-
Beetham Gardens by Miquel Galofré
-
“Institutionalised homophobia exposes the hollowness of our aspirations to “first world” status. It punctures the Trini delusion of cosmopolitan...”
-
“There are various ways of dealing with the fact that all lives, including those of the people we love, have an end. The end of human life, which we...”
-
Treated myself to a banana split for breakfast before my last day of school and oh my god it was too good - banana filled with...
-
“
The question is how we react to this great prejudice against women. The rule of law and social activism certainly are crucial. But no matter how...
” -
-
“Be of service. You are taking your degree into a society dominated by concentrated poverty and a vulnerable middle class, a society where it is...”
-
Word x 100 !!! Via @imanisublime #PR #cancer #truth #woc
-
Homosexuality has a long history in Africa, says anthropologist Patrick Awondo, contrary...
-
“I think marriage in general is not a healthy institution in our society. If people want civil rights, then that’s what I feel we should be fighting...”
“When used as a method, ethnography typically refers to fieldwork (alternatively, participant-observation) conducted by a single investigator who ‘lives with and lives like’ those who are studied, usually for a year or more.” — John Van Maanen, 1996.
“Ethnography literally means ‘a portrait of a people.’ An ethnography is a written description of a particular culture — the customs, beliefs, and behavior — based on information collected through fieldwork.” — Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson, 2000.
“Ethnography is the art and science of describing a group or culture. The description may be of a small tribal group in an exotic land or a classroom in middle-class suburbia.” — David M. Fetterman, 1998.
Taken from http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~genzuk/Ethnographic_Research.html
(via unwordinglanguage)
“‘Modern corporate life is increasingly using images – not solemn texts – to communicate ideas. Indeed, the more that words proliferate on our computer screens (and BlackBerries or smartphones) the more people assume that text alone is dull: diagrams, pictures, whiteboard scribbles – or Post-it notes – are needed to grab attention””—
Tips on how to conduct an oral history interview
From http://www.oralhistory.org.uk/advice/index.php
1. Begin by focusing on a theme for your project.
2. Find someone to interview
- friends, family, peers
- local history groups, Rotary Clubs, schools
- advertise in local library or museum
3. Plan!
- Background research
- Prepare question list - but don’t make it too rigid
- Group topics in order - chronological is best
4. Preparing questions.
- How?
- Use plain words
- Avoid leading questions: eg. Use “Can you describe your childhood?” instead of “I suppose you must have had a poor and unhappy childhood?”
- Use questions in a chronological order
- What?
- Quesions that encourage precise answers: eg. “Where did you move to next?”
- Encourage open-ended questions that invite comments, opinions and descriptions: eg. “How did you feel about that?”
- Cover basic points in the first questions eg. Date and place of birth, parents’ jobs etc.
5. Recording equipment
- Audio recorder or
- Visual recorder of good quality - ask around because you may be able to borrow one from another oral history group
- Audio: The website states that the audio recorders you choose should have the several features - so check it out!
- Name audio files with unique numbers for easy location.
- Use an external microphone
- Video: It is becoming more affordable to video record now so this is also an option.
6. Approaching people
- Personally contact the people you would like to interview, rather than by letter
- First contact - by telephone
- Use a few persuasion techniques if they are unsure, but don’t pressure them as this may put them off.
- Where to conduct the interview - the interviewee’s house is best as they will feel more relaxed
- One-to-one interviews are best - allows for openness, trust and honesty.
7. Doing the interview:
- Be reassuring and patient
- Choose somewhere quiet - turn off mobile phones and any background noise such as radios or TVs
- Get close - position the microphone close
- Keep questions short and clear
- Body language is so important: maintain eye contact, use open body language, try not to cross your arms or legs, smile and nod to show understanding
- Be relaxed, sympathetic, sensitive and respectful
8. After the interview:
- Don’t rush away
- Thank them
- Provide contact details
- Back at base: transfer digital files, make copies and save under memorable names
More information is on their website!
The Art of Hanging Out: Social Process
Stranger Stage: The process of learning the rules, the language, and building familiarity with others just as they learn about you.
Acquaintance Stage: Once beyond the stranger stage and acculturated, people begin to recognized the other beyond simply a social identity. The individual’s quirks and characteristics become important. Eventually, competence in social interactions is attained.
Final Stage: The researchers at this stage responds naturally to their environment. They don’t have to consciously construct his behavior or speech.
Tools: Notepad, Pen, Index Cards
- One set for observations
- Another set for interpretations
Advantages: 1) allow access to the backstage of society, 2)It allows for a thick description of a society or group, 3)provides opportunities to observe new behaviors and events, 4) collects data from which theory and hypotheses can be based.
Disadvantages: 1) limited informants provide insight.
Related Procedures: contact tree diagrams, stage coding, theoretical approach
An ethnography primer — AIGA | the professional association for design
Well thought guide to ethnography through the lens of design. Nicely done.
(via badethnography)
