What approach in qualitative research studies the entire culture of a particular group?

Let’s first explore ethnography - a research study focused on understanding how cultural forces affect people’s lives.

What approach in qualitative research studies the entire culture of a particular group?

© Deakin University and Griffith University

How do people belonging to different cultures think? How do they behave? What do they believe and what do they value?

The first qualitative research approach we’ll be looking at is known as Ethnography. Its goal is to understand how cultural forces affect people’s lives.

Ethnographers quite literally get up close and personal to immerse themselves in a particular culture. The research aspires to capture what’s said in naturally occurring conversations, to better understand how society constructs meaning and to unlock what drives human behaviour.

The Ethnographer’s goal is to explore the meanings of social processes, rituals and interactions of particular groups of people, often over a long period of time. It traditionally involved the researcher travelling to some far off land and living among an indigenous tribe. The researcher would discover how they lived and document what their culture was like.

Keep in mind, the modern concept of ‘culture’ is more complicated and Ethnography has changed to explore smaller subcultures than remote tribes. For example, an Ethnographer may explore a particular company culture, the culture of an institution (eg university or nursing home), groups (eg a sports teams), particular occupations (eg politician, economist) and groups in the community with particular characteristics (eg diabetics and refugees).

This kind of research helps us to understand the impact of cultural forces on individual and group behaviours. There have been ethnographic studies relating to Ikea shoppers and fast food workers in Harlem, so you can see this approach offers a lot of scope.

This is an additional video, hosted on YouTube.

Is Ethnography the same as Fieldwork?

You may sometimes hear Ethnography being referred to as ‘fieldwork’. This is because the focus of this approach is the researcher entering the ‘field’ of the setting to be researched, to explore ‘what is going on?’ in the environment.

Ethnography investigates the nature of a particular social phenomenon rather than setting out to test a theory. It usually involves a small number of cases, sometimes even just one case, in detail. Data is collected through visual observation and interviews. Field notes are recorded and diaries are kept. Sometimes observations are captured in written form, by video or a combination of both. If you undertake Ethnographic research, keep in mind, you will bring your own personality, experience, skills, strengths and weaknesses to the field. Fieldwork is a personal thing, so the data will vary according to:

  • the level of experience you bring to the field
  • your level of involvement
  • your interpersonal capabilities and emotional intelligence
  • your ability to see and visualise things that other people visiting the area of study may fail to notice.

Ethnographers need to be open to new ideas and concepts, as well as being aware of (and continuing to reflect on) their own culture, in order to absorb those ideas. The quality of results obtained from your research depends on the quality of data you gather in the field. It’s important to prepare for your research. A well-informed approach will help dissolve ignorance, which strengthens your capacity to be open minded.

Ethnographic research reveals common, taken-for-granted assumptions. If you’re interested in exploring more practical applications of Ethnography, tune in to Ellen Isaac’s TEDx Talk. This entertaining 12 minute video highlights how Ethnography can lead to innovation to solve the ‘hidden obvious’.

Your task

Who are you interested in learning more about? Identify a group or culture that fascinates you and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

For those of you who would like to take the next step, construct a research question that could guide an ethnographic study and share it with the group.

© Deakin University and Griffith University

  • Journal List
  • J Grad Med Educ
  • v.7(4); 2015 Dec
  • PMC4675428

J Grad Med Educ. 2015 Dec; 7(4): 669–670.

Editor's Note: The online version of this article contains a list of further reading resources and the authors' professional information.

The Challenge

Educators often pose questions about qualitative research. For example, a program director might say: “I collect data from my residents about their learning experiences in a new longitudinal clinical rotation. If I want to know about their learning experiences, should I use qualitative methods? I have been told that there are many approaches from which to choose. Someone suggested that I use grounded theory, but how do I know this is the best approach? Are there others?”

What Is Known

Qualitative research is the systematic inquiry into social phenomena in natural settings. These phenomena can include, but are not limited to, how people experience aspects of their lives, how individuals and/or groups behave, how organizations function, and how interactions shape relationships. In qualitative research, the researcher is the main data collection instrument. The researcher examines why events occur, what happens, and what those events mean to the participants studied.1,2

Qualitative research starts from a fundamentally different set of beliefs—or paradigms—than those that underpin quantitative research. Quantitative research is based on positivist beliefs that there is a singular reality that can be discovered with the appropriate experimental methods. Post-positivist researchers agree with the positivist paradigm, but believe that environmental and individual differences, such as the learning culture or the learners' capacity to learn, influence this reality, and that these differences are important. Constructivist researchers believe that there is no single reality, but that the researcher elicits participants' views of reality.3 Qualitative research generally draws on post-positivist or constructivist beliefs.

Qualitative scholars develop their work from these beliefs—usually post-positivist or constructivist—using different approaches to conduct their research. In this Rip Out, we describe 3 different qualitative research approaches commonly used in medical education: grounded theory, ethnography, and phenomenology. Each acts as a pivotal frame that shapes the research question(s), the method(s) of data collection, and how data are analyzed.4,5

Choosing a Qualitative Approach

Before engaging in any qualitative study, consider how your views about what is possible to study will affect your approach. Then select an appropriate approach within which to work. Alignment between the belief system underpinning the research approach, the research question, and the research approach itself is a prerequisite for rigorous qualitative research. To enhance the understanding of how different approaches frame qualitative research, we use this introductory challenge as an illustrative example.

The clinic rotation in a program director's training program was recently redesigned as a longitudinal clinical experience. Resident satisfaction with this rotation improved significantly following implementation of the new longitudinal experience. The program director wants to understand how the changes made in the clinic rotation translated into changes in learning experiences for the residents.

Qualitative research can support this program director's efforts. Qualitative research focuses on the events that transpire and on outcomes of those events from the perspectives of those involved. In this case, the program director can use qualitative research to understand the impact of the new clinic rotation on the learning experiences of residents. The next step is to decide which approach to use as a frame for the study.

The table lists the purpose of 3 commonly used approaches to frame qualitative research. For each frame, we provide an example of a research question that could direct the study and delineate what outcomes might be gained by using that particular approach.

TABLE

Methodology Overview

What approach in qualitative research studies the entire culture of a particular group?

How You Can Start TODAY

  • 1

    Examine the foundations of the existing literature: As part of the literature review, make note of what is known about the topic and which approaches have been used in prior studies. A decision should be made to determine the extent to which the new study is exploratory and the extent to which findings will advance what is already known about the topic.

  • 2

    Find a qualitatively skilled collaborator: If you are interested in doing qualitative research, you should consult with a qualitative expert. Be prepared to talk to the qualitative scholar about what you would like to study and why. Furthermore, be ready to describe the literature to date on the topic (remember, you are asking for this person's expertise regarding qualitative approaches—he or she won't necessarily have content expertise). Qualitative research must be designed and conducted with rigor (rigor will be discussed in Rip Out No. 8 of this series). Input from a qualitative expert will ensure that rigor is employed from the study's inception.

  • 3

    Consider the approach: With a literature review completed and a qualitatively skilled collaborator secured, it is time to decide which approach would be best suited to answering the research question. Questions to consider when weighing approaches might include the following:

    • Will my findings contribute to the creation of a theoretical model to better understand the area of study? (grounded theory)

    • Will I need to spend an extended amount of time trying to understand the culture and process of a particular group of learners in their natural context? (ethnography)

    • Is there a particular phenomenon I want to better understand/describe? (phenomenology)

What You Can Do LONG TERM

  • 1

    Develop your qualitative research knowledge and skills: A basic qualitative research textbook is a valuable investment to learn about qualitative research (further reading is provided as online supplemental material). A novice qualitative researcher will also benefit from participating in a massive online open course or a mini-course (often offered by professional organizations or conferences) that provides an introduction to qualitative research. Most of all, collaborating with a qualitative researcher can provide the support necessary to design, execute, and report on the study.

  • 2

    Undertake a pilot study: After learning about qualitative methodology, the next best way to gain expertise in qualitative research is to try it in a small scale pilot study with the support of a qualitative expert. Such application provides an appreciation for the thought processes that go into designing a study, analyzing the data, and reporting on the findings. Alternatively, if you have the opportunity to work on a study led by a qualitative expert, take it! The experience will provide invaluable opportunities for learning how to engage in qualitative research.

Supplementary Material

Footnotes

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense, or the US government.

References and Resources for Further Reading

1. Bogdan R, Biklen SK. Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theories and Methods. 5th ed. London, UK: Pearson;; 2006. [Google Scholar]

2. Corbin J, Strauss A. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications;; 2008. eds. [Google Scholar]

3. Bergman E, de Feijter J, Frambach J, Godefrooij M, Slootweg I, Stalmeijer R, et al. AM last page: a guide to research paradigms relevant to medical education. Acad Med. 2012;87(4):545. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

4. Howell KE. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications;; 2013. [Google Scholar]

5. Denzin NK, Lincoln YS. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications;; 2011. eds. [Google Scholar]


Articles from Journal of Graduate Medical Education are provided here courtesy of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education


Which qualitative research approach involves the study of the entire culture of a particular group?

Ethnography. The ethnographic approach to qualitative research comes largely from the field of anthropology. The emphasis in ethnography is on studying an entire culture.

What kind of approach is used in qualitative research?

While there are many approaches to qualitative research, they tend to be flexible and focus on retaining rich meaning when interpreting data. Common approaches include grounded theory, ethnography, action research, phenomenological research, and narrative research.

What type of qualitative research is a study of certain cultural group to get a clear understanding of its organizational setup internal operations and lifestyle?

ETHNOGRAPHY - it is the study of a particular cultural group to get a clear understanding of its organizational set-up, internal operation, and lifestyle. - A particular group reveals the nature or characteristics of their own culture through the world perceptions of the cultural group's members.

Is an approach to qualitative research that focuses on the commonality of experience within particular group?

Phenomenology is an approach to qualitative research that focuses on the commonality of a lived experience within a particular group.