Quick Ethnography: A Guide to Rapid Multi-Method ResearchQuick Ethnography (QE) is an easy-to-read guide to the rapid collection of high quality ethnographic data for use in research, policy analysis, and decision-making. It addresses the needs of social scientists grappling with complex cultural social interactions and cultural change occurring in communities around the globe by offering a comprehensive, integrated multi-method approach that will increase research productivity. Handwerker provides step-by-step procedures for producing lots of data very quickly, outlining how ethnographers must control field preparation, data collection, and methods of data analysis. The rigorous QE approach allows greater precision and subtlety of ethnographic description and explanation that is not always possible in applied contract work (known as Rapid Assessment Procedures). The author, an anthropologist who has been teaching and consulting on fieldwork methods for over 25 years, includes extensive examples of research design and management that are valuable for the novice as well as for experienced researchers in all social science disciplines. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
QE Basics | 4 |
Dont Confuse Culture with Cultures | 6 |
False Assumption 2 Dont Confuse Ethnography with Qualitative Methods | 11 |
Dont Confuse Cultures with Social Identities | 21 |
This Book | 26 |
Before You Go | 35 |
Identify the Question | 37 |
Use Pictures to Understand the Properties of Frequency Distributions | 160 |
Look for Relationships between Variables | 163 |
For Ethnography Look for Relationships between Informants | 165 |
Beware of Random Error | 169 |
Test Hypotheses | 176 |
Use the Regularity of Sampling Distribution to Find Probabilities | 178 |
Inform Your Interpretation with Knowledge Sampling Distributions | 179 |
How to FineTune by Evaluating the Construct Validity of Cultures | 183 |
Organize Your Study around No More Than Five Focus Variables | 39 |
How to Work with an Explicit Research Question | 51 |
OutcomesEvaluation Research | 55 |
Build from Your Focus Variables | 58 |
Dont Lose Sight of the Forest | 60 |
Contextualize with Regional and Global Histories and EverMoreEncompassing Generalizations | 63 |
Use Ethnography to Correct Your Mistakes | 66 |
Management Begins Now | 71 |
Organize with Focus Variables | 72 |
Select Different Methods for Different Goals | 77 |
How to Find Informants | 90 |
How to Coordinate Fieldwork Iterations | 99 |
How to Build a Foundation | 105 |
Look for the Assumptions | 113 |
Integrate Fieldnotes with Historical Events and Trends | 114 |
Prepare for a Transition | 120 |
Use Semistructured Interviews to Find the Limits of Variation | 121 |
How to Build Your Data Base by Using Structured Interviews to Make Comparisons | 125 |
Remember That Structured Interview Respondents Like Key Informant Are Your Teachers | 126 |
Ask Questions for Which Informal Interviews Have Already Given You Answers | 129 |
Use Binary Responses to Identify the Properties of People and Things | 131 |
Use Likert Scales for Multidimensional Variables | 139 |
Collect TimeSeries Historical Data | 145 |
How to Build Your Data Base by Making Basic Comparisons Early | 153 |
Employ Six Norming and Standardizing Operations | 154 |
Use Factor Analysis to Identify the Intersection among Sets of Variables | 185 |
For Ethnography Use Factor Analysis to Identify the Intersections among Sets of Informants | 189 |
How to FineTune by Explaining Intra and Intercultural Variation and Cultural Change | 219 |
Examine Sources of Intracultural and Intercultural Variation | 221 |
Use OLS Regression for Intercultural Variation | 225 |
Use Logistic Regression for Intercultural Variation | 231 |
Be Prepared to See Cultures You Didnt Anticipate | 237 |
QE Procedures Automatically Build Method Triangulation | 244 |
While Youre There | 251 |
Friends Provide the Best Assistance They Also Make the Best Assistants | 253 |
Find Research Assistants Everywhere | 254 |
Like Your Research Assistants or Learn To | 255 |
The Operational Word Is Team | 256 |
Pay Team Members Well | 257 |
Pulling It All Together | 261 |
This Is Where QE Procedures Pay Off | 262 |
Remember the Basics | 267 |
Pay Attention to Historical Origins Migration and Ethnicity | 269 |
But I have to Complete This Project in Three Days | 274 |
Focus on Whats Important | 279 |
| 281 | |
| 293 | |
About the Author | |