ETHNOGRAPHY Flashcards
What does ethnography mean?
Writing about the way of life, or culture, of social groups.
What is an unstructured interview?
A guided conversation, where the tax is informal but the interviewer plays an active role.
What do interpretivist sociologists think unstructured interviews are?
Ethnographic. As it is carried out in a natural setting.
What do unstructured interviews allow the researcher to establish?
A qualitative relationship with the respondent.
What is the issue with qualitative data? (unstructured interviews)
The qualitative data collected is difficult to analyse.
What are group interviews?
They may involve the interviewer talking to a group or panel of respondents. Investigate group dynamics.
What are focus group interviews?
Participants are encouraged to talk to one another to discuss an issue.
What are semi-structured interviews?
Mix of structured and unstructured. Contain both closed and open questions.
What are the four types of ethnographic research?
- Focus Groups
- Unstructured Interviews
- Group Interviews
- Semi-Structured Interviews
How can unstructured interviews be seen as a reliable research method?
Very flexible and provide richer, more vivid data.
What are the practical issues regarding unstructured interviews?
Expensive, training needs to be more thorough and specialised. Highly dependent on what people know about their behaviour.
