The Ethnographic Interview

In its simplest term, ethnography is a method of describing a culture or situation within a culture from the 'emic' or 'insider's' point of view, i.e. from the point of view of the cultural actor.

The ethnographic interview is used in both anthropology and psychology to elicit the feelings and experiences of the interviewee. The techniques are not difficult. Unlike the typical news reporter's interview, which often has pre-planned questions and an 'agenda', the questions in an ethnographic interview are deliberately open. The interviewer's goal is to discover the natural categories of meaning within the interviewee rather than answers to pre-conceived questions.

After beginning with a question, called the 'bull's eye question' (e.g., 'How does it feel to study at this university?'), each subsequent question builds directly upon the interviewee's response wherever it may lead. The ethnographer probes a particular category in depth until it (or the informant) appears to have exhausted the topic. These questions, built upon the utterances of the interviewee, require active listening skills on the part of the interviewer. In the ethnographic interview, the interviewer must continuously listen to and interact with what the speaker has said. The interviewer has no 'agenda' of his or her own. After the interviewee responds, the ethnographic interviewer is continuously probing 'what do you mean by...?'

The ethnographic method requires:

• commitment of time on the part of both the ethnographic and informant(s);

• in-depth discussion or observation related to a particular topic area or category;

• active listening skills;

• self-awareness of one's own communication style and one's own culture;

• the interviewer to act as a participant as well as an observer, and thereby sharing;

• part of the target cultural experience.

The benefits of the ethnographic interview

Ethnography provides a method of obtaining information about different cultures, from the cultural actor's point of view. But, it is by no means a one-way experience. Taking the time to listen to other people go into depth about their ideas, experiences and feelings is an invaluable process which provides a remarkable experience of self-awareness; awareness of one's own ability to communicate and awareness of one's own culture.

The Dynamic, process Approach Text - All cultures are complex

There is a widespread tendency to ignore or reduce diversity when we look at other cultures. It is often easy to talk about 'French' culture, 'Arab' culture, 'Japanese' culture or 'African' culture but such cultures, if it is truly possible to identify them, are so complex and vast that it is easy to use stereotypes to describe those culture. So although there is something recognisably 'British' about the British and 'Japanese' about the Japanese, it is extremely important to recognise diversity within those cultures or we risk saying:

• absolutely everyone in a particular culture is the same; and

• this culture can be described with only a small set of characteristics.

Have you heard or made the following statements? Guilty or not?

• The British are cold and unsmiling

• The British don't care about their parents, they always put their mothers and fathers in nursing homes

• Americans are loud and noisy and ask stupid questions about our country

• Americans are friendly. I met a nice couple once and they asked me to visit them

• Indian people always lie, they never tell the truth

• The Germans are so efficient and organised

• The Spanish are so friendly and relaxed but they never get any work done

• The Chinese are so nosy, they're always asking personal questions

• Western women have no morals

• Muslim women have no freedom

How should we react to such statements? Do we react with anger? with explanation? with understanding? Should we ignore such half truths, stereotypic judgements and over simplifications? Before taking any of the above actions let us consider what can be learned from each of those statements. The speaker appears to be concerned about families and the workplace. He or she is apt to form opinions on limited data (friendliness), given to forming harsh and unwarranted generalisations (Muslim women and freedom), has a low opinion of the British culture and a high opinion of the German culture, and is angered by the ignorance of others.

It is impossible to remove all forms of stereotypes but if we are aware of what we do when we stereotype it will help us expand our interpretation of an individual and help us recognise the diversity and complexity of what we see.