What is an "ethnography"?

An ethnography is fundamentally understood as a systematic study of a culture that emerges from qualitative fieldwork, typically involving immersive observation and participation in the daily lives and practices of the people being studied. This method allows researchers to gain deep insights into cultural norms, values, rituals, social interactions, and community structures from a first-hand perspective.

Ethnographic research often includes prolonged engagement with the community, which helps anthropologists document the complexities of cultural contexts and the meanings that individuals attribute to their experiences and surroundings. This approach contrasts with theoretical perspectives on human evolution or methodologies focused on surveys and quantitative data, which do not provide the same depth of understanding of cultural nuances. The immersive nature of ethnography enables the researcher to present a comprehensive and nuanced representation of the culture under study.