Quant: Lecture 12

Question 1

List the two main reasons for observations

Answer 1

Practical reasons, for example exploring behaviour that seems natural and goes unnoticed.
Theoretical reasons, aka psychological processes that are distributed across social groups and ecological contexts.

Question 2

Talk about the birth of ethnography and what it entails

Answer 2

It began in the 1920s and was developed from anthropology. It allowed us to study foreign cultures in more detail instead of just relying on subjective written reports. They began by getting first hand experience with different cultures, learning their point of view and their language. You write field notes, have participant observations (collaborate with pps) and asking the natives their interpretations of their culture.

Question 3

What are the 4 main things that are observed in ethnography?

Answer 3

1. Organisational cultures
2. Special groups and communities, e.g. online groups
3. Family life
4. Behaviour in public

Question 4

What are stages of ethnographic observation?

Answer 4

Identify the group of interest, negotiate access, gain basic understanding of activities, collect data, review and analyse data, specify research question and then write up your observations and have a deeper analysis.

Question 5

When doing an ethnographic observation, what should you look for in language?

Answer 5

Their discourse: Local jargon, terms for objects, values and ideologies, popular views.
Their talk in interaction: Interactional routines, collaborative work, narratives.
Material world: how people manipulate their place and space, role and status, behaviours associated with spaces.

Question 6

What was Goffman’s approach when doing ethnographic observations?

Answer 6

He used a dramaturgical approach where he looked at the deference in demeanour and explored the front stage and back stage of social interactions.