How to be an ethnographer

• 1
  Lego people. (Joe Shiabotnik)
  
  Select your group: One of the ways to become an ethnographer is to "go native." That means immersing yourself in the culture. Eat, drink and sleep within the culture. This may sound exotic to you, but the reality is, you can do an ethnography for your own neighborhood. You can live with baseball players, pediatricians or IV drug users.
  
  
• 2
  Kuta beach people. (^riva^)
  
  Keep a journal. Record the events of each day. Remember what people say and how people talk. A modern ethnology often involves digital recording and audio, which allows the ethnographer to capture people in their own words. The public radio show "This American Life" is a good example.
  
  
• 3
  Snap people. (stbfc)
  
  Once you've spent time recording daily events, shape your work into a story. Provide as many details as possible. Try not to alter events for literary effect. That includes your own actions and reactions. You are participating in the story, but you're not the hero, so don't try to make yourself sound perfect. Be honest about your actions and reactions.
  
  
• 4
  Streets of Manila. (wili_hybrid)
  
  See examples of other ethnographers' work. NPR's Youth Radio has several audio examples of ethnography done by people covering their own neighborhoods.
  The journal "Creative Nonfiction," edited by Lee Gutkind, also has several fine examples of ethnographic essays.
  The difference between ethnography and everyday storytelling is that ethnography tells the big-picture story, linking events in everyday life to bigger issues such as the economy, societal values and the culture at large.
  For example, if you tell your family a funny story about your day at work, you might leave out the big-picture context, like your industry's business pressures or the social backgrounds of your boss and co-workers.
  An ethnographer would want to understand why your boss made the decision she did, or how the environment affects your own work habits. An ethnographic analysis is not meant to be a strictly objective account. It would also involve the voice of the storyteller. (That's you.)
  
  
• 5
  Flying people. (marfis75)
  
  Narrate the story for others. This means making the connections readers need to make. You'll have to decide what moments should receive the most attention. Many times we find ourselves too close to our stories to make sense out of them, but if you step back to consider your characters and their voices and actions, the significance of their stories will become clear. Your unique reflection will become part of the ethnography.