer to the “altered states of consciousness to different beliefs/feelings/needs/behaviours that are pathologized by psychiatry, while sense-making refers to the both available paradigms for rationalizing madness and alternative, self-determined ways of understanding and living with madness” (Tam 2010).

Institutions are recognized as a way of governance that involves institutional discourses and technologies. People working in a certain institution are guided by institutional practices that bind them into the institutional function. Thus, an institution is mainly coordination of people through the institution’s discursively organized practices in their system.

Through institutional Autoethnography, we are able to look at how institution’s work by coordinating people and involving their organized experiences that entail reality of their life experiences and own perspectives. The developing part of this paper is more of a personal reflection on institutional Autoethnography of Tam (2010) that narrates her personal experiences with mental illness, providing an analysis of the performative aspects of OCD and her feminist standpoint in challenging the OCD discourse.

OCD is a genetic disorder triggered by environmental stressors that cause a chemical imbalance in the brain, leading to biologically altered mental state and leaving the individuals to steer themselves among and between the expected good habits and secret rituals (Brooks 2011).

By evaluating Tam personal experiences and practices with OCD, we see the need for personality management for people suffering from OCD and pose a challenge to existing perception of the OCD discourse. From Tam’s encounters with OCD and how the concerned professionals handle it, one is able to gain an insight on the traumatic disorder that relies mainly on communicative practices, as the disease impedes the sufferer’s social life (Brooks 2011).

Tam, once a victim and now a critical reflective practitioner of psychiatry, hopes that through her autoethnographic narratives to shed light on some of the performances that can used to challenge the OCD discourse and improve understanding of self-embodied performances of the OCD patients (through sense-making).

Her autoethnographic research and presentation was motivated by the fact that during that period, there were limited or no research by psychiatric survivors that critically challenged the OCD discourse, but there were only alternative studies that focused on new ways of understanding madness based on borderline personality disorder, depression, hearing of voices and schizophrenia (Tam 2010).

By welcoming such an approach to madness and OCD, she feels that the proper description of this condition is at risk of being diluted or losing its context. Though unique in her approach, she has chosen also to involve works of other researchers in the analysis of OCD discourse in order to get more insights and testimonies that can justify her research.

The feminist element of her work comes from taking a feminist standpoint in regard to socio-economic disparities, colonization, racialization, and the position of disadvantaged women (mad) in the society. These factors mix, bringing about materialism and economic realities from local to universal setting; hence, personal experiences are vital in portraying the world relations (Tam 4).

In taking the feminist standpoint, she was able to explain her societal and mental illness situation she had faced, leading to better understanding of her ideas in relation to social trends and occurrences. Her standpoint tends be in agreement with other feminist researchers that encourage narratives of liberal ideas that relate to surveillance of issues with gendered divisions in the public-private systems (Mohanram 38).

These divisions further shape the relationship between class and race, making them more pronounced and perceivable. Through expressing self-experiences in a complex set up, she is not just trying to tell about herself in feminine nature, but rather, she is trying to bring out realities (sense-making). These realities in essence can provide knowledge and understanding that can lead to social transformations.

Throughout her presentation, the main aim is to show how institutions’ operations have been standardized through medicalization of given patterns in habit and given affects of stress, while there is alternate knowledge regarding embodied qualitative experiences that have been wrongly absorbed and twisted by OCD discourse (Tam 3). In this study, she is able to decry the fact that a lot of useful knowledge that has not been institutionally tested is always discarded or treated as of less significance in treatment of OCD patients.

Her experience reveals that some of the downplayed aspects in evaluations and treatment of OCD patients are as important as the standard procedures and observations. Hence, the OCD discourse is quite biased by the institutional coordination practices that specify how the OCD victims should be evaluated, monitored and their treatment programs.

Further, her research aims to unearth the fact that most of main stakeholders of the body that is charged with responsibility of determining and modifying OCD discourse lack some of relevant experience. This is vividly highlighted in the following argument “that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM ) is articulated by a body of knowledge-makers who are not themselves located as having lived experiences with the phenomena described exposes the disembodied (“I”-less) nature of such a text” (Tam 3).

By involving sense-making in this situation, she is trying to logically challenge the doctored gaps between OCD discourse and real-life situations that if appropriately used can aid in psychiatric evaluations and OCD discourse. In addition, she reveals that, through a lack of experience, many professional helpers are unable to understand the OCD discourse in a cultural context.

Thus, her presentation in summation shows that there is need of institutions and professional helpers to adopt and understand self-embodied communication practices in handling of the OCD patients rather than following the OCD discourse only as guided by their institutional practices.

Brooks, Catherine F. “Social Performance and Secret Ritual: Battling Against Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” Qualitative Health Research , Vol. 21 Issue 2, pp.249-261, 2011. Web.

Denzin, Norman K. “Analytic Autoethnography, or Déjà Vu all Over Again.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography , 2006 Vol 35 Number 4, pp 419-428.

Mohanram, Radhika. Imperial white: race, diaspora, and the British Empire . Minnesota: U of Minnesota Press. 2007.

Tam, Louise. Class aspiration, Diaspora, and Disease with the ‘Neurasthenic’ condition: Feminist sense-making through an institutional Autoethnography of OCD discourse . Conference Proceedings, 2010. Web.

• Qui Tam: Meaning, History, Process of the Qui Tam Actions
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Definition, Types and Causes
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Psychology
• Plagiarism as a Form of Theft
• SFSU needs to replace JEPET
• Functions and Importance of Citations
• Why Chinese Culture Leads to High Plagiarism Rate in Chinese Universities
• Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, March 7). Autoethnography Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/autoethnography/

"Autoethnography Essay." IvyPanda , 7 Mar. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/autoethnography/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Autoethnography Essay'. 7 March.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Autoethnography Essay." March 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/autoethnography/.

1. IvyPanda . "Autoethnography Essay." March 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/autoethnography/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Autoethnography Essay." March 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/autoethnography/.